Kit Review: cyber-hobby.com (Dragon Models Limited) 1/35 Scale '39-'45 Series Kit No. 6364; DAK Kuebelwagen w/Officers; 192 parts (165 parts in grey styrene, 19 etched brass, 8 clear styrene); price US $19.95
Advantages: upgrades older DML "Imperial" kit with Bego VW and new details
Disadvantages: figures are older DML efforts and much stiffer than current releases
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for German "Kuebel" fans and diorama buffs
Hot on the heels of the first DML re-release of the former Hasegawa/Bego VW Ambulance kit comes this one, selling for the same price. Whereas the former kit combined the Bego VW Typ 82 "Kuebelwagen" kit with parts of DML "Imperial" Kit No. 9055 and DML figure set 6074, this one adds the parts from DML "Imperial" series kit No. 9042 with Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, a staff officer, and a set of high-power binoculars on a tripod and the "balloon" desert tires from that kit.
The VW kit is excellent, as it has plenty of nice details including very petite footboards inside the passenger compartment. It includes a basic engine, choice of tops, and a crew of two. This version comes with the normal seats, as well as the oversized tires as an option. But it still comes with the original Bego wheel sprue, so the modeler has a choice of either the desert or normal tires.
Etched brass is provided for details like the door handles, wipers, rear view mirror, and some of the sheet metal fittings on the body. Also, this kit includes three "jerry" cans from other German armor kits, so they each come with four plastic parts and an etched brass "seam" for the center line of the can plus two vehicle racks.
The kit comes with the two organic Bego figures for the driver and mate, as well as Rommel and his staff officer. But as the latter are older figures, they are relatively static and are in "statuary" poses looking off towards the horizon.
The model has a generic decal sheet from Cartograf with license plates and the "Ramcke" brigade markings as well as desert markings. Three suggested finishing options - all for the Afrika Korps - are included (two army and one Luftwaffe.)
Overall this is another nice kit and provides options for the modeler.
Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell