PANZERJAEGER IV SD.KFZ 162 AUSF.F

Unassembled plastic model kit in 1/72 scale of a German WWII tank destroyer Jagdpanzer IV (Sd.Kfz.162), fitted with a short barreled gun 7.5 cm Pak 39 L/48.

This kit is a variant of the kit ESCI – 8319 – 8012 – Jagdpanzer IV, it was released in 1977, three years later, replacing the main gun but the short L/48 version, and adding the side skirts, Schürzen armor. As ESCI did in other occasions, the Schürzen is supplied as single piece.

Initially released with vinyl tracks, the later under ESCI-Ertl issues got the link and length tracks which are better. Italeri also kept this in the reissue Italeri – 7028 – Jagdpanzer IV Ausf. F Sd.Kfz. 162.

The kit keeps the early features of the parent kit, more appropriate for an L/48, which production started earlier. But the same doubt, with such features it should probably wear Zimmerit.

Over the years other manufacturers put efforts on the Jagdpanzer IV in 1/72 scale, almost all of them, if not all, are superior to the old ESCI kit in almost every aspect (with the exception of the Hasegawa tracks compared to the ESCI-Ertl link and length ones).