Paul A H Posted April 19, 2011 Posted April 19, 2011 Sturmgeschutz IV 1:72 Revell The Sturmgeschutz IV Sd.Kfz. 167 assault gun was developed by Krupp in 1943 in response to a request to mount the StuG III superstructure on the Panzer IV chassis. The StuG IV used the same 7.5cm StuK40 L/48 gun as the StuG III and could carry 87 rounds. Krupp produced over 1000 StuG IVs during the war and they saw service all over the European theatre. Although designated as an assault gun, the StuG IV served mainly in the infantry support role and as a tank killer – a task at which it proved particularly effective. Revell’s StuG IV is, I believe, a re-release of one of Matchbox’s very last armour kits, produced after they had made the switch from 1:76 to 1:72. Tucked away in the usual end-opening box are three sprues of caramel coloured plastic, plus instructions and a very small decal sheet. The quality of the mouldings is very good, with no flash present and only one or two sink marks in places that won’t be seen, such as the lower hull sides behind the road wheels. Detail is fairly good, but not up to the standards of Revell’s own modern armour kits such as their amazing Nashorn. As is customary with most armour kits, the modeller is invited to commence construction with the lower hull and running gear. The road wheels have been simplified somewhat, with each wheel being moulded as a single chunky wheel rather than two thin wheels joined at the hub. Although this is not strictly accurate, I’m sure there will be many modellers who will be grateful that they only have to paint 16 tyres rather than 32. Tracks are of the injection moulded link and length variety rather than vinyl. No sag is moulded into the tracks, but the upper run will not be very visible if the supplied bazooka plates are used. Once the tracks are in place, construction turns to the upper hull. As this is a fairly simple little kit, this is a fairly straightforward process. The rear fenders have to be added first, followed by various hatches and a fairly neat but simple rendition of an MG 42. Although this model has no interior, the open hatches are a nice touch and allow the builder the option of adding figures and creating a diorama. The gun and optional bazooka plates are the last parts to be added. The muzzle of the gun looks rather chubby and will either have to be drilled out as it is not slide moulded, or replaced with an aftermarket item. The upper hull also has a reputation for being rather too flat. Two colour options are provided: • A three colour StuG IV based in Italy in Summer 1944 (as depicted on the box artwork); and • A simple dark yellow StuG IV based in Germany in May 1945 (this version does not use the bazooka plates. The decal sheet is small and simple, but looks pretty nice and is well printed. Conclusion Although this isn’t the first time this kit has been released, it still looks pretty nice on the sprue and the moulds have clearly lasted well. Although the level of detail isn’t up there with Revell’s latest releases and the kit has some accuracy issues, it looks like it will be a nice, simple build. Review sample courtesy of
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