This week I got my Plastic Soldier Company 1/72 Panzer IV boxes that I've been waiting for. I pre-ordered these in early May and once they were available it took about 2 weeks to arrive from the UK (not bad). I also picked up a box of the new 1/72 Soviet 45mm Anti Tank Guns.
As with the T-34's that I previously ordered, I'm quite happy. The detail and accuracy is pretty good and they are easy to assemble. A few parts required some slight shaving to fit snug but on the whole everything fit together perfectly!
The road wheel detail is the only aspect that is a bit inaccurate; but in reality it's not much different than the detail of some of the other fast assembly kits out there (Italeri Panzer III). I'm guessing they opted for ease of assembly over splitting the road wheel halves. With a bit of weathering and mud I think it probably won't be very noticeable.
The kit comes with several options for assembly (F1, F2/G, H) and I opted to assemble the first one as an F1; there are also some extra details that can be added like the two jerry cans on the side of the hull.
Dimensions seem accurate and it appears to be quite compatible with other brands out there. The photo above shows a comparison with a Dragon 1/72 Panzer IV F1. You can see the detail is better on the Dragon (and Dragon's road wheels are slightly larger), but they are pretty darn close in dimension.
The thing that impressed me with the 45mm Anti Tank gun was how efficiently they packed 4 guns and crew into such a compact box. Not that this matters once the guns are assembled but nice job :) Detail on the guns is very good as well and I was excited to see extra shells, ammo crates, and various barrel options included. I'm assuming a German Pak 36 is up next and I'd be very excited to see that if it does materialize.
As I've said before, I think PSC puts out a great product and I am eagerly waiting for new and upcoming releases. Based on the "Coming Soon" section on the Plastic Soldier Company website, I think we can expect a StuG III, Sdkfz 251's, Shermans, and more!
