Kit: No. 7292
Scale: 1/72
Manufacturer: Dragon, from Dragon Models USA, 626-968-0322, www.dragonmodelsusa.com
Price: $11.95
Comments: Injection-molded, 173 parts (2 cast metal, 17 photoetched, 2 vinyl), decals
Pros: Crisp detail, extra 88mm shells, detailed gun, photoetched parts.
Cons: Gun fixed in the travel position, overly tight track.
Cousin to the Hummel, the Nashorn, or Rhino, employed the PaK 43 88mm gun. With an effective range of 3,500 meters, the Nashorn was an extremely potent frontline infantry-support vehicle.
Dragon’s little Nashorn has crisp detail without flash and only light mold-parting lines. Some parts are detailed on both sides, and beveled edges create an in-scale appearance. I like the design of the road wheels that separates the tires from the hubs; they’re a lot easier to paint. Extras include styrene 88mm shells, both loose and in a stored arrangement. The photoetched parts replace the styrene cooling louvers and the ammo storage doors.
Without modification, the main gun can only be built in the travel position. The travel lock is molded to the barrel, and you’d have to shave it off and make a new one on the support if you wanted the gun in the firing position.
The eight-step instructions are clearly illustrated using part numbers for locations, along with inset detail illustrations. Painting and marking diagrams are also included. In the painting diagrams, the Balkankreuz and unit emblems are omitted in the rear view. They should be placed to the left and right of the crew entry door, respectively. Well-printed decals for seven vehicles are provided.
Construction was straightforward and the fit was excellent. You can build either an early or late version as both Panzer III E- and J-type drive sprockets are included.
The vinyl tracks were a little short and look too tight. The vinyl did respond to Weld On #3 plastic cement though, making it easy to join the ends.
To facilitate painting, I built the model in hull, gun, and shield subassemblies. I also left the fighting compartment sides off for easier interior painting, then attached them to the hull prior to painting the exterior. I used Vallejo Air Color 81 tank dark yellow 1943 for the base color, then used blobs of Blue Tac to mask the decal locations and sprayed a patchy pattern of 820 off-white of the winter scheme. The decals went down nicely with the help of Micro-Sol.
I weathered with oil paints to give a worn, muddy appearance.
About 16 hours went into my Nashorn. The model measures up to the dimensions in Nuts & Bolts Vol. 14 “Nashorn.” This was a fun kit and the “Rhino” makes a fine addition to small-scale collections of beginners and seasoned veterans alike.
– Phil Kirchmeier