Cyberhobby 1/35 Panzer III (FL)

On January 11, 1934, following specifications laid down by Heinz Guderian, the Army Weapons Department drew up plans for a medium tank with a maximum weight of 24,000 kg and a top speed of 35 km/h. It was intended as the main tank of the German Panzer divisions, capable of engaging and destroying opposing tank forces.

Daimler-Benz, Krupp, MAN, and Rheinmetall all produced prototypes. Testing of the prototypes took place in 1936 and 1937, leading to the Daimler-Benz design being chosen for production. The first Panzer III A came off the assembly line in May of 1937, and a total of ten, two of which were unarmed, were produced in 1937. Mass production of the tank, then in model III F, began in 1939.

Between 1937 and 1940, attempts were made to standardize parts between Krupp's Panzer IV and Daimler-Benz's Panzer III.

Much of the early development work on the Panzer III was a quest for a suitable suspension. Several varieties of leaf-spring suspensions were tried on Ausf A through D before the torsion-bar suspension of the Ausf E was standardized. The Panzer III, along with the Soviet KV heavy tank, was one of the first tanks to use this suspension design.

The Panzer III was intended as the main battle tank of the German forces. It outclassed most of the tanks of the time However, when it initially met the Soviet KV and T-34 tank designs it proved to be inferior. To meet the growing need to counter the T-34 the Panzer III was upgunned with the 50mm KwK 39 L/60 and received more armor which made it a very formidable opponent for the T-34. This still failed to address the problem caused by the KV tanks though, so in 1942, several self propelled guns as well as the longer barreled 75mm Kwk 40 L/43 Panzer IV Ausf F2 and the Panzer IV Ausf G were developed and produced.

The Ausf.M was successor to the Ausf.L, and it shared the same 5cm KwK39 L/60 main gun. Among its modifications was a deep-wading muffler with a series of associated hatch seals that allowed fording of water obstacles up to a depth of 1.3m. This performance represented a significant fording improvement over earlier Panzer IIIs. The hull-mounted smoke generators were also replaced with three 90mm NbK dischargers mounted either side of the turret. A total of 250 new Ausf.M tanks were produced from October 1942 to February 1943. The flamethrower version was also based on the Ausf. M and 100 were built on new chassis.

Though I do not think they have done them all, Dragon/Cyberhobby continues to fill in the blanks in their extensive Panzer III series. I can recall the hoopla made when they release their first Panzer III, the E version several years ago. Since then, they have continued to upgrade and update the molds. This one is a Smart kit with the individual track links. At a mere 500 parts, it is one of their mid-range kits in terms of difficulty.

Like all their other Panzer III kits, this one has a number of options, most of which simply pin down when during the production run the tank was made. This kit differs from earlier Panzer III kits in having the DS tracks in place of the individual track links. It also has the extra bits and new barrel to make up the flame thrower version.  Below is a full list of details.

• Newly designed Pz.Kpfw.III (FI)
• New add-on armor molded on front of hull
• Newly tooled flamethrower barrel w/photo-etched parts
• Brake-cooling inlets on glacis plate reproduced
• Turret made by 3-directional slide molds
• Incorporate toothed ring in turret interior
• Extra armor on fighting-compartment front plate
• Brackets for extra hull-top armorplate
• Optional add-on armor for gun mantlet
  Top plate for spaced armor over mantlet
• Photo-etched parts provided as option for mantlet add-on armor
• Commander’s cupola realistically recreates structural details
• Cupola vision blocks can be assembled open/closed
• Slide-molded recuperator housing w/great detail
• Vent covers w/mounts realistically reproduced
• One-piece slide-molded lower hull w/exquisite detail
• Fully detailed weld seams on hull bottom
• Injection-molded tow cables for engine deck
• Air intake accurately tooled on the hull side
• Slide-molded engine deck for Pz.Kpfw.III (FI) reproduced
• Two types of both mufflers and exhaust pipes are provided as options
• Commander’s hatch w/interior detail
• Direct sighting post can be made from photo-etched part
• Clear parts for vision port glass
• Finely detailed rear turret hooks and stowage bin brackets
• Side hatches w/internal detail can be assembled open/closed
• Fenders w/pattern detail on both top and bottom surfaces
• Slide-molded stowage bin w/fine details can be assembled open/closed
• Accurate weld seams finely represented
• Injection-molded on-vehicle tools provided w/clasps
• Idler wheels w/photo-etched parts
• Detailed road wheels and sprockets
• Final-drive housing covers are separate parts for maximum detail
  Jack reproduced in multiple parts
• Slide-molded hydraulic shock absorbers are well detailed
• Detailed suspension swing arms
• Turret side hooks especially designed w/undercut details
• DS Tracks

This kit provides but a single markings option; that of an unknown unit in the Soviet Union. However the decal sheet offers a variety of hull numbers and unit markings so you can actually do a variety of different tanks, though you'll have to do your own research.

Cyberhobby has been providing a nearly bewildering number of variants and ones with special gear and this kit continues in that trend.This one needs to be built carefully, but will result in a fine replica when finished.

July 2013

Thanks to www.dragonmodelsusa.com for the preview kit. Get yours today at your local shop or have them order it for you.