Small Scale Military Headquarters

On the rear panel of this beautiful little stug are two hooks, placed horizontally and facing outward which look as if cables should be looped across them. But there aren't any cables. Was this an oversight on Dragon's part, or an oversight in manufacture? In any event it appears that the days of die cast are done for.

I looked at missing-lynx.com at the back of a finished model, and these are definitely "hooks" for tow cables. It sure would have been nice to have had those included on the Stug, like they are on other Dragon 1/72 models. So, it was an oversight or just not done.

ltcbj wrote:On the rear panel of this beautiful little stug are two hooks, placed horizontally and facing outward which look as if cables should be looped across them. But there aren't any cables. Was this an oversight on Dragon's part, or an oversight in manufacture? In any event it appears that the days of die cast are done for.

Does this hilited sentence mean what I think it does? 10% die-cast and 90% plastic with a small steel plate inside the hull to give the model the weight a fully die-cast model would have? Which parts are plastic?

Yes fov, that is what I meant. I don't even know if there is a little metal plate skulking around inside although there very likely is....

ltcbj wrote:Yes fov, that is what I meant. I don't even know if there is a little metal plate skulking around inside although there very likely is....

If the turret simply turns until notches line up and then lifts off, like Dragon models do, then the turret can be easily removed so you can see for sure if there is a steel plate inside the hull.

These are Stugs, assault guns, and have no turret. One could pry the plastic gun and gun shield off to look inside but there is no real point to that. As I said, it probably does have a small plate because it has more weight than it should as (only) all plastic. The entire hull/chassis, wheels, gun, etc. are plastic though.

ltcbj wrote:These are Stugs, assault guns, and have no turret. One could pry the plastic gun and gun shield off to look inside but there is no real point to that. As I said, it probably does have a small plate because it has more weight than it should as (only) all plastic. The entire hull/chassis, wheels, gun, etc. are plastic though.

DAH!!!!!!! I apologize for the mix up. I had been on another thread talking about the Altaya/IXO Panther and how much plastic there is on it and I just forgot to switch gears. I'm waiting for 60118 and when I get it, I'll take the screws out of the bottom and the top and hull will then come apart.

Has anyone taken a tank apart and found a metal plate in it, just so the company can call it diecast? This is very unethical and false advertising as far as I'm concerned. I am amazed that any reputable company would do this! But, back to my original question. . . has anyone actually found this to be true, and if so which companies?

and is there a particular reason you are waiting on the 118? Surely not just to take it apart?

ltcbj wrote:and is there a particular reason you are waiting on the 118? Surely not just to take it apart?

I collect every type of vehicle that Dragon puts out but not every version of every vehicle. I want 118 because of the paint scheme. 117 and 118 are both late Stug IVs and both from 1945 so I only want one version and 118 catches my eye more because of the lighter camo colors. I'll be getting 60068 Stug IV because it is an early version, 60089 Stug III, 60090 Stug III Sturmhaubitze 42.

No I don't want it just to take apart, although I probably will just to see what is metal, if any. It's not a hard job, a couple of screws out of the bottom and then you have 2 halves. I'm just curious to see how much is metal and how much is plastic. Dragon does say the models are both die-cast and plastic. It is to the point where they should be discribing the models as mostly plastic with very little die-cast, if any. When Dragon started out, they at least gave us a die-cast hull with a plastic turret or vice versa.

I just received 60137 Maus and the only metal in it is the steel plate fastened inside the hull. The E-100 has a steel plate, 60049 King Tiger has one as well as quite a few more models. The Bradleys don't even have a steel plate, all plastic. This can be easily seen by just lifting the turret off the body, line up a couple of notches and gently lift. The notches usually line up when the gun is in the 10 or 2 o'clock position. A few have to be 3 or 9 o'clock.

It's really absurd to call something die-cast if the only metal is an irrelevant plate attached to the interior for weight.

Here's an idea ....

If someone wants to disassemble the item to verify what the item is (or is not) constructed of - no problem.

If Dragon wants to use the word 'die-cast' on the package or on the web-site - no problem (been discussed more than enough). Is there a chance that maybe Dragon wants to use plastic to help offset manufacturing costs associated with metal to maintain pricing. If anyone wants to criticize Dragon for using plastic more extensively on recently released models - no problem.

Regardless - I am still quite impressed with the detail, quality (plastic or metal), and variety that Dragon offers in the Warbirds and Armor collections. To get a StuG for $13.00 is still a bargain as far as I am concerned.

Sorry.

Where did you get it for $13??

Well - actually, the Battle Rhino sells it for $13.49. I purchased mine for less than that.

ohhh.... And what is shipping? and where did you purchase yours, hmmm??

I purchased mine from a retailer that I purchase many of the various
collectibles I have an interest in - shipping would probably about $5.00
for 1 ... given that I buy a number of replicas at a time, the shipping is less per item.

Regardless, I just gave you a site that sells them for $13.49 .

ltcbj wrote:It's really absurd to call something die-cast if the only metal is an irrelevant plate attached to the interior for weight.

According to the dictionary - "die-cast adj : formed by forcing molten metal into a die"
Bradleys - all plastic, not a die-cast model. There is more and more plastic creeping into the so-called die-cast military vehicles and planes. Most people want detail in their models and so do I, but not at the cost of removing all or most of the die-cast. There has to be a happy medium but as long as collectors, myself included, buy the plastic models, they'll keep punching them out. Who knows, this practice just might be a blessing when it comes to my wallet.

And that was the point - to each his own ......

And to be quite honest - shipping one (1) StuG should only be about
$4.50 for USPS Priority Shipping with Confirmation. And if I bought just one (1) from the individual that I purchase the items from, I would probably get the item shipped for that.

smh_1021 wrote: Regardless - I am still quite impressed with the detail, quality (plastic or metal), and variety that Dragon offers in the Warbirds and Armor collections. To get a StuG for $13.00 is still a bargain as far as I am concerned.

I agree with the bargain part. You really do get alot for what you pay. Not everyone collects them because they are diecast (or supposidly diecast). I'd buy them if they were all plastic, all diecast, or all resin. It's the quality I'm after, with everything else a distant second.

I buy Dragon Armor, Forces of Valor 1:72, Matchbox 1:72, and CDC Amour. What really makes me prefer one specific tank or vehicle over another is the quality. It all boils down to what you collect, for me it's 1:72 prebuilt and prepainted vehicles (plastic, diecast, whatever). For some it's because they are diecast. Either way, we all win with all the great releases available now a days.

Dragon Models unethical?! Say it isn't so! Seriously though, nothing Dragon do would suprise me anymore.

Their latest antics of planting several people on prominent modelling forums to exalt dragon models, and bash Tamiya/Trumpeter/Tristar, etc kits without telling everyone they work for dragon were found out by several modelling forums. They got found because all these people have the same IP adresses which is the same as the parent company of Dragon.

Dragon makes excellent models, horrible business practices.