Dragon 1/35 T19 half-track, box art
 
I for one am pleased to see another variant of the ubiquitous US half-track from Dragon.  The base kit is familiar to us now, with the chassis and running gear etc, but this time we have the HMC, or 'Howitzer Motor Carriage', armed with the 105mm gun.  So a re-arranged body interior to suit the gun armed version rather than a troop carrier, the mouldings on this are delightful.  The end section of the 105mm gun barrel is turned aluminium so that should please many of you.  My favourite elements though are the drive sprockets and idlers where the Dragon 'slide moulding' technique really has paid dividends.  These skeletal structures were never good on the older Tamiya M3 offering I'm afraid, and the etch metal aftermarket alternatives I saw are stunning, but ever so fiddly and complex to make.  Hence I love what Dragon have achieved with theirs.
 
A well detailed chassis and running gear, and nice to see how Dragon have catered for the flattened bulge of the front tyres, indicating the weight on them, one of the few times I remember this in a basic plastic kit.  This sort of thing was once only the preserve of resin aftermarket producers.  Dragon clearly pay attention to what happens out in the market place.
 
A fair bit to making up the model, and a choice of the open or closed front armoured cover to the radiator.  All it needs now is a suitable crew.  The decal sheet is packed with white numerals, and there are 5 options provided for in terms of markings.  All date from 1942, and while 4 are simply identified as US Army, one is a US unit in Morocco, North Africa in the same year.
 
For full information on all Dragon products, please see their website, Dragon Models Ltd.