Dragon Models Limited

A brief overview of Dragon Models Limited (DML) of Hong Kong. I should note they also did some WW1 aircraft. Their website: www.dragon-mode...
Music is a Chinese cover of Elvis: • Don't be Cruel (My Chi...

[@haroldellis9721]

What they did for 1/35 figures was transformative.

[@darkwood777]

I just bought a DML/Cyber-Hobby kit today at the local hobby shop. An older collectable kit that came up on consignment, but I will build it sometime next year. I'm a builder, not a collector. I really like Dragon kits and wish they would re-issue some that have been impossible to find in the US in the last 20 years.

[@Wild-Dad]

I remember when Dragon first came out with the 1/6 scale figures. At the hobby shop I worked at, they would fly off the shelf. However, we also quickly found out that while they were popular, there was only a few people that would actually buy them. We started taking requests as opposed to always bringing in every figure that was available no matter what. Some of the figures were amazingly detailed, some not as much as if after a while, you could see repeated usage of certain body parts and tools/accessories. This became apparent a few times when people who were experts in figures came in, took a look at the latest offering and then broke down crying in laughter.

[@johndillon8051]

They were the king of 1/35th armor with kits that had exceptional detail and accuracy. Yes, they were often over-engineered and the instructions confusing and at times vague as to placement, but the tooling was top notch. Then something happened at the company and prices went through the roof and the notorious DS tracks became standard items. I have many Dragon kits but haven't bought a new one in around ten years. Their Panzer IV's and Panthers have yet to be surpassed but their many missteps have cost them dominance in armor models and have resulted in the rise of RFM, MiniArt, Takom and Border.

[@jpgabobo]

I have some Dragon 1/48 scale WW2 aircraft kits that appear to be Tri-Master kits from Japan. These have brass frets etc, and are very detailed. Whats the story behind the Tri-master/Dragon connection?

[@chuck9987]

I had forgotten how nice and how well done these video's are. Great job. Built a few of these under Dragon, DML, as well as "re pops" by the better known guys. They were always nice kits. Thanks!!!!

[@breaktimescalemodels]

This entire playlist of Model Company History is by far the best thing I have listened to on KZbin hands down. I mean that. Big dan

[@michaelmcclaryjr3752]

I love the. 1.35 scale military figures

[@jeff72_]

Excellent presentation Max. Dragon do and did have a very good catalogue of 1/35 WWII armour subjects, some of which were not covered by other manufacturers. Their 1/6 and 1/9 scale Warrior Series of figures are pretty good for their price point. Whilst market leaders maybe 15-20 years ago they are somewhat overshadowed by the likes of Ryefield Models and Border Model with their level of complexity and current tooling. Having said that with Border being at the centre of some controversy and Ryefield Models products being somewhat expensive, Dragon will be around for a while yet, which can only be good for the modelling fraternity.

[@maxsmodels]

Thanks

[@petermerz2704]

Excellent! Thanks for sharing Max. Always look forward to seeing your history segments! Model on!

[@Netrunner1972]

I was working for a hobby shop back in my home town of Newport RI back in the late 80's to the late 90s and when these came to the store the Newport Navy Base personal was wiping me out of them almost daily to the point just on the 1/350th ships alone I was ordering case after case almost daily to keep up with sale's Like you said the kits are some of the highest detail you can get and worth every penny of it.

[@aleks1939]

I remember that hobby shop when I'd visit Newport with my family. It had a really nice collection. I grew up in Warwick so the Hobby Shop in Apponaug was my go to store. Caldor, of all places, had a nice selection of kits in the 80s too.

[@Wild-Dad]

The Dragon Wings Line was really neat. I have a few of them, particularly those in Canadian Airlines. Unfortunately, after a while, it just got to be too expensive to continue the collection and I had to part with a bunch of them.

[@michaelnaven213]

Dragon gave me many kits to build. My one complaint is that the kits are unnecessarily over engineered. I prefer the Tamiya approach to model kits. But Dragon has given me countless hours of enjoyment in building their kits and have subjects you cannot find from any other manufacturer.

[@paulfrantizek102]

Yeah, I also prefer Tamiya kits.

[@pauladams286]

Another great history lesson. Thank you. Dragon also did a range of 1/72nd scale armour. At least some of these included photo etched parts, and one Panther variant had a metal lower hull - which put me off building it. Some interesting subjects, but expensive. I would have preferred all-plastic, and a lower price. In 1/35th scale, there were some unusual Police sets, such as a New York Emergency Service Unit, Los Angeles SWAT team, German GSG-9, and Hong Kong Police Special Duties Unit. Four figures per box. There were several weapon sets in 1/35th. You got plenty of guns, but no magazine pouches for them. That seemed rather odd. In addition to all the WW2 and modern figures, there were also some American Civil War figures. I do not think this side of things lasted very long, but there was at least one box of Union Infantry - I recall seeing them in a shop. Again, four figures per box.

