Reviewed by Cookie Sewell

Dragon's 1/35 scale Nashorn is available online from Squadron.com

Kit Review: ; ;

Advantages: Retooled kit fixes most of the problems of the 9-year-old kit; very nice and very petite details; contains different bits than the Hornisse kit; parts line up!

Disadvantages: Kit must overcome the reputation of its forebearer

Rating: Highly Recommended

Recommendation: for all German and SP AT gun fans

F I R S T L O O K

This is the other shoe to follow the retooled version of the original DML Nashorn/Hummel chassis kit, and it is the later production version of the Nashorn which originally came out in 1993 as Kit No. 6004.

As with the Hornisse (DML No. 6165) DML has completely retooled the original kit, replacing much of it with new or vastly corrected parts and details. They also have produced enough kits to "mix-and-match" sprues to provide later, more accurate parts. The two single-link track sprues are for the Pzkw. III/Pzkw. IV kits released over the years, and the main running gear comes from the Jagdpanzer IV kit. Two sprues of correct Gw. III/IV hull drive wheels and idlers complete the running gear.

The lower hull is still one piece, but whereas before the upper hull was a single molding this kit comes with FIVE parts – fenders, glacis, center mount for the gun, and rear lower hull floor. Other details are similarly changed from the original kit, and the parts are also finer in detail and size. Even the external U-shaped tie-downs are included in nearly scale thickness styrene. But as this is not a "10th Anniversary Special Kit" it lacks the brass 8.8 cm round of the Hornisse.

The Nashorn has a new "L" and "M" sprue which did not come with the Hornisse. The "L" sprue provides the late-model lower hull rear plate with the "C" loops for the spare road wheels. The "M" sprue comes with 29 new parts, most of which cover the "quick-release" barrel lock (including the mount fixed to the new forward barrel/muzzle brake sections) and other detail differences from the Hornisse. It also includes new sights for the gun.

There remain some dicey bits to assembly, most notably the tracks and the fenders. The tracks are a very tight fit under the front fenders, and this is one of those models where you will have to assemble the lower hull completely prior to working on the upper hull. It is not very easy to get the tracks installed once the fenders are in place, as they fit closely and do not leave any room to slide the upper track run into place. Even the use of a set of Fruilmodel tracks will be a gamble due to the close fit. .

Markings are included for two vehicles, one from sch. Heerespanzerjaeger Abteilung 525 in Italy in March 1944 and one from Abteilung 519 in Russia, winter 1943-44. The former is in the multicolor camouflage schemes popular with modelers, whereas the other is apparently a gray vehicle with whitewash applied to it. The full color instruction sheet shows them to good advantage.

Overall, this is a good compliment to the Hornisse and should be popular with German fans. It is quite an improvement over that first Nashorn kit. (For the naysayers and nitpickers, please note that 10 years on and after retooling its Panzer IV kits another large Oriental company has not produced one yet, and DML has done THREE.)

Thanks once again to Freddie Leung for the review sample.

Cookie Sewell
AMPS

Review Copyright © 2003 by Cookie Sewell
Page Created 23 February, 2003
Last updated 15 August, 2003

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