Sd.Kfz.165 Hummel
(initial version)
Dragon Kit No. 6150
1/35th Scale
First Look Review by Terry Ashley

The Kit:
The kit has 363 parts in light gray plastic plus another 240 for the individual track links, a small decal sheet and a small sprue with a selection of nicely moulded infantry weapons. There are actually more parts in the box on the sprues from the earlier kits that are not used here to add to the spares box.

Also included is a bonus of the German Self Propelled Gun Crew from Dragon kit No.6016, which also includes a small etched fret with some detail parts for the figures.

Sprue H from the Hornisse kit is also included but you only use 15 small parts for the Hummel kit.

The parts are moulded to the same high standard as the Hornisse/Hummel kits with as you would expect many of the parts from these kits plus extra sprues f, N and O for the Hummel.

All my comments from the Hornisse and Nashorn reviews apply here while the new sprues give you a new fighting compartment floor, new gun platform/mount and gun shield. The sFH18 150mm gun is a very well detailed replica with separate breech block and many smaller details, the gun sprue is marked "15cm SFH 18" so could it be we may see a full kit of the Howitzer in the future?
There are new 150mm ammo racks for the rear compartment as well as the rear gun travel lock plus other storage boxes and internal side wall mounting brackets as well as the sighting poles mounted on the rear plate.

As with the other kits you are given both the Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf E and J drive sprockets with the instructions showing to use the correct Ausf J sprockets for the Hummel plus there is the correct Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf E idler wheels for this early Hummel but the instructions show to use the Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf F-H tube style idler wheels from the earlier kits.

Markings are provided for two vehicles, one shown as "Unknown unit" and one for 9th Panzer Division "Hohenstaufen" in a three colour cam scheme.

Instructions:
The instructions are again the now normal colour photos of the parts during assembly but I found that some of the sequences were a little confusing especially with the gun assembly. The photos show a number of the smaller parts already assembled with only arrowed numbers pointing to the individual parts and careful study of the instructions before gluing would be advisable.

Unfortunately some of the construction errors from the earlier kits are still here in this kit.

• Step 15; The tracks in the instruction are in the wrong directions. You should put them the other way around.
• Step 16/17; N10 and N11 should not be glued to I (hull). Parts N10 and N11 are meant as jigs only for placement of rear gun support and side wall supports.
• Step 21/22; The head light mounts are again shown on the wrong sides in the instructions. Part B39 should be on left fender and B40 on right fender. Following the instructions will end up head lights facing backward.

Conclusion:
Another superb kit from Dragon with very nice surface details and plenty of other details to add to the previous excellent kits.

The Sprues:

References:

Hummel Sd.Kfz.165 Nuts & Bolts Vol.10

Artillerie Selbstfahrlafetten Panzer Tracts No.10

Ground Power No.70 March 2000

Page created 18 June 2003