DRAGON MODELS USA NEW ITEMS ANNOUNCEMENT

Friday, May 24, 2013

Item Number

Descriptions

MSRP

Ampersand Publishing MMiR

AMPAA029

Allied Axis 29 - M3/ M3A1 Light Tank

Allied-Axis: The Photo Journal of the Second World War is Ampersand Publishing's dedicated reference magazine. This 96-page, soft cover publication contains rare and interesting photographs of the vehicles and equipment of World War II in their original format. Many of the features mix shots of contemporary vehicles, original line drawings, and tech manual shots. Each photograph is accompanied by an informative caption that both puts the image in its historical context and highlights pertinent technical features of the subject. Allied-Axis contains four to six articles per issue and is published four times per year.

ALLIED AXIS 29:
- German L.g.s.F.H.13 (Sfl.) auf Lorraine-Schlepper
- German Daimler-Benz L1500 A & S
- German Horch 901 Type 40 E.Pkw, Part 2
- U.S. T16 Diesel Heavy Tractor
- U.S. GMC LeRoi Compressor Truck
- U.S. M3/M3A1 Stuart Tanks

AVAILABLE: June 2013

$15.95

AMPMMiR058

MMiR 58 - Diagnosis Diorama: Creating an Ardennes backdrop for the M10

Military Miniatures in Review is an 80-page, full color, perfect bound, bimonthly magazine. Regular features include new product announcements, book reviews and figure reviews.

MMiR 58 - Diagnosis Diorama: Creating an Ardennes backdrop for the M10:
- Roberto Reale takes us on a trip to dioramaland.
- Meng’s Menacing Merkava: Getting your Israeli groove on.
- Buffalo Soldier: Dragon’s Bison II - The enigmatic but arguably cool German AFV.
- M17: Russkie Meat Chopper - One sexy Lend Lease item.
- A Cherry Chi-Ri and a Crunchy Chi-To: The FineMolds kits - Why have just one, when you can have two at twice the price?
- Patrol in the Debris Field: Somethin’ very different, yet strangely familiar—armor techniques in space!
- Medic! Resuscitating the WC-54 - TLC and a little “plastic” surgery gets the old Italeri kit in gear.

AVAILABLE: June 2013

$9.95

Dragon Plastic Model Kits

DRA6779

1/35 Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf.D DAK, Tropical Version - Smart Kit

Barcode: 0 89195 86779 7
Case Pack: 20 pieces per master carton
Box Size: 9.6" x 15" x 3.1"

Features:
- Newly tooled antenna w/ delicate detail
- Newly tooled sprocket wheels w/ multiple parts
- New Smart Kit Technology for suspension system and road wheels
- Newly produced one-piece DS tracks
- Authentic Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf.D DAK Tropical Version rendered w/full detail
- Spare wheel rack w/well-defined wheel
- Turret rendered w/excellent detail
- Realistic mounting ladder made from photo-etched parts
- Well-defined one-piece hull w/side armor
- Lower hull formed from multiple parts for greater detail
- Side hatches w/hinges can be assembled open/closed
- Pistol port can be shown open/closed
- Storage bin can be assembled open/closed
- Signal port and ventilation cover can be assemble open/closed
- Hollowed-out undercut on turret bottom
- Incorporates toothed turret ring on turret interior
- Turret turntable unit included
- 5-directional slide-molded commander's cupola authentically recreates structural details
- Muffler subtly produced
- Subtle front turret armor and mantlet
- Realistic KwK.37 L/24 gun mimics the original
- Delicate catcher for spent ammo shells
- Accurate rifling gun barrel
- Commander's, loader's and gunner's seats included
- Turntable w/accurate floor pattern
- Vision port w/open/closed option
- Cupola hatches can be assembled open/closed
- Correct driver's vision port can be modeled open/closed
- Both regular and DAK-type engine deck hatches available
- Complete MG w/workable MG ball mount
- Delicate pistol port
- Realistic double-layered air intake
- Direct sighting port included
- Separate front and rear fenders can be posed in a folded-back position
- Slide-molded coaxial MG w/hollow muzzle
- Full coaxial MG Assembly
- Commander's hatch w/interior detail
- Clear parts for vision port sight port sight glass
- Direct sighting port included
- Fuel filler cover has open/closed option
- Towing-eye brackets presented w/multiple parts
- Separate front and rear fenders can be posed in a folded-back position
- Optional bolts for added detail
- Final-drive housing w/details on both sides
- Idler adjuster mountings have accurate details w/gears inside
- Correctly detailed idler wheels w/numerous separate parts
- Astoundingly delicate slide-molded
- On-vehicle tools w/photo-etched clasps
- Injection fenders are made to the thinnest possible dimensions
- Fans and coupling assembled w/multiple parts
- Extendable jack, headlights and tow cables w/hollow ends produced w/subtle detail

