Pegasus PANZER E25 e-25 Prototype Jagdpanzer Review 7602

Welcome to another review, today we will be reviewing the Panzer E-25, a fast-assembly model kit.

BOX ART >> Pegasus doesn't bother with artworks, in exchange they show you the real model built to a good standard in a wargame scenery.The good thing is that you see what you are getting, and yes, in this case two models.

THE KIT - 8.5 >>

To be a fast-assembly kit, it is fantastically done. It was the second kit of these kind I bought, and I was surprised by the detail. The first thing I thought was "why all manufacturers couldn't do tracks like these, all in a part!" as they are really very well done. Okay, you lose a bit of depth, but it is really impressive the moulding quality.

The only "but" is that some of the equipment moulded at the side of the tank looks a bit flat, and would have really been better that it was made without them, and left to the expert modeller if to add them from another kit or not. All the same they can be easily cut off.

Everything fits very well, and really, you don't need glue, except maybe for the telescope.

EXTRAS - 4.0 >>

Just a extra canopy, you can choose between turret with machine gun and some weird telescope.

POSSIBILITIES - ? >>

A bit hard to say, as we are speaking of a prototype that only 5 were built, and it is supposed they didn't fight.

So you could say the possibilites are just limited by your imagination, or simply very limited; just a non-painted half built. Or you could argue that amid the chaos of the end of the war some of the prototypes were finished and used in a sort of operational training.

PRICE/VALUE RATIO - 8.0 >>

 They roughly cost 10-14 $ shipped, judging by Amazon, eBay and other model kit websites. This is quite a good price for two well detailed models. If you find it in a retail shop for 10 € in Europe, it will be a very god bargain. I bought for this price and I was very happy with the purchase.

HISTORICAL IMPORTANCE - 0.0 >>

"The historical importance score is determined by how many were built, and how much operational service they had, and how much influence they had on the conflicts they were involved in"

Besides wasting a bit of Germany's metal, time and effort in them without serving any purpose, it was not very influential in history.

We could argue that it inspired the post-war Jagdpanzer;

WARGAMING - 10 >>

Made for wargamers, and it serves perfectly the purpose. Easy building, good detail, two in a box, fair cost, a 10. Always considering you accept in your wargames models that is unlikely they actually fought in WWII.

  OVERALL - 8.0 >> 

I would like to see more kits of this kind, but not just of prototypes, from real tanks that took an active role in the war, probably some forgotten early war tanks, and while still giving two tanks per box, if different models (or turret variations) it would be perfect. 

These tanks are recommended both for beginners and expert collectors. For novices because it is cheap and of easy assembly, and for expert collectors because it is one of those models you buy once you think you have everything that had tracks and was in WW2.

Veredict; 

                

                             BUILT EXAMPLES

Kits made by myself.

THANKS FOR READING!

RPM CZOLG DOWODZENIA PZInz. 126 Modyfikadja 1940 Polish Command Tank Vickers light tank modification 1940 ref. 35019

Here it is my second 1/35 review, this time an obscure Polish  tank. A nice  and affordable kit, or a pointless Polish rarity? Find out!

BOX ART >> Interesting, in action and giving a nice sensation. It maybe looks a bit different from the real thing (or maybe the model is what  isn't right, I don't know as I havent been able to see a real pic of this vehicle).

THE KIT - 7.7 >>

The kit is well done, without flash, and with good amount of detail.

The problem comes with the assembly. It seems that after doing the zillionesime version of a Vickers/Tankietka and all the endless combinations, they end up confusing themselves, and in consequence, you are given many pieces that you are not told where to glue, and no, they are not from another version, as you could think. 

So you will have to follow the artwork, my model or any other model you can find on the net rather than the instructions, as finding a wartime pic of this exact version can prove impossible. You could really forget the instructions and just follow the artbox, as they normally just add confusion.

Some of the small details are a bit too thick, and expert modellers would probably substitute them by plasticard or photoetched pieces.

The tracks are of very good quality, of a very elastic rubber, that it seems you could fit a motor and make them run, as all the wheels can be made to turn. (if you try it, be sure to make a video and show it to us!).

EXTRAS - 0.0 >>

In the world of 1/35, extras are usually rare, and many times sold  separately, such as boxes, petrol cans, tank crews, etc. But at least one driver would have been nice to get. As always with RPM, nothing besides the strict model (and maybe missing some small detail). 

