Dragon Can.do - Mikes Diecast Tanks and Armour

Dragon Models, in association with Doyusha, is producing the CAN.DO pocket army. These are pre-assembled plastic models at 1/144 scale. The detail is good, and the paint and weathering are quite good. The Japanese versions are sold as "trading miniatures", which means you do not know which model is inside. The US versions are sold on cards with small clear plastic cases. As a result, you can choose which model you want.

The Models are sold in "series". Each series usually depicts variations of a certain model of tank (e.g. six types of Tiger), although they have mixed versions from time to time. In addition to the six standard models, there is generally one "special" model per series. This makes that model even more collectible.

I purchased many of these through eBay and web based stores. Prices range from $4-$8 USD plus shipping. You can also find them at local hobby dealers.

Offered out of the sequence previously advertised by Dragon, these releases seem to be tanking advantage of the war in Iraq. In addition to the models pictured above, a special "Baghdad" edition is available on a tan card, and sells for a premium.

This release also differs from past releases in that some of these tanks are "rarer" than others. Dragon limited production on several models (see table below), thus forcing the price up for the more scarce versions. You can see this reflected in the pricing by some vendors. All in all, nice quality... a good release. I can't yet bring myself to take them out of the packaging :-)

As with the M1A1 series some of the tanks in this series are "rarer" than others. Dragon limited production on several models (see table above), making some more collectible (e.g. valuable) than others. Like the M1A1 tanks, nice quality and a good release.

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A nice release. Perhaps not as crisply detailed as some of the other version, but still cool!

This is a VERY nice set. Great details and weathering. One of the best yet, I think!

Model	% of release
A - Warrior, The Black Watch, Iraq 2003	21%
B - Warrior, The Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment, IFOR, 1996	12%
C - Challenger 2, Royal Army, BATUS, Canada	12%
D - Challenger 2, Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, KFOR	18%
E - Challenger 2 w/ upgrade armor, Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, Kosovo, 2000	12%
F - Challenger 2 w/ upgrade armor, Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, Iraq, 2003	21%
Special - Warrior?	4%

Elephant

Dragon Can.do Elephant B	Dragon Can.do Elephant E	Dragon Can.do Befehlspanzer Tiger (p) Special
Dragon Can.do Elephant C	Dragon Can.do Elephant	Dragon Can.do Elephant
Dragon Can.do Bergepanzer Tiger (P) F	Dragon Can.do Bergepanzer Tiger (P) F

Model	% of release
A - Elephant, Italy, 1944	12%
B - Elephant, Russia, 1944	21%
C - Elephant, Kursk 1943	21%
D - Ferdinand, Kursk, 1943	12%
E - Berge-Elephant, Russia, 1944	18%
F -Bergepanzer Tiger (p)	12%
Special - Befehlspanzer Tiger (p)	4%

Bltzkrieg

Dragon Can.Do
Blitzkrieg
Pz. 38(t) Ausf G
Sevastopol, 1942

Model	% of release
A - Pz IV, Ausf F1	12%
B - Pz III, Ausf F	18%
C - Pz III, Ausf E	12%
D - Pz. 38(t) Ausf G	21%
E - Pz. II, Ausf B	21%
F -Pz IV, Ausf D	12%
Special - Pz. 38(t) Ausf G with tank crew	4%

Self Propelled Gun

Dragon Can.do
SPG, Model "F"
Hummel F
Eastern Front, 1944

Dragon Can.do
SPG - Model "E"
Nashorn E
Eastern Front, 1943-1944

Model	% of release
A - Marder II	12%
B - Marder III	12%
C - Marder III M	12%
D - Hornisse (Nashorn - early version)	21%
E - Nashorn	18%
F - Hummel	21%
Special - Hummel Ammo Carrier	4%

Special Release - US Military

In addition to Online and Retail hobby shops, the Can.DO armour has also been repackaged and released to US Military Stores (The "PX") under the "Five Star Collectibles" name. As seen above, the packaging is yellow and brown.

Series 1

M1A1HA Abrams, Apache Troop, Bosnia, 1996

M1A1HA Abrams, H-Troop, 3rd Cav

M1A1HA Abrams, USMC Mojave Desert, 1996

Dragon Giant Armor

This is an awesome series. Very well done, I highly recommend them.

