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CYBERHOBBY
6549, Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.J Initial/Early Production, 2-in-1 Smart Kit. 1/35th-scale injection-molded styrene/multimedia kit. Contains: 106 162 59 34 18 46 46 17 52 57 38 35 9 16 39 styrene parts (including 16 clear), two bags of individual-link Magic Tracks, four photo-etched brass frets, one piece of braided metal wire, three decal/marking schemes and eight pages of instructions in 20 steps.
Introduction.
Cyberhobby has just released this latest model of the workhorse Panzerkampfwagen IV, which will allow the modeler to produce an initial or early production Ausf.J. As usual, some of the kits features can be deleted or changed by the modeler to depict production variations from a particular time frame; furthermore, some sub-assemblies come with optional variations, including the following:
Two different types of all-steel return rollers.
Two different types of idler wheels.
Two different types of idler wheel adjustment housings.
Two different types of trailer hitches.
Three different types of convoy distance-keeping lamps.
Two different configurations for Schürzen mounting brackets (with and without them).
Two different types of hull-mounted Schürzen rails.
Opened or closed turret Schürzen doors.
Two different types of KwK40 gun tube sleeves.
Four different types of KwK40 muzzle brake configurations.
Two different types of turret roof vent covers.
Two different turret co-axial MG sleeve configurations.
Two different types of turret side doors.
Two different engine deck hatch lid configurations.
Two different radiator filler cap housing configurations.
Two different superstructure rear plate configurations.
Two different hull rear plate configurations.
These options, along with several areas where supplied photo-etched brass items can replace some styrene bits (engine deck door slays, air intake door covers, gunners sight rain guard, fore and aft track-guard brackets, spare track holders, commanders rough sight, C-hook stowage bracket and axe stowage bracket), come together to allow the modeler quite a bit of latitude..
As this release is based to a great degree on previously used parts from kits reviewed here at ToT, much of this review will be a cut-and-paste affair, with the new bits added where necessary.
Tracks.
The 40cm tracks included in this release feature a solid guide horn and tiny angled ice grips on the faces of the links. They are properly rendered as left- and right-handed items and come in two separate bags; one set is molded in lighter-colored styrene than the other, so dont open up both bags at once or mix them up. There is no clean-up involved, if the modeler can overlook the tiny and very subtle ejector pin marks on the inner faces of each link. They fit together easily, but will not stay that way unless cement is applied. The track assembly jig seen in some other DML Pz.Kpfw.IV kits has been omitted from this kit.
Suspension System.
The road-wheels have separate hub-caps of the type initially introduced during production of the Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.H. The wheels themselves are the widened type first introduced on the Ausf.F, which along with the 40cm tracks were able to handle the increased ground pressure resulting from the weight of the thickened armor compared to previous models of the standard gun tank. Each wheel/tire assembly is conventionally-molded in one piece per side and includes manufacturers logo and tire size information on the rubber rim. A total of 20 complete road-wheels are given, which leaves four extras for spare stowage. The suspension bogies do not articulate, and are therefore far less complicated to assemble compared to the previous Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.B, C, D and E kits from this manufacturer. The bogies themselves are in multiple parts, including separate ends for the leaf springs, and a separate hub, which in turn attaches to a separate mount.
The final drive housings are single-piece moldings, without any of the internal details seen on previous kits; these are the reinforced type first introduced on the Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.H. The drive sprockets themselves, also introduced with the new final drive housings, are presented in a conventional manner with inner and outer halves. There are two styles of all-steel return rollers provided, one of which has a reinforcing rib in two places.
Separate, two-part bump stops are fitted to five stations on either of the hull sides, as are multi-part idler wheel axle adjustment housings; there are two choices here. Dont glue the axle in place until after the tracks have been fitted; this will prevent the dreaded one-too-few or one-too-many links phobia. There are two idler wheel types provided: welded-tube design and cast design. The former are provided as inner and outer halves with the hub molded in place; the latter are similar, but also have etched brass rings for their inner faces to properly represent the type. These assemblies feature excellent weld bead details or cast texture as appropriate, and, as mentioned above, can be adjusted on their axles in order to depict proper track sag.
Hull.
The hulls belly plate has the fairings between the bogie units molded in place, again for simplified assembly. A multi-part slide-mold was used to render this part, so details have not been compromised. Rivets, bolts, panels, hatches and weld beads are all crisply-rendered, while there are separate fuel filler caps for the side wall. The final items are the parts for the hull side-wall seen behind the final drive housings. By making these separate, DML will be able to switch the parts to provide for the final style of tow hooks, which were merely holes drilled into extended hull side walls.
Modelers should note that there are three thick injection stubs on each rim of the hull side walls. These must be removed or the fenders will not fit. This is not mentioned in the instructions, although the drawing in that particular step shows the items in question as having already been removed. A separate internal bulkhead is fitted between the fighting compartment and engine compartment. It has no detail and apparently only serves a structural purpose.