[@Wild-Dad]

That B52 that you show as one of the first Dragon issues is the same one I that sent a photo to you back a few months ago.

[@maxsmodels]

cool

[@randytaylor1258]

Excellent, Max! Two additional points. DML is great at listening to modellers instead of the "it's in the rug" dismissal -- check the box top credits for actual names. When they make mistakes -- and who doesn't? -- they fix them. The1/35 Russian BMP, the M4A4 Sherman, and the SAS Jeep were excellent but they all had some flaws. DML recut the molds and corrected them They want their products to be first rate and they listen to modellers.

[@markfrench8892]

I have several older DML kits that have photo etched parts and because of their complexity I'm still too nervous to tackle them. Maybe someday.

[@brentfellers9632]

Me too!

[@model-man7802]

Really went Hog wild on the 1/35 Armor and 1/350 ships.

[@martinpennock9430]

Thanks for the great video. I was not really familiar with the company. Fascinating information. Thanks to you I'll start paying more attention to them. As always, God bless you and yours and thanks again for all you do! Model On!

[@davidchin350]

Very nice DML presentation Max

[@treyzmodels422]

Great video Max! I've not built any of their armor kits yet , got a few in the stash tho. The Ju-88 kits are pretty good but the Fw190 is kind of fiddly in the wing, especially the wheel bay area. Thanks for all the effort you put into this , really enjoyed it👍 Model on

[@kevingoodwin9264]

Thank you for another cool history series

[@modelman424]

As much as people complain about Dragon kits compared to recent offerings Dragon is still a important part of our hobbies history.

[@kennethkwilinski4899]

Another great model history video Max! Love it. The histories are your strong point on the net. Keep um coming. About Dragon, I noticed the superhero models they produce are only the characters from the movies. I’ve yet to see a comic book version of a superhero. Hope to see more of your model history videos.

[@Corsario-ud1du]

Excelente! Thanks Max for this informative video about another model kit manufacturer. Keep up the good work.

[@lancerevell5979]

I have built a few DML/Dragon kits. Prices generally scare me off though. Years ago I paid $56 for the KPZ. 70 kit (German version of the MBT-70), now it goes for $132!

[@randytaylor1258]

Take a look at the change in the value of the dollar. The same is true for Tamiya and Hasegawa.

[@FastSports-ScaleCarGarage]

Great video on Dragon! Very well done! Keep 'em coming!

[@maxsmodels]

thanks John

[@michaelmorgan9824]

Some of the best Luftwaffe kits out there next to Italieri.

[@alanclarke3228]

Hello Max! Did those Dragon diecast jetliners come with 2 sets of snap on wings? One set was for flight mode and one set was for when the plane was on the ground "parked", with the wings sagging down as typical on big jets. How many kits have this feature?

[@kl0wnkiller912]

I have several Dragon tank kits in my stash. One day I want to make them, particularly the US heavy tank T-28 kit. But as said below, they are a bit overly complicated although they do look good when built. I built that USS Dallas/ Typhoon kit set many years ago. I never built the chopper and think I still have it in a baggie somewhere... It was a pretty decent kit in itself. Hahaha... great bit at the end! Rock On Max!

[@Wild-Dad]

Dragon has done some WWI model aircraft I think.

[@maxsmodels]

They do.

[@pickeljarsforhillary102]

Dragon started the Armor kit wars. They gave Tamiya a run for their money. Now we have more kits and variants then one can count and more coming out every month.

[@mrains100]

Thank you.

[@F4FWildcat]

Well done Max!

[@hoppy5631]

Thanks for the video on Dragon Max, I've learned a lot. As to the ending, don't quite your day job, LOL. Still laughing...

[@maxsmodels]

😄

[@beendoneagain]

The John Adam story is amazing!

[@Elizabeth-0]

Wouldn’t touch any “new” release now. Overpriced, DS tracks (the s is supposed to stand for styrene it’s stands for something else, less PE and bad instructions.

[@ph11p3540]

I loved building their Spruance and Bunker Hill modern ships in 1/350 scale

[@crazylocha2515]

Lmao with that ending. 👍 Well done overall Max!

