This review was originally written by David O'Barr on the ML forum. No changes has been made to the text. The Pro/Con/Verdict section are done by me, based on the content of the article. Thank you to David O'Barr for letting me post this article on my site.
I never planned on buying it but it was under $10 and I planned on bashing it with a Revell Panzer IV J I just picked up cheap on E-bay. Well, I have to admit when I opened the box I was surprised. I guess my expectations were low so they were more than met and I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the Trumpeter kit.
The Good
The molding quality was excellent and the details are good. Almost all of the tools are molded seperately and it comes with two full sets of wheels including a complete set of steel wheels. It does not have a lot of pieces but the Brummbar is a fairly simple vehicle and many of the pieces of this kit are complex, slide molded affairs that are simple but very detailed. (For example the entire drum exhaust system is all one piece). The kit comes with both the standard drum type ehxhaust and the later flammentoeter "stovepipe" exhaust. It also comes with the option of using four or three of the return rollers. These two variable fetures allow you to model the Brummbar as an early late (which would require zimmerit), a mid late, using the drum exhaust and four return rollers (also requires adding zimmerit) a middle-late late using four return rollers and the flammentoeter (no zimmerit) and a very late late using three return rollers an the flammentoeters. In other words every late Brummbar version is possible. And no matter what version you build you will have a few spare sparts for other projects.
The Bad
Vinyl tracks. Good detail but stiff and slippery. ONLY ONE SET OF MARKINGS! Sorry about the yelling but why give you a kit that can build into several versions and only have one set of decals. Actually you can choose between large balkencruz or small. Detail on engine deck is weak and vents are not open. All hatches molded closed. Albert and I had a good laugh as the commander's hatch is molded closed but has interior detail! Oh the irony. We laughed until we cried. One of my shovels is broken on the sprue. There is no cover for the driver's periscope. The instructions have some problems. They instruct you to use either all steel wheels or all rubber rimmed wheels. I think I have seen pictures of only one late Brummbar with all steel wheels and I don't think I've ever seen a late Brummbar with all rubber rimmed wheels. Almost every picture I have seen of the late Brummbars shows a mix of steel and rubber rimmed wheels (usually four steel wheels in the front four positions.) The instruction are only for the late late version with three retrun rollers and the flammentoeters. No shurtzen or shurtzen rails in the kit. No spare track.
The Ugly
The gun sucks. It is one piece and the mantlet is not round. It is oval. I'm going to replace it with the ESCI part. No towing hookups. This really sucks as every single Brummbar had these installed at the factory. I will have to sacrifice parts from Revell or ESCI to correct this problem.
Conclusion
A fair kit. It has the advantage of being the only plastic kit of this beast in 1/72. Has great options and parts to build all versions (you just add the zimmerit). I would rate this kit as a C+/B-. If Trumpeter would have added shurtzen, spare tracks, a few more decals, opened a hatch or two and added towing hook-ups, this would be an "A-team" kit. It is, however, a Trumpeter "B Team kit" and if you can get it for under $14 US I'd buy it. If anyone has any specific questions or would like to see pics please just ask.
Pros
Molding quality, details, extra parts.
Cons
Vinyl tracks, hatches closed, instructions, gun.
Verdict
A fair kit, good options, but let down but some bad choices.