The Firefly IC was Britain's solution for adding some punch to the venerable Sherman tank. With the addition of the potent 17-pounder high-velocity gun to the M4 Sherman, the Firefly was able to take on the powerful German Tiger and Panther tanks head-on, although it was still woefully under-armored.

Here's another stellar 1/72 release from Dragon. The molding is crisp in light gray styrene, and the cast texture of the tranny cover and turret is well done without being overstated. The newly tooled turret features the cast-in cheek armor, a first in 1/72 scale. The 17-pounder gun features an open muzzle thanks to slide-mold technology. The brush and periscope guards in plastic are incredibly tiny and seem quite fragile; it might actually be easier to use the photo-etched parts. Speaking of which, Dragon has included a very comprehensive fret of PE with this kit, including the aforementioned guards, grouser vent screens, handles, taillight bezels, various fittings, and more. Dragon Styrene belt-style tracks are included, accurately depicting the T54E-1 tracks seen on Fireflies. With all those features and details, Dragon's new kit will give you an excellent 1/72-scale Firefly IC right out of the box. Includes decals by Cartograf for three vehicles.