On the bow, a separate plate is provided to which the front tow points are attached, along with their separate pins and bars to hold spare track links. The brackets for mounting spare track links on the glacis plate are also given as styrene or etched brass parts. On the stern, the hull rear plate is composed of several parts and through the use of a slide-mold, has properly rendered bolt heads where the upper and lower sections were joined together. The large exhaust muffler, first introduced with the Ausf.F, is in several parts, some slide-molded. The muffler for the turret traverse motor was eliminated on the Ausf.J, and the new rear plate now has the square plug molded in place. There are the two trailer hitch variations, while the final items back there are the separate tow hooks for each hull side wall.
Superstructure.
The track-guards are superbly detailed on both sides and havent a single knock-out pin mark on any surface. They include the L-shaped mounting brackets for the optional Schürzen plates already molded in place. The front and rear mud flaps are separate items and can be positioned up or down. They come from a slide mold so details visible on their sides are in place; separate springs are seen at the rear. However, if folded up, each mud-flap has several prominent ejector pin marks that will have to be filled, since those will be readily visible.
OVM items mounted on the track-guards include a multi-part slide-molded jack, jack block (with etched brass retaining chain), spade, wrenches (with etched brass brackets), pry-bars, starter crank, fire extinguisher, spare antenna case and C-shaped tow hooks. A beautifully-rendered spare wheel tray, made from a slide-mold is fitted with two spare road-wheels. The flaps that covered the engine air cooling intake louvers can be made from styrene or etched brass parts and they include separate tiny fasteners. A choice of three different convoy distance-keeping lamps and reflectors with etched brass details are provided, as is a multi-part Bosch black-out driving head-lamp.
A complete set of Schürzen plates and their hangers are included in the box. These begin with styrene mounting brackets and two versions of the styrene hanging rails, which are crowned with etched aluminum plates; the latter also have styrene parts attached for the mounting points. To ease the process, etched lines are seen on the inner faces of the plates where these are to be fitted. In addition, each plate is sequentially-numbered for accurate placement. The use of this media combination provides a balance between durability, ease of assembly and scale representation of this feature. Other styrene parts for this assembly include the smaller front-most angled plates, and tiny pads that are put in place if the mounting brackets are left off.
The glacis plate has separate brake access hatch lids, which include the brake air cooling intake cowls as separate parts; if left open some work will need to be done to open the hole on the back of the lid that provided cooling air from the cowls. The spare track links and brackets are also provided to fit over the transmission access hatch lid; these include etched brass or styrene mounting points. A fender support bracket is provided as a styrene or etched brass assembly.
The superstructure front plate is 80mm thick and includes a separate ball mount for the MG34 as well as a drivers visor; the latter features a separate cover that must be glued in place in the desired position. Some internal details are given such as a clear view-port block and a fairly complete, multi-part Gen2 MG34, which includes a pre-bored muzzle and proper slit on the barrel.
The superstructure sides include subtle weld bead details; the openings for the view-port flaps have been deleted. Separate drivers and radio operators hatch lids are given; these retain integrally-molded internal latches. The superstructure roof plate is characterized by square hatch lid splash guards that are in three parts. It also features separate engine deck access hatch lids in two configurations, each with an etched brass or styrene part for the internal baffles. The small box seen over the radiator filler cap is a separate part and comes in two versions. The side vents on the engine compartment are provided as multi-part styrene moldings; the flaps for these vents are provided as styrene or etched brass items. Various fittings are separate parts. These include the antenna base seen on the rear corner of the port side, along with its associated rod antenna. A vent cowl, gun cleaning staffs and bore swab completes the fit.
The rear superstructure plate comes in two configurations and features crisp details with molded-on fan clutch access cap and separate spare track links for stowage. The tow cables are made up of braided metal wire and styrene end-loops with holes already in place due to the use of slide molds; these attach to the upper rear plate using separate L-shaped hooks.
Turret.
The turret has been re-worked to delete both of the side-wall mounted view-port flaps and also features the front plate that had only one view-port flap. Other major changes are the up-armored rear section of the roof plate and the enlarged armored guard for the vent fan cover. A blanking plate for a not-fitted close-in defense weapon is also provided, while Pilzen sockets for a jib crane are also molded in place. A splash guard and a new commanders cupola finish off the roof. The cupola has a single-piece hatch lid and is the up-armored type with 90mm armor basis. The hatch lid comes in two forms, one of which has separate handles. Use that one if the lid is opened and use the other if it is closed. Optional etched brass or styrene commanders blade sights are provided. The cupolas view-port flaps can be shown opened or closed and each has a separate internal locking handle; there are clear styrene parts for the vision blocks.
A separate view-port flap with hinges and clear parts for the glass blocks is provided for the turrets front plate. The split turret side doors are separate parts and include separate internal frames, hinges and clear vision blocks. The later type without view-ports or pistol ports is provided, along with the earlier type. Above these are grab handles and rain guards. Beautifully-rendered weld beads and screw head detail abounds.
