1:35 Sd. Kfz. 162 Hummel - Part 1 (dragon)

The real subject

The Hummel is a German self-propelled howitzer of the Second World War. It carries a heavy 15 cm howitzer in an open armored superstructure on a tracked chassis derived from the German medium tanks of the day. The open top matters a great deal for a model: the fighting compartment is visible from above, so the inner walls, the stowage and the small sheet-metal parts stay in view and cannot be hidden.

What the set solves

The photo-etched metal replaces the parts that have to be thickened in injection-molded plastic: thin sheet, brackets, clips, loops and mesh grilles. The set is marked as the first part, so it covers only a section of the model, and it is tuned to the kit from Dragon in 1:35 scale. What it contains exactly is given in the manufacturer's instructions supplied with it; the order of work follows them too, because some of the parts are fitted before the superstructure is closed up.

How the photo-etched parts are worked

Separate the parts with a sharp blade on a hard surface rather than by twisting, and sand back the remains of the tabs. Make the bends over a straight edge or in a bending tool so that the edge is not rounded. Metal is glued with cyanoacrylate or two-part glue, as cement for polystyrene will not hold on it. Before painting, degrease the parts and cover them with primer, otherwise the paint will not last on smooth metal.

Who it is for

For modelers who are building an open vehicle and know that nothing on it can be covered up, and who are not put off by fine work with tweezers. The kit, paints, glue and tools are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.