Railroad gun

Dragon Giant Armor 28cm K5(E) Leopold	Dragon Giant Armor 28cm K5(E) Leopold	Dragon Giant Armor 28cm K5(E) Leopold
Dragon Giant Armor 28cm K5(E) Leopold	Dragon Giant Armor 28cm K5(E) Leopold	Dragon Giant Armor 28cm K5(E) Leopold

The German Railroad gun "Leopold" was also known by Allied troops as "Anzio Annie", as it rained shells down on Anzio Beach in WWII. Dragons reproduction is superb! Details, paint, weathering...all wonderful. Every time you look at this piece, you catch new detail which was unseen before. Even at 1:144, the model is 8 inches long. The model also comes in a tan camo. A GREAT addition.

Self Propelled Mortar

Dragon Giant Armor 54 cm Morser "Loki" Gerat 040/041	Dragon Giant Armor 54 cm Morser "Loki" Gerat 040/041	Dragon Giant Armor 54 cm Morser "Loki" Gerat 040/041	Dragon Giant Armor "Loki" contrasted with a 1:144 Panzer IV
Dragon Giant Armor 60 cm Morser "Odin" Gerat 040/041	Dragon Giant Armor 60 cm Morser "Odin" Gerat 040/041	Dragon Giant Armor 60 cm Morser "Odin" Gerat 040/041	Dragon Giant Armor 60 cm Morser "Odin" Gerat 040/041
60 cm Morser "Odin" Gerat 040/041	Dragon Giant Armor Box	Dragon Giant Armor Box	Dragon Giant Armor Box
Dragon Giant Armor Thor	Dragon Giant Armor Thor	Dragon Giant Armor Thor	Dragon Giant Armor Thor
Dragon Giant Armor Ziu	Dragon Giant Armor Ziu	Dragon Giant Armor Ziu

ANOTHER great addition. These are Wonderful! They measure over 3" long and have superb detailing. See the photo above for a comparison to a Panzer IV at 1:144. I am incredibly impressed with this series.

Dragon Giant Armor E100 Version 1	Dragon Giant Armor E100 Version 1	Dragon Giant Armor E100g Version 2	Dragon Giant Armor E100 Version 2
Dragon Giant Armor Maus Version 1	Dragon Giant Armor Maus Version 1	Dragon Giant Armor Maus Version 2	Dragon Giant Armor Maus Version 2

I expected these to be bland and non-descript, instead they are highly detailed. Nice models!

Railway Cars

The railway set contains an armored rail car, a panzer on a flatcar, and a boxcar. Fairly non-descript, overall...

Tank Type	USA release	US Version #	Japanese Release
M1A1	Yes	CAN20041	Series ?
Bradley	Yes	CAN20059	Series 9
Stuka	Yes	CAN20054	Series ?
Panther G	Yes	CAN20052	Series 2
Tiger I	Yes	CAN20051	Series 1
Jagdpanther	Yes	CAN20019	Series 4
King Tiger	Yes	CAN20020	Series 3
Jagdtiger	YES?	?	Series 5
Elephant	Yes	CAN20055	Planned
Panzer III	Yes	CAN20096	Series 10
Panzer IV	Yes	CAN20102	Series 11
Warrior/Challenger II	Yes	CAN20108	Series 12
German Panzer Battalion Leoapard1, Loeaprd2, MARS		CAN20147	Series 13
German Self Propelled Gun Marder, Hummel, Nashorn, Hornisse		CAN20090	Series 14
.S. Army Artillery & Support Paladin,M113A3, M290MLRS		CAN20144
Giant Armour
Railway Gun - Leopold	Yes	CAN20025
Self Propelled Mortar Loki,Odin,Ziu,Thor	Yes	CAN20027
"German Railway Vehicle"	Yes	CAN20119
E100 and Maus Superheavy Tank	Yes	CAN20026

Insert from package showing all models	Dragon Tiger #001	Dragon Tiger #002	Dragon Tiger #003
Dragon Tiger #004	Dragon Tiger #005	Dragon Tiger #006

Dragon Panther #008	Dragon Panther #009	Dragon Panther #010	Dragon Panther #011
Dragon Panther #012	Dragon Panther #013	Insert from package showing all models

