(Login zappa93) MODERATORS ONLY - Time on Target from IP address 96.224.182.209
DRAGON MODELS LIMITED
Product Specifications.
6542, Sd.Kfz.7/2 3.7cm FlaK37 w/Armored Cab 2-in-1 Smart Kit. 1/35th-scale injection-molded styrene/multimedia kit. Contains: 441 styrene parts (including six clear), two bags of Magic Tracks, three DS100 parts, one photo-etched brass fret, six decal/marking schemes and 11 pages of instructions in up to 21 steps.
Introduction.
The advent of new kits of the classic German half-tracked artillery tractor, the mittlerer Zugkraftwagen Sd.Kfz.7, have proven to be rather popular. DMLs first venture was the Sd.Kfz.7/1 2cmFlakvierling 38; now they have released the second main variation, the Sd.Kfz.7/2, which mounted the 3.7cm FlaK36/37 (and later the FlaK43). The unique thing about this release is the amount of variations that can be made from whats supplied in the box. These variations include: two distinctly different armored cab layouts, mesh or wooden drop sides, folded or deployed gun shields (and the option of leaving them off altogether), two different load-bed platforms, two different engine firewall configurations, two different track-guard configurations, two different engine hoods (bonnets), new front fender/wheel well unit, variations in tool stowage, and different head- and tail-lamp layouts. In addition, several notes on the instructions call out specific parts for a museum version.
Much like the previous kit, there is no extra ammunition (other than several clips that sit in the guns feed tray) or boxes for it. In addition, the often-seen ammunition trailer is not supplied.
Tracks.
Each Magic Track link consists of two parts, the metal core and the rubber pad. The parts themselves are in bags and are not attached to conventional sprues. This means that little clean-up is necessary; there are just some minor mold pips to remove. If the modeler wishes to go further, the very subtle ejector pin marks seen on each main link part can also be smoothed away. The tracks will articulate when completed. This considerably eases the attachment process and also allows for authentic track sag to be very easily achieved.
Suspension System.
The actual suspension system for the track-work is based on several leaf-spring bundles as well as separate swing-arms and idler wheel tensioning axle. Two-part final drive assemblies are topped-off by two-part drive sprockets that incorporate properly offset rollers. The step-ring on the drive sprocket hub is further embellished by an etched brass strip that wraps around the outside; in this way the non-skid texture can be properly represented. The road-wheels are conventionally-rendered as inner and outer halves, with superbly-crisp details.
The front wheels consist of a hard styrene hub as well as an inner tire segment. The major portion of the tire is produced using DS100 soft styrene. This material can be glued with standard styrene plastic cement, something actual vinyl will not allow. Furthermore, DS100 material, being flexible, can be pulled from a steel mold while still retaining detail that hard styrene will not allow. In this case, the tread detail on the tires contact surfaces can be rendered in almost precise detail; after-market tires are not necessary.
The front wheels rest on a multi-part axle and leaf spring assembly, complimented by a separate part for the steering linkage. As designed, the wheels will not steer, but a clever modeler will be able to modify the parts to do so, if desired.
Chassis Frame and Engine.
The engine consists of multiple parts that represent the Maybach engine quite well; of course, wires, pipes and hoses can be added by the detail-oriented modeler. A pair of nicely-detailed firewall plates are provided, both of which are embellished by various accessory items including a horn and structural members. An inner radiator face, air filters, more hose segments and braces finish the area.
The transmission is a four-part assembly, while the winch and the power take-off shaft consist of another five parts. There is no cable or hook in the box to finish the unit. A two-part fuel tank, air cylinders, exhaust muffler and mounting frame plus various other components complete the details in this area.
The chassis frame itself is based on a slide-molded main part to which all of the above details are mounted. The rear face of the frame is a separate multi-part affair, which included articulating tow coupling, winch cable guide rollers and other detail parts. Above and behind this is the rack for the spare wheel and tire; this is attached to the underside of the guns platform.
Superstructure, Drivers Compartment and Gun Platform.
