DRAGON ARMOR German Leopard 2-A4 MBT 4PzLehrAbt

Description

You are bidding on an original DRAGON ARMOR GERMAN LEOPARD 2A4 Tank in Green w Dark Green & Brown Camouflage color and 1/72 scale.  The turret machine gun and antenna were never taken out of their cellophane baggie and come with the tank. First manufactured by Dragon Armor in 2005 it is now out of production.  The tracks are rubber. They do not turn. The turret does turn 180*, the main gun elevates and depresses. You will receive exactly what you see.This was to be used in 1/72-scale war gaming, was carefully handled and stored. They were purchased new by myself, have had only one owner in a smoke free house. If you have any questions please feel free to ask. For price comparisons feel free to explore ebay and the internet.
Please note. eBay charges fees for the entire purchase price, including shipping, I considered just offering "free" shipping and folding the S&H into the item price. This, however, would preclude me from offering a combined shipping discount, so I have foresworn doing so. This does leave me at the buyer's mercy in the DSR ratings so if you have a question about my S&H please feel free to contact me regarding it. Thank you.
This item may not be mailed to Italy. If you are in Italy please contact me prior to bidding.
Caveat Emptor?:   Not really, more 'buyer be aware.' I am a private collector and a personal consumer. I am NOT a retailer. I do not have a stock of "inventory" or buy things wholesale. Everything I sell, whether as New, Used or 'Other' has been bought and paid for at retail and often with taxes and/or shipping as well. I price at close to what I paid and so do not have much of a margin. Everything I sell must be considered as pre-owned and comes as-is. I provide a photo, will gladly provide more and give a full and accurate description of each item including any known defects. I do not have a return policy because I am NOT a business, just a private person, and simply cannot afford to deal with returns. My shipping department is me and three cats who are shiftless and lazy and have the finest union contract on earth with free food, board and 100% medical. Their motto is "knock it under the sofa and fuggedaboutit." I ship everything within 24 hours of receipt of payment (unless received the day before a Sunday or holiday) because that is what I want for myself. I usually ship USPS Priority and always include a tracking/confirmation number; you will invariably receive your item in less than a week, CONUS.
Dragon Armor 1/72: A Recap-
In 2004 Dragon Ltd announced that they would be coming out with a new 1/72 scale die-cast line with extreme detail and each offering would be based upon an actual tank with details and paint-scheme drawn from color photographs taken during the war. At the time die-cast was taken to mean actual all metal except for a few parts. The first tank produced, #60001, was a Tiger tank based on one Michael Whitmann commanded and the line proceeded forward with more Tigers, King Tigers, Jagd Tigers, JagdPanthers and JagdTigers than you could shake a stick at. They weren’t quite die-cast, Panther’s turrets and Tigers hulls were, but the detail was awesome and the paint jobs really beautiful in a 1/72 scale sort of way.
They basically came out mirroring what Dragon called their 1/144 scale “Can-Do Pocket Army” which was all plastic, incredibly detailed and shared paint schemes with their bigger 1/72 brothers. The two lines paralleled each other for about the next two years. By around 2007 the Can-Do line came to an end but the larger 1/72 products kept expanding into British, Russian, and American vehicles, armored cars and assault guns, Marders and s-p artillery, mirroring the Can-Dos and then going far beyond them.
It was apparent the the profit was in 1/72 scale. As new items were introduced their molds became the basis for new specific, individualized (similar) vehicles. The Can-Do line had paved the way but the Dragon Armor flew higher and farther.
Initially produced with either a metal hull and plastic turret or visa-versa later models had a metal insert in an all plastic hull, to provide “heft” that all plastic couldn’t, and eventually seems to have devolved into what is now an all plastic line. “Die-cast” redefined. New models keep being produced and older ones accrue in value as they are, and always will be, out-of-production. The marvelous detail of all their product and beautiful reproductions continue to carry this line despite prices (inflation adjusted) that rival what the original, real ones cost to produce.
The Leopard 2:
The Leopard 2 was an offshoot of the MBT-70 -- a cancelled joint development project between the USA and West Germany undertaken in the late 1960s. Even though the US had withdrawn from the project, the West Germans, under the auspices of Krauss-Maffei, continued research and development on the renamed Leopard 2 project. In 1977, the first production vehicles were delivered and exported to the smaller Dutch Army while the West German Bundeswehr waited a couple of years before it too was equipped with the powerful new main battle tank. The Leopard 2 is outfitted with a laser rangefinder, thermal-imaging equipment, and nuclear, biological and chemical defense system (NBC), and can conduct shallow amphibious operations. Its fire control system is unusual because the cartridge cases are combustible, which can lead to internal fires. The Leopard 2 has a 30% better power-to-weight ratio than the Leopard I, which results in increased cross-country mobility and a higher survivability rate on the battlefield.
This particular 1:72 scale Leopard 2A4 tank was attached to 4./PanzerLehrbatallion 214 and has been painted in a fabulous tri-color camouflage pattern. Sold Out!
Dimensions:
Length: 5-1/4-inches
Width: 2-inches
Release Date: April 2005
Historical Account:  - The Leopard 2A4 was built initially in four batches with minor differences between each batch. The fifth batch was built between December 1985 and March 1987 and consisted of 370 vehicles with 190 built by Krauss-Maffei, and the remaining 180 by MaK. In this batch, the fire control system was fitted with a digital computer to enable them to use new ammunition, and a fire and explosion suppression system developed by Deugra was installed to improve the crew's survivability. The return rollers were also re-positioned. The turret armor was increased to the equivalent of 700mm for kinetic energy shots and 1000mm for HEAT rounds.
A sixth batch of 150 vehicles was built between January 1988 and May 1989 with 83 built by Krauss-Maffei and 67 by MaK. Improvements included the introduction of Diehl 570FT tracks, the installation of maintenance-free batteries, and the use of zinc cromate free paint. The central warning system light was also installed in a small housing on the hull, in front of the driver's station, for better observation by the driver when driving unbuttoned. In addition, the ammunition supply hatch in the left side of the turret was deleted.
Production of 100 examples in the seventh batch of vehicles began in May 1989 and ended in April 1990, with 55 built by Krauss-Maffei and 45 by MaK. An eighth batch was built between January 1991 and March 1992, with 75 vehicles being delivered, 40 of which were built by Krauss-Maffei and a further 35 by MaK. Improvements included slight modifications of the base mounts for the smoke grenade dischargers, and a muzzle reference system was fitted to the right side of the 120mm main gun, near the barrel's end. This modification was subsequently retrofitted to the vehicles produced in the previous batches.
True to 1/72 scale
Fully accurate mold
Fully assembled
Historically accurate markings and insignia