1:35 Sd. Kfz.284 ELEFANT (dragon)

The real subject

The Elefant was a German heavy tank destroyer of the Second World War, designated the Sd.Kfz. 184. It came about out of a need to use what was there: the chassis that Porsche had built for an unsuccessful heavy tank design got a massive armored superstructure and, in it, an 8.8 cm gun with a barrel 71 calibers long. At long range it was therefore extremely dangerous, but it was heavy and unreliable. It went into action under the name Ferdinand in 1943, and after modifications that added a machine gun in the front armor and a commander's cupola, the name Elefant took hold for it.

What the set contains

Photo-etched parts of thin metal sheet that replace the elements which cannot be made in a matching thickness in injection-molded plastic. The set is cut to the Dragon kit, so the seating surfaces match the shapes of that kit. The composition of the parts and their placement are given by the instructions enclosed with the set.

Building tips

Cut the parts out of the fret with a sharp blade on a hard surface; do not break them out. Make the bends on a bending tool or along a blade, and the edge will then come out straight along its whole length. For gluing, use cyanoacrylate glue in small drops applied with a pin. Before painting, wash the metal, degrease it and spray it with a base color for metal, otherwise the shade rubs off during handling.

Who it is for

For builders of German vehicles who want to take a large model down to the detail. The photo-etched parts are the subject of the delivery. The base kit, paints and glue are not included, unless stated otherwise.