Kit: No. 35281
Scale: 1/35
Manufacturer: Tamiya, from Tamiya America
Price: $39.95
Comments: Injection-molded, 301 parts (5 photoetched metal, 8 vinyl, 1 aluminum), decals
Pros: Good overall details, partial interior, easy to build, good commander figure
Cons: No driver’s station, headset for figure too thick

Although Tamiya’s early Sturmgeschütz III kit does not have the high parts count that’s in vogue today, it does possess fine fit and engineering to make up for it. The surface detail is excellent with crisp molding on all the parts. The interior includes a main armament breech section, floor, radio set, sighting equipment, seats for the commander and loader, stick grenade rack, molded-on ammo cans, and two MP40 submachine guns. The photoetched- metal fret provides headlight covers, screens for the engine intakes, and an angle bracket for the antenna.

The movable suspension is a handy feature to those who build dioramas. A finely detailed, rifled aluminum gun barrel is a nice addition. The decal sheet supplies markings for seven vehicles.

The kit’s construction is straightforward with no fit issues. The back wall of the crew compartment has some ejector-pin marks that will be visible with the hatches open. Tamiya has set up the kit so the top of the superstructure can be removed, allowing an unrestricted view of the interior. However, there’s no driver’s station, transfer case, or final drives, leaving the interior half-empty.

Working on the upper hull, I found the fenders are thick for scale and have a few ejector-pin marks on the underside. The aluminum gun barrel is highly polished, so I roughed it up a bit with 800-grit sandpaper to improve paint adhesion.

I airbrushed Tamiya acrylics and applied the markings for the second company of the 192nd Assault Gun Battalion. Some of the decals silvered after they were dry, but an application of Solvaset got them to behave.

My main reference was David Doyle’s German Military Vehicles. It has several photos of this vehicle and background text.

I enjoyed the 22 hours I spent on the model. It’s ideal for modelers looking for good detail without an outrageous parts count.

– Tom Foti