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Review of Pegasus Hobbies German Panzer E-25
in 1/72 Scale
There is now a selection
of WWII German experimental vehicles being produced by model manufacturers. Just in time! How
many Panthers and Tigers can you build before you want to do something a little different? The Pegasus kit depicts the
E-25, a design for the 25 ton class of vehicles. Its capabilities and size were between the Jagdpanzer
38, or “Hetzer”, and the Jagdpanzer Mark IV. It was intended to replace them both. The “E”
series was an attempt to produce a range of vehicles that shared common components. This simplified production
and maximized Germany’s already strained manufacturing capability. The “E” stands for
Entwicklung, which roughly translates to “developmental”. This initiative came too late in
the war for these vehicles to reach actual production. Thus, many refer to these vehicles and designs as
“Paper Panzers”. Many never got beyond the drawing board! However, there
were prototypes of several of these vehicles found by occupation forces in German factories after the war. From
an engineering perspective, they were very valuable. A little “bad news” first; the model is designed for war gamers in
1/72 scale. So we know from the start it isn’t going to have the detail of a conventional kit in
that scale. You won’t find any photo etched parts, figures, clear vision block parts, or even decals
in the box! The instruction sheet was no more than a crudely reproduced hand drawing. This
isn’t really a problem, as there are only two trees of grey plastic, each with a dozen parts. That brings us to some “good
news”; each tree has parts for a complete vehicle! That’s right; two models in one box!
Each can be assembled in one of three variants. A conventional vehicle, a night fighting vehicle
with infrared scope, or one with an experimental turret. Each differs only in the detail of the commander’s
cupola. Although not mentioned in the instructions, the small optional turret is “friction fit”.
It is simply pressed into place. In this manner it can be removed and reposed in a different orientation.
Of course, if you want the roof-mounted turret to point in one direction forever, you can simple glue it. The weakest
part of the kit, detail wise, was the tracks. The road wheels, drive sprockets, idlers, and tracks are
all molded together in one piece. While the wheels are all well detailed, because of the way the part ejects
from the mold, the tracks are very simplified. Note again that this kit is designed for war gamers, so
this is to be expected. The assorted tools, vents, and lifting hooks are all molded with fairly crisp detail. The various
tabs to glue the parts were invariably larger than the slots to accept them. A little sanding or trimming
with a hobby knife easily corrected them. With so few parts to handle, this wasn’t a big issue.
Assembly was easy, the quality high for an inexpensive kit, and the detail reasonable. The biggest part of the 20 hours
I spent building the two vehicles went to painting. The base coat is Floquil “F110133 Armor Yellow”,
and the camouflage pattern is airbrushed free hand with Polly Scale “F505112 Panzer Red Brown” and “RLM
82 Dark Green” thinned with alcohol. Unlike many reviews that rightly mention kits for experienced modelers, this kit
is perfectly suited to beginners. It would also be the perfect vehicle to test a new paint scheme or weathering
technique for a more experienced modeler. Or for those, like me, who are returning to the hobby after many
years away. I was having so much fun, I bought another dozen kits before these were even dry. © 2010 Phil Trusinski. Email:
engine631@netzero.net
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