The rear of the turret face includes mounts for the Gepakkasten (baggage bin). This item is correctly-sized and therefore does not match the drawings in Panzer Tracts No.4; on this point I corresponded with a member of the kits consultation team, who has assured me the DML part is dimensionally correct. The Gepakkasten comes from a slide-mold and incorporates fine rivet detail and separate lid; it is optimized for the fitting of turret Schürzen plates. Etched brass screens are provided to mount between the turret rear and the inside of the Schürzen plates, presumably as baskets for stowage
The Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.J was armed with the lengthened 7.5cm KwK40 L/48, which is well represented using slide molds and multiple parts. There is no less than four muzzle brake variations provided in the box. The external sleeve for the KwK40 apparently came in a couple of variations (welded and cast), both of which are provided. Internal details for the gun include a fairly complete breech assembly with two-position wedge for the breech. The internal part of the roof-mounted exhaust fan is given as is a commanders seat. The mantlet includes a slide-molded MG34 muzzle and armored sleeve, or a sleeve without the gun in place. The latter part will be of use if fitting the MG34 on the anti-aircraft mount. Pz.Kpfw.IVs only carried two MG34s; the co-axial weapon was removed and mounted in the AA position when deemed necessary.
The mounting brackets for the turret Schürzen are well-rendered and appear to be very thin, especially when viewed edge-on. The plates themselves come in several sections and include the option to open the sides or keep them closed.
Molding, Fit and Engineering.
Molding overall is excellent, while fit for such a relatively complex kit is rated as outstanding. There are a few ejector pin marks that may need attention (not counting the tracks, of course) and the turret interior has several pins that will need to be cut off. Flash is non-existent, while mold part seams are subtle and easily dealt with. Weld bead and recessed screw head detail is especially noteworthy, as is the use of slide-molds for enhanced detail or ease of construction.
Accuracy.
As far as accuracy is concerned, the kit matches drawings in Panzer Tracts No.4 to well within acceptable limits. It should be mentioned here that certain details seen on the kit are not shown in the cited drawings, but are seen in contemporary photos, and that some items simply do not match (size-wise), such as the Gepakkasten. Unlike the previous Ausf.H, the MG34 for the anti-aircraft mount has been left out of the box.
Instructions.
The instructions are well-drawn but as always for DML, they are very busy; proceed with caution!
Decals and Markings Information.
Water-slide decals for three different mittlerer Panzer are provided by Cartograf of Italy. They are in perfect register, have crisp edges and excellent color saturation. They depict the following:
5.Kompanie, unidentified unit, Western Front, 1944.
7.Kompanie, 3.SS-Panzer-Division, Eastern Front, 1944.
6.Kompanie, 2.SS-Panzer-Division, Normandy 1944.
All of these are finished with a base color of Dunkelgelb, with both Rotbraun and Olivgrün used for the disruptive camouflage pattern. Which vehicle may have had Zimmerit is not called out in the instructions. Otherwise, the schemes and markings are accurate where they could be confirmed using photos.
Conclusion.
This is yet another excellent kit of a popular modeling subject. The kit contains many options and display configurations and is a fine example of current kit manufacturing technology. Fans of German Panzer, especially those who are enamored of the later versions of the Pz.Kpfw.IV, will certainly appreciate this offering. Hopefully, a late production kit is not too far off!
Highly recommended.
Frank V. De Sisto
References consulted for this review included (but were not limited to) the following books:
1. Encyclopedia of German Tanks of WW2, Revised Edition; Arms and Armour Press, by P. Chamberlain, H. Doyle & T. Jentz.
2. Panzerkampfwagen IV; Achtung Panzer No.3.
3. Pz.Kpfw.IV; Sturm & Drang No.4.
4. Panzerkampfwagen IV, Grosstraktor to Panzerbefehlswagen IV; Panzer Tracts No.4, by T. Jentz & H. Doyle.
5. Panzer IV and Its Variants; Spielberger Series Vol. IV, Schiffer, by W.J. Spielberger.
6. Pz.Kpfw.IV in Action; Squadron Armor No.12, by B. Culver & D. Greer.
7. Panzer IV; Squadron 6081, by K. Hjermstad, D. Greer & E. Cumpain.
8. Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf.G, H and J 1942-45, Osprey New Vanguard 39, by T. Jentz, H. Doyle & T. Bryan.
9. Sd.Kfz.161, Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.G/H/J; Trojca, by W. Trojca & F14.
10. Modelling the Late Panzerkampfwagen IV; Osprey Modelling 38, by T. Cockle & G. Edmundson.
11. Panzer IV, The Wehrmachts Armoured Fist; AFV Collection No.2, AF Editions, by C.C. Jurado & L.M. Franco.
12. Panzerkampfwagen IV in Combat; Wehrmacht Special No.4006, Tankograd, by M. Zöllner.
13. Panzerkampfwagen III and IV, 1939-45; Concord 7065, by T. Cockle & D. Jameson.
Reviewers note: Since May of 2005, I have been working on books for Concord Publications, a sister company to Cyberhobby. The reader may wish to take this into consideration. For my part, I will attempt to maintain an objective viewpoint when writing these reviews.
DML kits are available from retail and mail order shops. For details see their web site at: www.cyber-hobby.com.
