One of Dragon's legendary kits from the early days was a 1/35 scale rendition of the Soviet ISU-152. This was a monstrous kit, and it has now been updated and modified to create an even more amazing ISU-152-2. The 47.3-tonne ISU-152 was a heavy vehicle that served in WWII in the role of a self-propelled gun, assault gun and tank destroyer. Originally based on the KV-1 chassis, it was adapted to the IS tank chassis and duly entered production in December 1943. It operated with a crew of five, and some 3,242 vehicles were built up till 1947. On the ISU-152-2 (also known as Object 247), the original 152.4mm ML-20S gun was replaced by a BL-10 high-powered L48.5 gun in a prototype that dated from August 1944. This 7.393m-long weapon had an 18,000m range. Although the actual ISU-152-2 type didn't enter service with this gun, later versions of the ISU-152 remained in service right up till the 1970s.

Dragon has done a splendid job of replicating the brute characteristics of this ISU-152-2 type designed for the Soviet military. The ungainly design - with the massively long gun barrel protruding from a heavily armored hull - has been perfectly captured. The 1/35 scale kit is based on Dragon's earlier ISU-152, using some of the finely detailed components from that kit, but obviously with a completely new BL-10 gun barrel. Also new are the associated mantlet and muzzle brake. Moreover, it comes with Magic Tracks for an easier assembly. Although it might seem imbalanced, this assault gun has a powerful outline and it exudes strength. For fans of Soviet armor, this ISU-152-2 is a welcome and impressive release from Dragon.