Griffon Models

1/35 German Jagdpanther Early/Late Production Detail Set For the Dragon 6393/6458 kits

Stock Number: L35029

Reviewed By  Tom Moon, IPMS# 43192

MSRP: $49.95 Review PE set supplied by Dragon Models USA: www.dragonmodelsusa.com The 1/35 Griffon Models WWII German Jagdpanther Early/Late Production photo etched set is fairly comprehensive and includes details for both the early and late production models of the Jagdpanther. There are six frets of photo etch, a brass tube and a package of plastic rod and copper wire of various diameters. The frets are of different thicknesses which depict the various thicknesses of the items to be replaced or added. You will need to decide which Dragon Model that you want to build first. Your choices are the Dragon 6393 Jagdpanther G1 Late Production or the Dragon 6458 Jagdpanther G1 Early Production. I chose the 6393 Jagdpanther Late for the review build. The next step was to review the instructions carefully to determine which PE parts you want to use and which version on installation. Here Griffon provides two styles of placement of the externally stowed tools. The first version is the standard style (this is what I followed) the second is a field modified style with most of the tools stowed on the rear deck, rear hull or rear superstructure.

I started by making copies of the instructions so I could mark on one set and keep the original available in case of need. Griffon does not show the instructions online at their website. I would like for them to do that so a modeler can access the instructions at anytime for replacement of damaged sheets or just to review what is actually in the set. I then marked the Dragon Kit instructions and the Griffon instructions to show where each set of instructions intersect. This will give me a road map of how to proceed. In retrospect I highly recommend that you anneal most of the PE set. The larger pieces will force you into this as you can't bend them properly without it. The curved pieces will actually work better if you do the annealing process. My annealing was accomplished by holding the part in a candle flame for a few seconds. I will also warn you about leaving very small parts in the flame too long as they can deform. You can get by on the small parts without annealing. The first sets involve adding the rear hull to replace the mounting brackets and cover for the exhaust stacks. I left the covers off to allow for painting of the hull and exhaust stacks, and then added the covers at a later step. The Griffon instructions do not tell you to fill the mounting holes in the rear hull plate but you will need to do this so the PE parts will have a flat surface to attach to. The mounting brackets for the jack are not workable so you will need to put it all together now and work around the painting issues later or just do a partial installation, paint and weather the jack off vehicle and add it at a later step and touch up the paint. The two storage bins are assembled here. I tried to get by with super gluing only. However my 20/20 hindsight tells me to use soldering for a better hold. The lids can be assembled as working if you are careful. The hinges are not level. The lower hinge (on the bin proper) should have the loop in an upper position and the upper hinge (on the lid) should have the loop in a lower position. I did not do this and I had to add a piece of plastic to the bin to raise the lower hinge up to match the upper hinge. What I did wrong was to assemble the hinges together off the model and did not discover my mistake until I tried to assemble the bin and lid together.

The next step was to add the PE parts to the roof and rear deck. The roof section has extensive PE pieces to replace the molded on splinter guards. The set includes slots in the fret to help you bend these guards to the proper shape. Dragon has molded the splinter guards with fine and subtle weld beads. I decided to use the plastic model version rather than the PE version. On the rear deck I added the lifting hooks and was pleased with the simulated weld beads provided in the PE set. I left the screens off till a later step as handling the model would damage them. Since I will display the model buttoned up I did not add any of the PE detail to the underside of the hatches.

The next step in the PE instructions is the mounting of the front fender and the Schurzen mounting rails. I soldered the mounting brackets to the rails, but tried to super glue the fender. I highly suggest that you solder the fender parts and the mounting rails, and then solder them together. I believe that mounting them after they are together will ensure a proper fit and will have the strength to withstand any handling that it will encounter in the painting process.

The tool clamps come in three different sizes. Make sure you pay attention to the size. From experience I recommend that you solder these clamps to the frame for better strength. When I added the tools and started to bend the clamp over, the whole clamp popped off. I also recommend that you wait to install the track handling cable holder until after you have installed the Schurzen mounting rails. On mine they are too close and will take a lot of effort to get the cable mounted.

The last set involves the mounting of the external tool holders. The barrel cleaner/spare antenna holder is the main focus of this step. The two end caps can be displayed in the closed or open position. I did one of each. The retaining chain needs to be placed on the handle before it is glued to the cap.

On the rear of the superstructure you can add another storage bin or just the cover plate. You can add the camouflage loops to the side of the superstructure and Griffon provides the wire and a bending jig on the edge of one of the frets.

One of the big pluses that I have for this set is that Griffon has extra PE parts of the items that are easily lost or easily damaged. These extra parts make a good set even better. However, I did lose a relatively large part. Can you see which one is gone? There is a zimmerit applicator in this set. The instructions show you where the zimmerit would go.

Conclusion This is a comprehensive set and is not for the beginner in Photo Etch. Soldering experience would be helpful, but this might be the set for you to start with. This set will make your next Jagdpanther a standout. The only down side is the lack of Schurzen plates, but these can be purchased separately (either L35A013 or L35A014).

Thanks to Dragon Models USA and Griffon Models for the review sample and IPMS/USA for the review space.