Kit Review: Dragon Models Limited 1/35 Scale =9139-=9145 Series Kit No.
6677; Sd.Kfz. 10/5 w/Armored Cab fuer 2 cm Flak 38; 803 parts (501 in grey styrene, 192 Magic Track links, 114 etched brass, 4 clear styrene, 2 preformed etched brass); pre-order price US$43.95 via Dragon USA OnlineAdvantages: kit now adds detailed armor set for the cab of the vehicle
Disadvantages: more than past time for a set of DS Plastic tracks for this suspension
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for all German halftrack and =93duck hunter=94 fans
DML has now taken its very nice Sd.Kfz. 10/5 kit (No. 6676) and added
43 more parts which cover the addition of an armored cab for the driver and commander.As noted in the previous review, there were two self-propelled antiaircraft versions produced =96 Sd.Kfz.10/4 and Sd.Kfz. 10/5. The differences between them were slight - the /4 mounted the 2 cm Flak 30 and the /5 the 2 cm Flak 38. Both were apparently accounted for as one variant as the same chassis was used for both vehicles, and a total of over 600 of both variants was produced. I do not have information as to how many /5 models got the armored cab.
As before it combines proven components from their 2 cm single-barrel Flak 38 kits with the running gear from their line of Sd.Kfz. 250 light armored halftracks. There were some comments that DML erred in the basic 2 cm FlaK by using the ground-based version of the gun for its measurements. This one now adds a new gun assembly which is slightly longer and apparently corrects this problem.
The kit retains the hull pan with individual torsion bars for the suspension and a complete engine and transmission assembly. The modeler has a choice of either new =93street=94 tires (two part types) or the five-piece grooved variants from the later 250 kits. In point of fact the first eight steps of construction cover the chassis and engine components.
The hood and grille are impressive as all vanes and louvers are molded open and clear, with the ones on the hood being very petite and neatly done (be careful as I would bet a thick coat of paint would block them up and ruin the effect). Note that more variants are clearly planned as in Step 8 four locating blocks on the top of the rear of the chassis pan have to be removed before mounting the gun platform. A storage case for three Kar 98K rifles mounts on each fender but only four rifles are included.
The gun platform comes with a one piece and very intricately molded subframe (with many =93tags=94 from molding overflow to be removed, but at least note that usually eliminates =93short shots=94 or incompletely molded parts). The side frames are separate with etched brass grid inserts and ten spare 2 cm ammo magazines to mount on them.
Steps 13-15 cover the armored cab which comes with complete viewers and their mechanisms as well as all bracing as separate items. The armored radiator covers are included - a bit of a necessary shame as the radiator is a lovely piece of molding - as well as all of their mounting brackets as well.
The basic 2 cm gun is a now familiar DML item and comes with four sets of elevation braces so angles can be preset from 0 to 20, 40 or
60 degrees elevation. Options provide for both early and late mount designs.There are four seats included for the gun crew which mount on the rear platform.
The one bugaboo with the kit is that it still uses the tiny Magic Track links of two parts each. While they are nicely done and accurate, they are smaller than many 1/72 scale kits and very tedious to assemble.
Technical consultants on this kit were Tom Cockle and Gary Edmundson.
Three different finishing options are included: Unidentified Luftwaffe FlaK unit, vicinity of Rome, 1943 (tricolor stripes, no number plate); Unidentified unit, Eastern Front 1944 (red brown over sand, 43 =93kills=94, no number plate); Unidentified Unit, Eastern Front
1941 (panzer grey, no number plates). All decals are on a Cartograf sheet; also, four masks for the windshield are still provided with the kit as well as the windshield even though the armored cab replaces them!Overall this kit should be very popular as it is state of the art and the correction to the 2 cm gun will be appreciated.
Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample
Cookie Sewell