Reference number: 03095
Review by: Bill Curtis (June 2011)
Our thanks to Revell Germany for the review sample 
Reference
Here’s some good images that should help you to set your model in a realistic context…
Initial Assessment
The box is another of the Revell end opening type and I personally do not like these as one doesn’t have anywhere to put the sprues or sub assemblies whilst building the kit.
Gripe over, in the box we have Hull top and bottom parts, 4 sprues in tan colour plastic for the vehicle and a further four in black for the tracks. Also included is a decal sheet for two vehicles and a set of instructions.
Accuracy
This kit is dimensionally very good for all major components, but on the rear deck the fan intakes are of the latter round type and undersized.
The four rectangular grills are too narrow due to the positioning of the fan grills, but these are only minor faults and I think one can live with them.
The turret smoke dischargers are included in the kit, but as these were only fitted to very early Panthers, it may be better to leave these off if you decide on a mid-production “D”.
Quality
Overall the quality of the moulding is very good, which includes the weld seams, surface detail and the moulding of the small parts such as wing nuts, hooks, grab handles and width indicators.
There is some flash and pin marks, but these are minimal and will be easily cleaned up.
The lower hull has good detail on the underside and the torsion bars locate onto a pip on the side plate, which will ensure a level setting. These pips can be removed so that the torsion bars can move, so allowing the vehicle to be posed over undulating ground.
The detail on the wheels is very good, as are the drive sprockets, but the idlers on my kit have some flash on the centre of the outer part that will need some careful clean up.
The schutzen (side skirts) is bevelled to make it look thinner and should work well.
The tracks are individual links, of which there are 208 that have two sink holes on each. These may not look too bad on the finished model, with some judicious mud applied. One thing I found a little odd was, as the rest of the vehicle had hatches and panels that were separate , the MG letterbox is moulded closed.
Instructions
The instructions are A4 size with eleven pages.
These start with the standard health and safety advice and a code for the symbols on the construction sequences. They are printed in good clear exploded views, which follow a logical sequence from lower hull and wheels through to step 54 the fitting of the schutzen, aerial and tow rope.
Steps 55 and 56 give the marking and painting for two vehicles both from Gross Deutschland, one in overall sand and the other tri-coloured.
Decals
A small decal sheet is supplied for the two vehicles, which look good, in-register and have the panther head and the whole animal for the vehicle in sand numbered 501.
Conclusions
I feel this is a good kit, second only to the Dragon kits as the detail is pretty good.
It’s in scale and should be an easy build straight from the box, which will give you a very good representation of the real thing. The ability to position the torsion bars will enable it to be shown over uneven ground, with the removal of the pips on the hull side.
This may not have all the whistles and bangs of the Dragon kit, but for the price you get a very good kit which can be upgraded with not too much outlay. I would say to Revell that the inclusion of some mesh for the engine deck would have to be the one thing I would ask for as an inclusion in the kit.
Highly Recommended.
Bill C.