Model Armour

Sd.Kfz.7/2 3.7cm FlaK 37 w/Armour Cab

Manufacturer: Dragon models

Scale: 1/35

Material: Styrene & Photoetch

Serial Number: 6542

Price: TBA

Introduction

The Sd.Kfz.7 8-tonne Halftrack was the German Army's prime mover for a number of different artillery guns. In addition a number of variants were produced with specific roles such as anti-aircraft etc., and also some produced with armoured cabs, such as this example. This is the second Sd.Kfz. 7 kit released by Dragon, the first being an unarmoured 20mm Flakvierling version.

The kit

Inside the box there are eight large sprues of light grey styrene and two smaller ones. There's also a transparent sprue, separate chassis, two bags of 'Magic Tracks' with track links as separate pads, and a separate barrel for the 3.7cm FlaK in a small bag. There's also three tyres in DS100 vinyl.

Anybody who has put their hands on the first kit released in this series, the Flakvierling, will be familiar with the quality of engineering of this kit and with most of the contents, although obviously they differ in this kit, not only because of the different armament but because of the armoured cab. If you haven't obtained one yet, you're in for a treat!

The moulding is absolutely first class. The chassis, cab and running gear go together like a dream. The chassis, as mentioned, is supplied as a separate part, onto which various parts are assembled. There's even a fully detailed engine should you choose to display the engine compartment open, although to make a proper job of it you will have to consult references and add some wiring etc.

The two front road wheels are supplied in Dragons DS100 tan-coloured vinyl, as is the spare tyre for underneath the rear of the vehicle. They're constructed by fitting the vinyl tyre to a styrene insert for the centre of the wheel. It's a system that works well and produces the maximum amount of detail on the tread of the tyre.

The tracks are supplied as Magic Tracks, i.e. already free from the sprue, and these, along with the Dragon 250 and 251 Magic Track links are the only truly workable Magic tracks from Dragon. The links being held together by the pads, which is glued carefully result in a fully workable track that can be painted off the vehicle and added at the last possible moment.

The inter-leaved roadwheels are all provided separately of course, and feature good detail on both sides.

The completed chassis, without any of the bodywork etc., looks like a display model on it's own, there's that much detail included. Engine, gearbox, fuel tank, compressed air tanks, winch....it looks very complicated, and to tell the truth, when I built it the first time, I had doubts about how it was all going to fit together. It did though. Perfectly. Picture 043a.

The small transparent sprue in the kit includes a complete windscreen on it. Sadly, it's not used in this version, all you need the sprue for are the clear headlight lenses.

With this version of course, the bodywork and rear of the vehicle supplied is totally different from the Flakvierling version.

Therein may lie a problem. The kit is marketed as a 2 in 1 Smart Series kit, and early in the construction sequence you have to decide which version you're going to be building. I feel some background should have been provided by Dragon here to help them make the choice. All we're given on the instructions is a choice whether to begin making the Mesh, wooden or Museum type. That's three anyway? I'll try and clarify that as I go along!

As soon as the chassis is complete, the next stage in the instructions is to begin fitting the front fender assembly. Two of these are provided in the kit, the differences only being a few small locating point for things such as the rifle racks and wing mirror. Apparently, only the museum version has these? This is where clarification would have been helpful.

From what I can gather, the kit builds into a version with either mesh or wooden panels on the rear bed, alternative versions being supplied for this purpose. In addition, we're offered various alternatives to build a 'Museum' version. To be perfectly honest I couldn't figure out the instructions....they really are that complicated. Can I build the museum versions with wooden or mesh panels? I don't know....and I suspect I won't be able to figure it out until I actually build it. For example, there are two types of armoured cab walls provided. One version is supposed to be for the mesh type, and one for the wooden, although I can't figure out why that area should be different. The cab walls for the mesh type provide separate doors and are provided as two-piece riveted armour. The ones for the wooden type have the doors moulded integrally are moulded as one-piece bent armour. Even the frontal armour over the radiator area is different.

In addition to having the choice over which version to make and then sorting out which parts to use, you then have the option of deciding whether to model the vehicle in travelling or firing mode. There are even two complete load beds included, and the only difference is the location of the hinges for the side panels!

There are so many options provided in this kit, that it will be very easy to become confused. I already am, and I haven't started yet. Basically, there are two types of side panels provided, along with two types of cab armour, and two types of load bed. Which load bed you use is dependent on which type of side panels you choose to use. Which of the other options you use is dependent on what references you have or personal choice.

The wooden side panels are extremely well moulded, and thoughtfully without wood grain, which really you wouldn't see at this scale. However, the PE mesh alternative, etched on both sides, looks good too. Decisions eh?

One of the small sprues included is a 2^nd Generation weapons sprue, holding two Kar98 rifles. A tad on the mean side....I feel we should have been another couple of sprues so that at least we could have filled the racks up should we have chosen.

The 3.7cm FlaK included is completely new, and features superb detail, from its firing base to its shield. It can be posed at any angle, and thankfully this doesn't depend on which parts you've chosen to use! The most striking thing about the gun is the main barrel. The flash suppressor is moulded as a one-piece part, and apparently a five-way slide mould is used....and the results are amazing! Take a close look at picture 13 to see what I mean. Although the holes aren't drilled all the way through, it's a simple job to use a 0.2mm drill bit to complete the job. I'll let you know how I get on!

The marking options for this kit are unusually provided on a supplementary sheet and detail six different schemes. See picture 56 for full details on these.

Conclusion

You can't really fault this kit. Engineering-wise, it's state of the art, and will build into a superb model. The number of options included is a bonus, and will allow people to customize their build according to their preferences or references. The instructions though, are complicated and will require careful preparation if mistakes are not to be made.

FULL BUILD

My thanks to Dragon models for the review sample