The nose section incorporates the front bumper/fender and wheel wells in a single, well-detailed slide-molded part. It is new for this kit and does not have the opening for an exhaust pipe on the starboard side wheel-well; the original part is also in the box. A tow pintle, various fillets and width indicator stems are all separate parts, while the conventional head-lamps include clear parts for the lenses. The Notek lamp is a two-part styrene assembly that gets fitted to an etched brass mounting bracket; there is a choice of mounting locations. Other etched brass parts are included to add non-skid plate details where appropriate.
The outer radiator grill has the manufacturers logo (Krauss-Maffei) molded in place while the water filler cap is separate. The two different hood panels are separate as are the two side access panels; the latter includes crisp cooling slot details molded in place on the outside. Tiny, separate lift handles finish off the panels, which do not have any cooling slot details on their inner sides. Two different front armor plates for the radiator are given; one assembly consisted of two plates riveted together at their apex, while the other is a single piece bent plate. Both have etched brass braces.
Working further aft, there are new parts to provide for two different variations in the cab armor layout. One set depicts a riveted-together layout for the side panels, while the second set depicts a larger single plate that was bent to shape. The riveted plate configuration includes separate side doors, which feature separate handles for; the bent plate version has the doors molded in place, with handles in-situ. The riveted plate version also features nice internal details especially on the wall panels. Separate roof hatch lids can be shown opened or closed, while etched brass view-port covers can also be fitted in the opened or closed position. New bench seats are provided for the interior of the drivers compartment as is a new wooden bench for the crews section. This area also features oddly-placed rifle racks, for which a pair of Gen2 Kar98ks are provided. The racks are configured to hold five weapons so if the modeler wants it all filled up, the spares box will need to be raided; weapons slings will also need to be sourced elsewhere.
The dashboard consists of two main panels and is mounted onto the rear face of the engine firewall panel. Braces, an auxiliary fuel tank, steering column and wheel complete the section. No decals are provided for the instrument panel dial faces.
New front-end track-guards are provided, again in two different versions. The area around them gets detailed with some small etched brass non-skid plates.
Heading further aft is the main load-bed. Two different platforms are given, each configured for the wood or mesh drop-sides; the latter are not workable and must be fixed either raised or lowered. The mesh type is embellished with etched brass parts, which, due to limitations in the process are necessarily flat; this reviewer would be quite interested in seeing anyone do better without creating parts that will cause brain injuries during assembly! Various steps and braces complete this area.
3.7cm FlaK37.
87 new parts are provided to model the FlaK37. Foremost among these is a two-piece gun tube that has a separate, slide-molded muzzle flash suppressor. This remarkable little part includes the open slots on the rear section and tiny perforations on the flared end. The latter do not go all-the-way through, but can be easily opened with a tiny drill bit in a pin vise.
The remainder of the receiver group is composed of a relatively large number of parts. The gun can elevate on the mount, which itself can be rotated through a full 360-degrees. The mount can be configured for travel or combat by the use of two full sets of splinter shields. One set is folded along-side the gun tubes for travel, while the second has the shields fully extended for combat. The shields are molded in near scale thickness, have proper and delicate details throughout and are completely devoid of ejector pin marks. Auxiliary shields for the gunner are provided as is a reflector-type Flakvisier gun sight.
The remaining parts consist of the hand-wheels, various linkages and structural members, multi-part seat, foot pedals, bins and numerous other indescribable detail items. A couple of clips of 3.7cm ammunition can be fitted into the loading tray, but thats all in the way of ammo that is in the box.
This vehicle type featured a strap-on system wherein the normal field carriage for the FlaK36/36 was fixed to the load-bed. The base plate has three separate foot pads, a separate door for the internal accessories bin, some other bits and a gun mount travel lock.
Molding, Fit and Engineering.
I did a dry fit of many of the main components from the Sd.Kfz.7/1; I found no major fit problems. Please note that for this review, due to time constraints, I did not test fit the new parts such as the gun and cab. Sorry to disappoint, but some times life gets in the way. Molding is simply excellent with no visible ejector pin marks on any easily-viewed surface. Although a fairly complex kit, it is quite well-engineered for relatively easy assembly.
Accuracy and Details.
References indicate that there are no major accuracy issues. A semi-minor issue is the inner side of the conventional wheel hubs, which are molded semi-solid, but should be hollow; some black paint in the inner recesses will help the illusion here. Other items in the same category are the missing pedal and lever in the drivers compartment. Some small details can be added to certain parts such as the drive sprocket and the chassis frame simply by employing various sized drill bits. The continued omission of the cable and hook for the winch is still vexing. Also mentioned above is the lack of all five Kar98k rifles to fill the racks for them; only two are given. No 3.7cm FlaK ammunition magazines or boxes are given, and some (such as this reviewer!) will bemoan the lack of a dedicated ammunition trailer.
Instructions.
These are in the conventional line drawing style and are quite complex. Thus far, I have noted no major glitches. One must also remember that this model is essentially two kits (the gun and the vehicle), so there is bound to be more to do. Furthermore, because of the variations given, especially the so-called Museum Version, extra care must be exercised by the modeler. Modelers are advised to plan ahead and pay close attention to whats going on.
Decals and Markings Information.
The decal sheet is produced by DMLs usual source, Italys Cartograf. In typical fashion, this means that the printing is crisp with fine details and excellent registration. Color saturation is also outstanding, while the carrier film is clear, matte and cut close to the individual designs. Markings for six vehicles are provided; all but one depict types from unidentified units. The one known set is for a vehicle of the Hermann Göring Division in Italy.
Conclusion.
What else to say? This kit is yet another fine example of the mold-makers; although complex, it appears to be very well-engineered and is therefore more than buildable right out of the box.
Highly recommended.
Frank V. De Sisto
References consulted for this review included, but were not limited to the following books:
1. FlaK Selbstfahrlafetten and Flakpanzer; Panzer Tracts No.12, by Tom Jentz and Hilary Doyle.
2. German Half-Tracked Vehicles of World War 2; Hippocrene Books, by John Milsom.
3. German Army Semi-Tracks 1939-45, Part 1, Prime Movers and Self-Propelled Carriages; Bellona, by Peter Chamberlain and Hilary Doyle.
4. Sd.Kfz.7 in Detail; Special Museum Line No.36, Wings & Wheels Publications, by F. Koran, R. Schoeters, M. Valek & J. Horak.
5. Halbketten Zugkraftwagen 8t Sd.Kfz.7/1, /2; AFV Super Detail Photo Book Vol.9 (ASDP-009), Model Art, by A. Ranger & H. Cance.
6. German Half-Tracks of World War Two; Concord 7054, by F. De Sisto & L. Lecocq.
7. German Half-Tracks of World War Two, Vol.2; Concord 7067 (not yet published), by F. De Sisto & L. Lecocq.
8. German Self-Propelled Guns; Concord 7022, by G. Rottman & A. Wrobel.
9. German Halftracks in Action; Squadron Armor No.3, by U. Feist & K. Reiger.
10. Halbkettenfahrzeuge, German Half-Track Vehicles 1939-1945; Wehrmacht Illustrated No.4, Almark Publications, by J. Williamson & K. Jones.
11. German Self-Propelled Weapons; AFV Weapons Profile 55, by P. Chamberlain & H. Doyle.
12. Encyclopedia of German tanks of WW II, Revised Edition; Arms & Armour Press, by P. Chamberlain, H. Doyle & T. Jentz.
13. Anti-Aircraft Guns; WW2 Fact Files, Arco, by P. Chamberlain & T. Gander.
Reviewers note: Since May of 2005, I have been working on books for Concord Publications, a sister company to DML. The reader may wish to take this into consideration. For my part, I will attempt to maintain an objective viewpoint when writing these reviews.
DML kits are available from retail and mail order shops. For details see their web site at: www.dragonmodelsltd.com.
