Reviews : Academy German Panzer 1 Ausf.B & Motorcycle

The price for this model is outstanding. You get two kits for the price of one! The figures are as good as any resin figures. The folds in their uniforms are natural and the faces are very realistic. Tank commander is a half figure with optional heads for the padded beret (schutzmutz) or the M38 field cap (schiffchen). The decals are perfect and sat right down with multiple applications of microsol. The distressed balkenkruz are a perfect touch (Polish anti-tank guns realized the vivid white crosses were perfect aiming points!) “Continental” is visible on the road wheels. The string for cable is perfect. The motorcycle, sidecar, driver and passenger amount to 99 parts alone! The tank went together really well, and I only experienced one gap, but that was my fault for not following the excellent instructions precisely. The end results for both are just amazing. Now, the frustrating points: First, the tracks are appallingly fragile and difficult to work with. Plus, you only get a couple of extras. I had to replace mine with a set from a spare Zvezda kit. The headlights for both M/C and tank were solid opaque plastic. I drilled them out, put metal tape in the rear of the unit, and then filled with clear Elmer’s glue several times. The M/C parts are very fragile. I broke the handlebars multiple times. Finally – but I knew this before buying – was the odd pairing of the two. The Zundapp entered service in 1941, and by that time, the Mk I was pretty much considered obsolete. While either could really be used throughout the war, they would be difficult to pair together in a diorama. Plus, the figures are pretty much Europe only. Bottom line: This kit is worth the price, and if you can get the individual tracks together, you are off to the races!

This is a great kit from Academy that's really 2 kits in one. The motorcycle kit with 2 riders is nicely detailed but lots of tiny pieces. The tank was pretty easy to assemble and very typical. The molding was excellent with practically no flash and surface details very good. Be very careful when cutting parts from the trees. There are a lot of parts with thin areas so they will break when cutting if they are over flexed and it doesn't take much to over flex them. I also broke the motorcycle handlebars as another reviewer did. This was the first time I have built a tracked vehicle that didn't come with rubber band type tracks. These tracks came in pieces which had to be assembled very carefully. I assembled them as a top and lower half on each side so they could be removed and painted off the vehicle and then reinstalled. It's a bit of a pain but makes the tracks look a lot more realistic with their lay and sag on top of the wheels. The kit provides only enough links as per the instructions but after I got them all together, there turned out to be an extra link for each side. Overall it's a great kit for the money but definitely not for a beginner.