Dragon (DML)

[Maverick]

Here's one for us armour & 'Nam buffs.  It's Dragon's repop of the Panda UH-1D over on Modelweb and as usual they haven't spared the bandwidth in the details

http://www.modelforum.cz/web/view.php?naze...anku=2007050012

Mav

[PanzerWulff]

Have they done anything with the kit or is it a strait rerun? a couple of my friends from the LHS say the panda kits are dogs,which is why I have been Leery on getting their UH-1N.I have Academy's Huey Frog kit and the kit is a beauty I also want to get the Academy HOG as well
"Panzer"

[Captain Canada]

Looks pretty good to me...but why not take the sprues out of the bag before taking the photos ? Looks like lots of details to play with.

I'd really like to get a giant Huey like that, and paint her up as a CAF rescue bird from one of the base flights in the 70's or 80's.  

[Jeffry Fontaine]

Here is a link to a kit review of the original PANDA UH-1N on Cybermodeler.  You can compare the images in that review with the Dragon release and see that other than the inclusion of the DML/Dragon helicopter crew figures and the photo-etch fret, nothing has really changed.  Yes I know it is the UH-1N and not the UH-1D but other than the engine cowlings, there is no real difference between the kits.  I have both versions in protective custody so I feel qualified to make this comparison.  

Some better images of the kit parts so you can better appreciate the "thickness" of the pieces in this Cybermodeler Review of the
DML/Dragon (PANDA) UH-1D/H kit. 

The $20.00 Panda kit gave you a  basic helicopter shape with Rocket pods included with one version and half a rocket pod in the other.  Some of the other kit highlights were:

*No figures were included in the original Panda kits. 

*No PE was included in the original Panda UH-1H and UH-1N kits. 

*Tail rotor assembley is now a separate component which means you can rotate it 180 degrees to make it correct for the the UH-1N version. 

*Still the same thick plastic molding as originally released by Panda. 

*It is 1/35th scale unlike the Revell of Germany UH-1D/H kit (1/32nd scale with toy like features). 

*If you absolutely have to have a UH-1D/H/N in 1/35th scale this is the kit to pick up.  If you want to build the earlier UH-1B/C you will need to acquire the Academy kit. 

*It is big and you will need a lot of shelf space to devote to displaying it or the alternative will be hanging it from the ceiling. 

*After-market stuff for this kit is not cheap but it does wonders for the kit shortfalls. 

If the price is right, I would definitely pick one or two of them up.  Just for the Kit supplied decals, figures, and PE, plus you get a helicopter model in the box!

[viper29_ca]

With Dragon re-releasing Panda's (same company really), UH-1N, what we have to do now is get Belcher Bits to upsize their Canadian Griffon conversion kit. He makes one in 1/48......if he could upsize it to 1/35....man we could have a whole fleet of Griffons.

We could even do a 'What If', they actually deployed them to Afghanistan!!!!!

[Maverick]

http://www.modelingmadness.com/scotts/axis/previews/dragon/5033.htm

[matrixone]

I just ordered one of those kits this week but it will be quite a while before I will have time to build it.

Matrixone

[Maverick]

I don't know, their armour is usually superb & i liked building their Ar-234.

[matrixone]

I have built a few of the Dragon kits and its quite true they are not much fun to build but look pretty good when finished. The 1/72 scale Ta 152C being the worst fitting model I have ever built, if I can build that one I can build any of them. I have built the Dragon Do 335B heavy fighter before and as usual the fit was not that good but by far the worst problem I had with it was getting the balance correct to avoid being a tail sitter. This next time I will be ready for it.

Matrixone

[HOG]

HoyhoyAll
Dragon... What can I say.


So bad I had to switch the airframes around.

So twisted I had to cut the tail off

And in 72`

Quite enjoyed

I don`t remember any problems.
And I`m still enjoying the Natter build but on the whole (especially the military stuff);

"Dragon kits are actually not designed to be built but rather to be admired in the box."

regards gARY

[kitnut617]

I like that Me.1101, Hog.  Really nice job on that    I've got one in the stash to do too and only a couple of weeks ago I picked up another, only this one has a 'T-Tail'

Do you pose all the figures or can you buy them like that?

[matrixone]

I just got my Dragon Do 335 B-4 kit the other day, about the only changes from the Do 335 A-O kit and the new Do 335 B-4 are a sprue with the long wingspan wing tips and new decals. You must cut off the wing tips of the standard wing and glue on the long span tips to make the wing for the B-4, pretty easy unless you make a mistake during the cutting process.

When I build my kit I will try and hollow out the front engine halves and pack it with lead to help add weight to the nose, when I built the Dragon Do 335 B-6 a few years ago the worst problem I had with it was running out of room to add enough lead to prevent it from being a tail sitter.

Yes the Dragon kits are not as fun to make as certain other brands are, but when finished they look the best and are tough to beat.

HOG, those are some impressive models!


Matrixone

[HOG]

Hoyhoy all,
"this one has a 'T-Tail"
Thinking back the kit I built was the Revell reissue nightfighter which also had a `T`tail. But I wanted the prototype so cut tail in half and fixed as shown.

"Do you pose all the figures or can you buy them like that?"
The figures are a mix of Airfix, Preiser Luft and railway. The Airfix figures are great value but soft plastic and paint falls off if not careful. Roy Dilly used to suggest coating in Unibond, but when I tried that I lost detail. Figures of choice are the Preiser 1:72 kits. Hard styrene, infinitely possable and convertable, but a little pricey. Also check out their tank crew sets. Nice figures already in overalls and a good selection of poses.

"HOG, those are some impressive models!"
From you, praise indeed! and appreciated

regards Gary

[kitnut617]

Thinking back the kit I built was the Revell reissue nightfighter which also had a `T`tail. But I wanted the prototype so cut tail in half and fixed as shown.

regards Gary

I didn't know that Revell made a kit of the Me 1101, these are the ones I have:

[Supertom]

If it's anything like their Do 335A, it'll be a horror to build.  I've yet to try a Dragon kit that isn't.

They turn out some really neat models though.