StuG III Ausf. F/8 (early)

Features:

StuG.III F.8 rendered w/excellent detail
Gun sight protective guard has both plastic and photo-etched options
Photo-etched guard is pre-formed for easy assembly
Radio set w/new housing cover
Delicate front hull w/bolt details
Driver's vision port w/crystal part
Driver's vision port armor w/delicate weld seams for Early Production
Newly tooled spare wheel rack
Newly tooled muzzle brake for optional assembled
Gun sight and hand wheels are included
Complete gun mount is represented
Gun breech and recoil guard are fully reproduced
Recoil and recuperator cylinders are accurately presented
Slide-molded mantlet w/realistic welds seams and internal surface detail
Chamfer in lower part of manlet
Newly tooled fighting-compartment roof w/turret cover
Newly tooled multi-directional slide-molded superstructure w/bolt detail
Newly tooled slide-molded engine deck
Upper hull is easily assembled
Newly tooled multi-piece upper hull for maximum detail
Newly tooled fenders w/details on the top and bottom surface
New fender support is produced
Lower-hull sides come w/full details
Fully detailed hull-bottom weld seams
New pattern of bottom hull is represented w/details
One-piece side-molded lower hull w/new drain hatch details
Fighting-compartment hatches can be assembled open/closed
Injection-molded OVM w/clasps
Air-intake covers w/mounts are accurately reproduced
The engine deck cover is realistically presented
MP40 w/photo etched straps available for enhancing fighting-compartment interior details
Delicate interior details including the hooks on 2 sides of the compartment
Air deflector accurately represented
Photo-etched mesh is included
Cooling-air intakes are slide molded
Photo-etched air-intake grills
One piece DS tracks w/defined detail
Road wheels w/accurate details
Final-drive housing covers are separate parts for maximum detail
Accurate sprocket wheels
Idler wheel w/multi photo-photo-etched parts
Detailed track tension adjuster

The Sturmgeschutz III (StuG.III) has the distinction of being Germany’s most widely produced AFV of WWII, with 10,619 eventually manufactured. Based on the chassis of the Panzer III, it was cheaper and faster to build since it did not have a rotating turret. Once German troops began encountering heavily armored Russian tanks, the StuG III Ausf.F was fitted with a longer 7.5cm gun. This marked its first true emergence as a tank destroyer rather than as an infantry support vehicle. The further modified Ausf.F/8 was produced from September-December 1942, with 250 vehicles built. It was based on an improved hull from the Panzer III J/L, and so it had thicker rear armor. It featured a 7.5cm StuK L/48 main gun. The ‘8’ designation came about because it was the eighth update to the Panzer III hull.

To go nicely along with its previously released Late-Production model of the StuG.III Ausf.F/8, Dragon has now launched a new 1/35 scale kit of an Early-Production variant. It has all the appropriate features of an early type. For example, it has new parts representing the 30mm-thick armor that was welded on (rather than the bolted-on armor of the Late-Production vehicle). Similarly, the extra glacis plate armor is welded rather than bolted. Another change is the new road wheel rack fitted on both sides of the StuG.III F/8 tank destroyer. It’s made from photo-etched metal. To reproduce the irregular shape of the roof, it’s assembled from several well-fitting parts. In fact, all the parts fit well thanks to Dragon’s famous engineering quality and accuracy.