Pz III / StuG III
Engine Compartment
1/35 Kit #35006
Review by Terry Ashley
Consisting of 39 crisply cast resin pieces in light cream resin and a small fret of etched brass this set is at the highest level of resin casting today.
The parts show crisp blemish free casting with the finesse and complexity of
some parts resulting in minor thin resin film flash that should be easy to remove;
this is most evident on the superb engine compartment casting.
As usual there are the casting blocks to be removed which shouldn’t be
a problem, but care is needed on the smaller parts.
This large engine compartment casting includes the floor, front and rear bulkhead
as well as the longitudinal bracings, torsion bars (introduced with the Ausf.E)
plus some plumbing and wiring in what is a superb piece of casting; the images
below should give you the full picture. Separate sidewalls complete the basic
compartment to which is added all the additional detail parts.
The other large part is the engine itself, again a superb piece of intricate
and detailed casting with no cleanup other than the usual casting block, you
should take care when removing this so as not to damage any of the small engine
accessories included in the casting. Other details added to the engine include
the top carburettors and air cleaners as well as additional plumbing.
Also included are the side fuel tanks, batteries, rear twin radiators with separate fans and pulley assemblies.
Etched side intake screens are provided for the target kit and you will also have to perform minor surgery on the kit hull to clear the rear section for the new compartment, but this should be easy to deal with.
The instructions are in the form of a small double sided sheet with clear exploded view drawings showing the placement of the parts, these seem clear enough but as with any instructions careful study before gluing is advisable.
Conclusion:
A superb update set that will really fill out the rear end of your Panzer III
or Stug III, the quality of the castings is simply sensational. To take full
advantage of the details in the set it could be an idea to show the engine out
of the compartment undergoing maintenance thereby exposing the superb compartment
interior.
Highly recommended.
Click on Thumbnails to view the resin bits
Instruction Sheets
Page Created 14 January 2003