Insert from package showing all models	Dragon King Tiger, #015	Dragon King Tiger, #016	Dragon King Tiger, #017
Dragon King Tiger, #018	Dragon King Tiger, #019	Dragon King Tiger, #020

Insert from package showing all models	Dragon Jagdpanther, #022	Dragon Jagdpanther, #023	Dragon Jagdpanther, #024
Dragon Jagdpanther, #025	Dragon Jagdpanther, #026	Dragon Jagdpanther, #027

Dragon Abrams	Dragon 1/144 M1A1HA Version A	Dragon 1/144 M1A1HA Version B	Dragon 1/144 M1A2 Version C
Dragon 1/144 M1A2 Version D	Dragon 1/144 USMC M1A1HA Version E	Dragon 1/144 USMC M1A1HA Version F

Model	% of release
A - M1A1HA Abrams	16%
B - M1A1HA Abrams	16%
C - M1A2 Abrams	25%
D - M1A2 Abrams	8%
E - USMC M1A1HA Abrams	8%
F - USMC M1A1HA Abrams	25%
X - USMC M1A1HA Abrams Baghdad	2%

Dragon Bradley A M2A2 Bradley, Baghdad 2003	Dragon Bradley B M2A2 Bradley, Bosnia 1996	Dragon Bradley C M3A2 Bradley, Baghdad 2003	Dragon Bradley D M3A2 Bradley, Alzirkendorf 2001
Dragon Bradley MLRS E M270 MLRS, Iraq 2003	Dragon Bradley MLRS F M270 MLRS, Germany 1999	Dragon Bradley MLRS F M270 MLRS, Germany 1999

Model	% of release
A - M2A2 Bradley, Baghdad 2003	12%
B - M2A2 Bradley, Bosnia 1996	18%
C - M3A2 Bradley, Baghdad 2003	21%
D - M3A2 Bradley, Alzirkendorf 2001	12%
E - M270 MLRS, Iraq 2003	21%
F - M270 MLRS, Germany 1999	12%
X - M2A2 Bradley, Germany 1999	4%

Panzer III, Ausf E #64, A	Panzer III, Ausf G #65, C	Panzer III, Pz Beob Wg, Ausf II #66, E	Dragon Panzer III, Ausf F #67, B
Panzer III, Pz Bef Wg III, Ausf II #068, D	Panzer III, Ausf M #069, F	Dragon Panzer III - package insert, Japanese version

Model	% of release
A - Pz. III, Ausf E, 1940	12%
B - Pz. III, Ausf F, France, 1940	21%
C - Pz. III, Ausf G, North Africa, 1941	21%
D - Pz Bef Wg III Ausf II, Russia, 1943	12%
E - Pz Beob Wg III Ausf II, Russia, 1943	12%
F -Pz. III, Ausf M, Kursk, 1943	18%
X - Tauch Pz III Ausf II, Russia, 1941	4%

Dragon Can.do Panzer IV	Panzer IV, Ausf D A	Panzer IV, Ausf F1 B	Panzer IV, Ausf F2 C
Panzer IV, Ausf G D	Panzer IV, Ausf H E	Panzer IV, Ausf J F	Special Flakpanzer IV

Model	% of release
A - Pz. IV Ausf D	21%
B - Pz. IV Ausf D1	12%
C - Pz. IV Ausf F2	18%
D - Pz. IV Ausf G - side skirts	12%
E - Pz. IV Ausf H	12%
F - Pz. IV Ausf J	21%
X - Flakpanzer IV	4%

Model	% of release
A - Ju 87B-1, Germany, '39	16%
B - Ju 87B-2 Trop, Libya, '41 tan	25%
C - Ju 87R-2 Trop, Libya, '41 tan/green/camo	8%
D - Ju 87D-1, Czech., '42, winter	16%
E - Ju 87G-1, Lithuania, '44 dark green	25%
F - Ju 87D-1, Russia, '42	8%
X - Ju 87G, Slovakia, '44	2%

	Warrior A - #78	Challenger 2 C- #79	Challenger 2, upgrade armour E - #80
Warrior B - #81	Challenger 2 D - #82	Challenger 2, upgrade armour F - #83