Dragon offers a pretty complete lineup of the popular Panzer IV family tree in 1/35 scale, but owing to the vehicle’s widespread use by German forces throughout the entirety of WWII, there’s always room for something new and special! Thus, the newest Panzer IV plastic kit from Dragon is an Ausf.D Tropical Version, a type used in combat in North Africa. Production of the Ausf.D commenced later in 1939, with some 248 produced altogether. Improvements included the reintroduction of the hull machine gun and an external mantlet instead of the previously used internal one. Side armor was thickened to 20mm too. The Deutches Afrika Korps (DAK) used it in North Africa though it was soon superseded by more effective longer-gunned versions.

This 1/35 scale kit is a fantastic offering, which adds appeal to the Ausf.D already available in the collection. That particular model released earlier was sophisticated and extremely detailed, though novice modelers may have found it a challenge. However, this Ausf.D DAK version has received the Smart Kit treatment, which means it’s now incredibly easy to assemble. This is obvious when it comes to details such as the road wheels and other parts of the running gear. The end result is a tank that modelers can put together without any fuss, straight from the box. And speaking of the box, the artwork on the lid by Ron Volstad will surely inspire modelers. It shows an impressive scene of the tank in full combat mode. With this illustration before their eyes, modelers will almost feel the sand between their fingers as they plan their next North African diorama scene!

AVAILABLE: July 2013

$54.95

DRA7507

1/72 Churchill Mk. IV NA 75

Barcode: 0 89195 87507 5
Case Pack: 48 pieces per master carton
Box Size: 6.4" x 10.2" x 1.9"

The Churchill infantry tank is a distinctive design with its extremely long chassis and wraparound tracks. Named after the British Minister of Defence, the Churchill tank was very well armored. The Mk.IV was the most numerous variant. As a field expedient, the Mk.IV was improved with an armament better than the original 6 pdr gun, and this was done by fitting the mantlet and 75mm gun (from Sherman tanks that could not be repaired) onto the Churchill’s cast turret. The first NA 75 conversions were done in North Africa, where many Shermans had been disabled by mines. (Incidentally, the name ‘NA 75’ refers to ‘North Africa’ and the caliber of the gun.) The field conversion required cutting away the front of the original turret to fit the new mantlet. Approximately 200 NA 75 tanks were converted from March-June 1944, and they saw action in North Africa and Italy.

A while ago, Dragon Armor Pro issued a 1/72 scale kit of the Churchill Mk.IV, but like the original, that model has now been converted into an NA 75! Dragon’s kit features many new components such as the appropriate Sherman mantlet and gun barrel. The Churchill Mk.IV NA 75 is beautifully detailed, and it assembles quickly and easily into an accurate model thanks to time-saving elements like one-piece DS tracks and single-piece bogies. For modelers wishing to build up their British tank brigades, this item is invaluable as it represents a special variant that was widely used in combat.

AVAILABLE: July 2013

$19.95

Nuts & Bolts Books

NBB030

Nuts & Bolts Vol. 30 - Nebel-, Panzer- und Vielfachwerfer

Authors: Joachim Baschin, Martin Block, John Nelson, & Heinz Tippmann

Following the Nuts & Bolts book Volume 28 on the Maultier, part 2 of the Maultier family, the new Nuts & Bolts book Volume 30 covers 208 pages - the most comprehensive volume in the series so far! The book not only included the Panzerwerfer with its highly interesting story, but also the towed Nebelwerfers. It is astonishing that the team of authors was able to uncover a vast amount of new and previously thought to be lost information on all aspects of this equipment.

Features:
- 208 pages, approx. 391 photos
- 250 contemporary photos from manuals and from the front; a number of them previously unpublished
- 113 color photos of the surviving vehicles in public and private collections; 28 color photos of the two models from Tony Greenland & Vinnie Branigan
- 24 pages of scale drawings of all versions and details in 1:35 scale from John Rue
- 9 pages of camouflage schemes from Laurent Lecocq
- Tables of organization of units (Kriegstärke-Nachweisungen KStN) having these weapons in their arsenal
- Several charts
- English / German captions (46 pages English / German text)

AVAILABLE: June 2013

$54.95