1/35 1/35 Sd.Kfz.166 Stu.Pz.IV "Brummbar" Early Production w/Zimmerit - Dragon 6596

The Dragon Models 1/35 Sd.Kfz.166 Brummbär — Early Production w/Zimmerit Bonus Version (6596) is a premium Smart Kit release covering the earliest production batch of Germany's heavyweight urban assault gun. The early production Brummbär is the most visually distinct variant, featuring the original ball-mount driver's vision port in the superstructure front — a feature deleted from mid-production vehicles after combat experience revealed it created a shot trap and weakened the frontal armor.

The first sixty Brummbär vehicles, delivered to Panzer-Abteilung 216 in April 1943, were dispatched directly to the Eastern Front and saw their combat debut during the Battle of Kursk in July 1943. They were employed against Soviet defensive positions in the southern sector, and their 15cm howitzers proved devastating against fortified earthworks and trench lines. These early vehicles retained the distinctive forward vision port and lacked the revised cupola of the mid-production version. Zimmerit anti-magnetic paste was applied to production vehicles from late 1943, and the Bonus Version represents this characteristic coated appearance at the early production stage.

Key Features:

• 1/35 scale injection-molded Smart Kit
• Unique early production features including ball-mount driver's vision port — absent from mid and late variants
• Factory-applied Zimmerit anti-magnetic coating with accurate roller-applied texture on all surfaces
• Bonus multimedia components including enhanced photo-etched frets and additional detail parts
• Magic Track individual link tracks for the Panzer IV running gear
• Extended marking options including Kursk-period units and multiple theaters

The Bonus Version designation indicates enhanced content beyond the standard release — making this the recommended choice for builders who want the most complete and well-appointed early Brummbär kit available. The combination of the unique early-production vision port and factory Zimmerit makes this one of Dragon's most visually striking German armor kits.

Ideal For:

• Brummbär and Sturmpanzer IV early-production variant specialists
• Kursk and 1943 Eastern Front diorama builders
• Advanced modelers seeking a premium, enhanced-content release

The Dragon Brummbär Early Production Bonus Version is the definitive kit for builders who want the original, most historically distinctive form of this powerful German assault gun.