POSSIBILITIES - 5.5 >>

Green as the box, or camouflaged as my model, that is probably it , as there were few examples of this type. What you could do is modify it into another of the countless sub-versions and modifications of Vickers, although you would only use the body, and RPM and Mirage hobbies have nearly exhausted all versions, but I bet there are some still to make, like the Finnish modifications, and ammunition carrier versions.

PRICE/VALUE RATIO - 6.8 eBay 8.7 Retail>>

Not too easy to find. At first when they appeared in model shops they were quite expensive, now many rest waiting a buyer at very reasonable prices. I got mine for just 8,99 €, which for a 1/35 tank as big as this is pennies, and I think that in most model shops it isn't more expensive than 12 € or so. By eBay you will have to be alert to find it, but for example, at the time of this review one is selling for 15 GBP shipped.

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HISTORICAL IMPORTANCE - 2.0 >>

50 Vickers 6-ton tanks were bought by Poland, only 38 were used operationally, of which 22 were modified into single-turreted versions, from which I assume they were this version. In any case, this version didn't affect the course of the war, nor was it a great technical improvement, nor hardly appears  in any history book, so it is just a way of having a Polish Vickers looking "stronger" than the two-turret version, or if you are a mad collector of Polish vehicles, to have all sub-versions

In my case, I just found it cheap and it looked good. If I had seen the two-turreted version, all the same I would have bought this one as it looks more conventional and powerful. I did doubt a little bit, as the box is not specially big, and I couldn't believe it was a full 1/35 tank for that price.

OVERALL - 7.5 >> 

A correct kit, if you find it at the price I  found it, is really 10. If you have to invest something like 20 €-25 €, you will probably be disappointed. It's not gigantic, but something similar to a Panzer II. 

IMAGES OF FINISHED JOBS
 "Your work could be shown here too! I would be very glad to include your finished model kit, and be able to show many different examples!"

Model kit made by myself.

TAMIYA BRITISH SPECIAL AIR SERVICE (SAS) JEEP 1/35 REVIEW

Welcome to my first review of a model kit. I humbly strive to have all 1/35, 1/72 model kits and miniatures reviewed on this site. As obviously impossible as that is, I will try my best.

Let´s go on with the subject then;

BOX ART >> The box is the typical Tamiya one, with a nice illustration over white background. Always easy to recognize, artistically well done and describes perfectly what you get.

THE KIT - 9.0 >>

As usual with Tamiya, everything fits properly (even better than usual), the mould is as fresh now as it was back in the 80s when it was made for the first time, with perfect sharpness. It is indeed a very nice kit, unlike some cheap (or not so cheap) kits from lesser known manufacturers which you can be sanding and fighting to makea simple mudface fit .

The building is a piece of cake, and the resulting model is flawless. But in this world of near-perfection kits, I think we must focus onto other aspects, the aspects that make  one kit different from another.

EXTRAS - 8.5 >>

This model scores high on extras. You are given two very nice pilots, and all the equipment you could ask for and then some, boxes, petrol cans, machine guns, sand racks, flasks, etc.

POSSIBILITIES - 3.0 >>

The possibilities of this kit are somewhat limited, as if you have bought this kit instead of a regular Jeep, you can only make the Long Range desert group version, so there is not much to speak about here.

The basic possibilities I can think of are (besides the obvious);

Pink version, showing heavy discolour due to sunlight

A german captured version, which could be very interesting

Israeli army version for the 1950's

Egyptian army 1950's

PRICE/VALUE RATIO - 6.5 >>

It doesn't get a good score here. The average price on eBay is more or less 15 €/13 GBP/18 $, and let's face it, you can buy bigger and more interesting vehicles for not much more.

OVERALL - 8.3 >> 

Even if the price is usually high, it is a fine model nevertheless, and makes a good build of a Jeep that could be boring otherwise. There is a good balance between a nice detail and finish, without having to glue each miserable bit of unnecessary detail which you won't see anyway later. 

Sorry if my review can seem simple or inaccurate for the super-expert that researches the brand of tyre used during the summer of 1941, and each model takes him 6 months to complete, but it is oriented for the old-school fan that likes to build a model from time to time, and modelling is a  hobby and not an endless job. 

For those who think the plastic extras are not good enough, fine enough, etc, there are many resin-sets on eBay that will upgrade this model to the level they are searching for. However, in my humble opinion I don't think the kit needs any part replacement, as I show you in the images of the straight out of the box kit I built and painted myself;

IMAGES OF FINISHED JOBS