[@PanzermansBunker]

One criticism of Dragon kits is that they are way over-engineered. A 500 to 700 part count per model is not uncommon with their kits. A good comparison would be a tank's Notek light. A Tamiya kit would have this as a 1 or 2 part subassembly. Dragon would make this a 7 to 8 part with P.E. process. I like meticulous detail, but Dragon takes this to loony town. Another beef about Dragon is their tendency to try and squeeze additional life out of a mold to get another version out. They will have you relocate parts, drill holes to locate parts, and scrape parts away to facilitate this different version of a kit. A glaring example of this is their Super Sherman kit. It is based on an older Sherman and you have to modify it extensively to make it the Super Sherman. Having unloaded all that whine, I'm craving some cheese. Hahahahahahahaha. Bill

[@glenchapman3899]

I had the same experience with a 1/350 ship - 22 parts to make 1 sea mine.......toooooooo much

[@paulbervid1610]

Great video

[@robertrivera9162]

So is Dragon still producing 1/6 scale models today? They reason why I ask because I heard that they were not making 1/6 scale stuff anymore and when people sell models of that scale they mention that those models are rare. I really want to get my hands on a 1/6 scale Sherman tank but I am not sure if Dragon is still today in 2022 making the 1/6 scale Sherman tank kit

[@pepo67]

The box art of the me-163 at 1:04 ,looks the same as on my Trimaster me-163.

[@elizabethbell4697]

Did Dragon Models actually release the 1/35 scale AT-AT from The Empire Strikes Back?

[@rogerhorky7258]

1997 was when the British lease on Hong Kong expired. the move to Shanghai may have represented a way for the PRC to assert control over a former western enterprise.

[@iangascoigne8231]

Dragon kits are generally regarded as excellent high quality products except for the instructions.

[@Maxiplusomat]

Thanks for the Video! Dragon still has some of the nicest and best detailed kits around - unfortunately with some of the worst instructions. Their sloppiness in this regard is unforgivable and cost me many nerves. The mistakes often include wrong numbering on very similar parts, important parts that are totally unaccounted for, no clear indication of alternate parts for different versions and wrong construction sequence - even on a +100$ like the 1:32 Bf110. It´s a shame that they seem to handle instructions as a mere afterthought and not worthy of their overall high production quality.

[@chrislongbeard]

I've been waiting for them to break into automotive kits. But I think they just do too well in the military arena to make a move. Well they should just look at Meng and see it can be done

[@JessHull]

why is that tortoise there?

[@maxsmodels]

Effect I suppose

[@JessHull]

@@maxsmodels Well its pretty funny and cute, I like it. lol.

[@THROTTLEPOWER]

👍👍👍

[@shawnbrownstein151]

Not lately no new product

[@MrWhitegold13]

Are these worth investing in

[@Joeknow77]

I am trying to find printable instructions for kit 6394 anyone have suggestions. Bought the kit online and did come with instructions.

[@joeperson4792]

John Addams or Special Ops Cody seems like an expensive item given Dragon's normally high price. Is this in the vein of the Bin Laden figure which is equally morbid but fascinating at the same time?

[@TadashiYee]

That's actually a Vietnamese cover, not Chinese.

[@chrisnelmes3786]

Meanwhile,I still wait for their announced T-55 And the 1/35 scale AT-AT .

[@garyparker2969]

I've Heard They're High Priced and Difficult To Build !?!?? Never Owned 1.

[@rickmoreno6858]

They're not difficult to build their instructions are at times terrible and as far as the price goes yeah they have went up substantially and you get less what you used to get but as far as I think they're one of the most detailed model kits on the market or used to be

[@darkwood777]

I never found the kits to be difficult to build, but I wouldn't recommend them for a beginner. They go together well, but tend to have more small parts that fly across the room and are never seen again. Prices are OK, but always vary due to retail markup and scarcity of a kit. I recommend shopping around to get a truer sense of what a DML kit goes for these days.

[@Elizabeth-0]

@@darkwood777 I would not call prices for Dragon kits at retail now okay, especially when you have to replace the horrible DS tracks.

[@rickmoreno6858]

They Used to be king, now they suck. Ryefield are the new king on the hill!

[@ja37d-34]

Their 1/32 P-51D though.. Ugh..

[@shawnbrownstein151]

Black label is not good

[@maxsmodels]

interesting

[@Elizabeth-0]

Black label just stands for “We tried”.

[@shawnbrownstein151]

@@Elizabeth-0 the one model I bought,I was very disappointed the model had parts from a different company in a seal box

[@fattywithafirearm]

I also like Roden and Great Wall Hobby

[@BigLisaFan]

They make a wicked kit!!!!!