Kit Review: Dragon Models Limited 1/35 scale =9139-=9145 Series Kit No.
6547; 2 cm Flakvierling 38 Late Production w/crew - Smart Kit; 176 parts (167 in grey styrene, 9 etched brass); price US$24.95 via Dragon USA OnlineAdvantages: first release of this kit outside of a mobile platform; crew is more what many modelers have been begging for in regard to temperate uniforms
Disadvantages: no carrier trailer included in kit
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for all German =93Duck Hunter=94 fans
DML has now released its nicely done 2 cm Flakvierling 38 mount as a separate kit and happily supplied it with a brand new set of four crew figures. The best news for most modelers it that this crew is in temperate smocks and thus is more suitable for any time of the year.
The gun is identical in all respects to that which came with the Sd.Kfz. 7/1 kit (No. 6525) some time back. This means it comes with two different types of gun shields and a number of options for posing the gun as well as spare ammo magazines and other bits. Unlike the single barreled 2 cm Flak 38 these guns can be left moveable and swing through their entire range of movement.
One thing missing in this kit is the travel carrier trailer for towing. However, since it comes with a crew and there are a number of resin or plaster =93flak pits=94 out there from after market manufacturers I somehow doubt most modelers will complain.
The crew is posed in semi-action poses and consists of =93Gen1" figures in six parts (head, torso, arms and legs) with some small bits of kit provided such as bread sacks and Kar 98K clip pouches (no rifles are provided, however). They consist of a gunner, a seated loader, a standing loader, and a gun commander with binoculars. While no longer in the bulky winter uniforms, they are wearing camouflaged smocks and thus are basically suitable for late war themes. They come with four extra magazines as well.
Three suggested finishing schemes are provided: =93Hermann Goering=94 Division, Italy 1943 (sand brown); Unidentified Unit, Western Front
1944 (three color =93spot=94 pattern); Unidentified Unit, Eastern Front 1944 (whitewashed shield fronts over sand). A small sheet of Cartograf decals are provided for stenciling on the gun.Technical assistance is credited to Dan Graves, Tom Cockle and Gary Edmundson.
Overall this is a nice kit and by now many of its possible upgrades are on the market; most of the ones I have seen involved etched brass for the magazine stowage racks at the base of the mount and the shields themselves. While the crew is not in standard field uniforms, at least putting them in smocks makes them more suitable for other than winter dioramas.
Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell