Model Forum / General / Models / June 2006

Kit Review: Dragon Models Limited 1/35 Scale '39-'45 Series Kit No.
6220; 2 cm FlaK 38 Auf Pz.Kpfw. I Ausf. A; , 584 parts (534 parts in
grey styrene, 31 etched brass, 16 clear styrene, 3 preformed etched
brass); estimated price US$34-38

Advantages: beautifully done new chassis of Pzkw. I Ausf. A, 2 cm Flak
38 a very nice kit in its own right

Disadvantages: I cannot find any record of more than one or two
prototypes of such a vehicle being built; box art sheer speculation

Rating: Recommended

Recommendation: for German Armor Fans

    "Sometimes you eat the bear, sometimes the bear eats you" is an
old hunting maxim, and it works in modeling. Most of the time kits are
produced of well-known and documented vehicles which may or may not be
close to accurate, and both reviewers and modelers will usually note
where they fail. But from time to time vehicle kits are produced of
"one-offs" or very limited production vehicles which left no trace
of their existence anywhere, and as such are very hard to document and
therefore assess for accuracy. This unfortunately is just such a kit.

    Most of the common sources which document the developmental and combat
histories fo the diminutive Panzerkampfwagen I series tanks focused on
the command models, the Panzerjaeger version with the Czech 4.7 cm gun,
or the close support variant with the sIG 33 15 cm howitzer. But so far
I can not find any "hard" information on this vehicle as to whether
it actually "saw metal" as the Russians say, or how many, or if the
kit is accurate or not. Since 818 Ausf. As were built, and only about
60 other conversions were firmly registered, it is possible, but it is
odd that so little information is available on this vehicle. (Even the
one German reference book I have - translated and sold in the US by
Schiffer - has only a few stock shots of As and the entire lyrics to
the "Panzerlied!")

    Taking that as a starting point, the reference materials for this kit
were supplied by Ed Kusiak. What is provided inside the box is a
totally new kit of a Pzkw. I Ausf. A chassis, which only shares the 192
track links and the clear styrene sprues with the earlier "B" kits.
The rest of the kit's sprues are totally new, and provide for a new
suspension (A), new fenders and details (B), an interior (G), engine
deck (D),lower hull (E),  and casemate base (H).

    This variant appears to be based on one of the training variants with
a cowling (provided as a pre-bent etched brass component), seats and a
base for mounting the complete 2 cm Flak 38 gun (Kit 6288) and then
using the Sd.Anh. 51 carrier base as an ammunition trailer, which was
done with other conversions such as that on the Demag 1 ton halftrack.
Seats and other fittings for the gun crew are provided as well.

    The kit is beautifully engineered with "slide molding" used on
many of the parts and etched bras provided where it will be the most
useful, such as the "catch" baskets for expended 2 cm rounds,
muffler shields, and the aforementioned thin cowling for the driver. (I
would be highly surprised now if DML does not release a "combat"
tank version of the Pzkw. I Ausf. A with turret, or even a gun tractor
or the sIG 33 variants.) The correct four road wheels with large idler
are provided, as well as many very nice touches on the kit.

    Four schemes are provided for finishing: one unidentified unit,
Eastern Front 1942; and three vehicles from Flak Abt. 614 on the
Eastern Front in 1941-42, all in different schemes (one white, one grey
and one grey with black patches.

    There have been a number of comments lately about DML's box art, but
here it borders on the fantasy. One of these guns is shown rolling down
a road next to a shot-down Il-2 being followed by what appears to be
the command vehicle for a V-2 unit on the Sd.Kfz. 7 8-ton halftrack
chassis!

    Overall, while this is a beautifully engineered kit it leaves
something to wonder about the relatively speculative approach to these
vehicles, and it is hoped Mr. Kusiak had really good information for
this beastie as it surfaces nowhere else. Still, it is a shame such
energies could not have been put to better use by DML on what would
have been something more widely popular.

    Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.

Cookie Sewell