Building the 8 ton Sd.Kfz. 7 Mittlerer Zugkraftwagen variants (Introduction)

I have always been a sucker for WWII halftracks and soft skins ever since I returned to the hobby, with Axis vehicles being a particular favourite. Over the last couple of years I have built a fair few Sd.Kfz.7 8 ton variants. Although Tamiya offer a selection they are pretty crude by modern standards so Dragon (D) and Trumpeter (T) are the only manufacturers to offer newer mouldings of this vehicle in 1/35 scale. They currently offer around eleven different versions between them. At last count both manufacturers offer twenty-six kits with both producing early and late towing vehicles as well as Flak variants. Both offer the same models with the odd variant being produced by just one. Dragon also offers combo packs including artillery pieces.

 

Sd.Kfz 171 Panther Ausf A (Dragon kit 6168MT)

 

 

 

Kit:                                          Dragon 1/35 #6168/6244 Panther A
Tracks:                                    Masterclub MTL35001
Barrel:                                     RB Model 35B06D
Photo Etch:                             Voyager PE35084
Cables:                                    Eureka XXL ER-3514
Damaged road wheel set:      ET Model ER35-036
Resin Zimmerit                       Atak 35021



This kit is the 2004 Normandy anniversary edition with the slightly odd colored photo instruction sheet. The kit review can be found here

 
I was informed some of these initially released kits were offered with a metal barrel but unfortunately the two I purchased didn't!  Both mine came with rubber tracks. A later addition of this kit (@6168MT) was released in 2017 with magic tracks. 

The build was straight forward but the Zimmerit application was a bit challenging. My set was slightly vertically short on one hull side and also on one side of the turret. I used My Hobby's excellent but extremely pungent Mr Surfacer 1500 to fill any gaps. Once complete the Zimmeret was roughed up in places with an electric burr to show wear and tear and then the whole model was sprayed with Halfords (UK automotive brand) primer

Cold & weary Opel Blitz

1/35 Cyber Hobby Opel Blitz (early type),

This is a first attempt at a winter whitewash. Using Cyber Hobby's 'early' six stud pattern wheeled Opel Blitz as a testbed.

 

3D Printed Sd.Ah 56/57 Ammunition Trailer

 

Having already built the only available 1/35 kit of the Sd.Ah 56/57 Flak ammo trailer made by Wiener Modellbau, a new 3D printed version is now available. The WM resin kit is a nice little kit and builds up well, but it is pretty basic in certain areas and lacks a lot of detail. The new printed version has been designed by modeller Darius Stucinskas and is available to download from: https://cults3d.com/en/3d-model/various/1-35-scale-sd-ah-56-57-ammunition-trailer

 

Schwerer Wehrmachtschlepper (sWS) armoured cargo version. Adding tarpaulins and stowage

 

Loadbed cargo added using resin and plastic accessories. The tarpaulin on both the bed and the cab is made using VMS paper shaper

 

Schwerer Wehrmachtschlepper (sWS) armoured cargo version. Construction

 

The kit chassis is a one piece item

Schwerer Wehrmachtschlepper (Armoured sWS) Whats in the box and how accurate is it?

 

 

This is the 2016 ‘2in1’ Bronco kit #CB35214. It was the last release of a series of sWS variants, that were based on the original Great Wall Hobby mouldings stretching back to 2009.

Trumpeter 1/35 3.7cm Flak 43 auf Selbstfahrlafette (Sd. Kfz.7/2) and 3D printed Sd.Ah 56/57 trailer

 

3.7cm Flak 43 auf Selbstfahrlafette (Sd. Kfz.7/2)

 

 

 

 

 

Kit                       Trumpeter (Sd.Kfz.7/2) #01527
Trailer:                WM resin replaced with 3D printed 

Tracks:                Kit tracks
Barrel:                 ABER
Photo Etch:         Kit supplied etch
Wheels:               QuickWheel QWX-027

Start date            March 2015

 
 

The Sd.Kfz.7 was purchased many moons ago and as of Jan 2023 both the Sd.Kfz.7 and trailer have been 99% completed. 

 

This is the excellent Perth Military Modelling's review conclusion of the Trumpeter kit:

 
'While this kit again carries over some accuracy issues from earlier versions such as the drive sprocket roller offset, the chassis length and fender profile it also includes excellent details in the engine/gearbox assemblies as the full compliment of driver’s pedals and decals for the instrument panel. But as with the Flak 37 kit what makes this very attractive is the inclusion of the later style road wheels, front wheel hubs, the later style track links and the ”mid” style instrument to allow you to build a correctly configured late model 8ton. The new 3.7 Flak 43 mounting again has some nice details and is overall better done than the Flak 37 in the previous kit. The only real issue being the missing crew seat but as with any kit there is scope for additional detail enhancement to lift the final appearance. The mix-up of trailer features is unfortunate and detracts a little from the overall appeal but the kit still has many pluses to offset some of the minuses'

For the full write up and fixes see perthmilitarymodelling.com/reviews

 

1//35 Dragon #6575 & Border Models #BT-008 (A pair of Panzer IV Ausf J's).

February 2022

After finally tracking down Dragon’s elusive #6575 kit last year I thought it would be interesting to see how this well-respected 10-year-old stood up to one of the new guns. Manufacturer's seem to have moved the 1/35 armour game on to StuG kits for 2021/22 but Border Models 2019 kit BT-008 was, along with RFM and Miniart one of only a few Pz.IV Ausf J kits released since 2019. I had heard some favourable reviews so I thought it would be interesting to do a side by side build comparison.

I’ve built a few Dragon Pz.IV’s and although I was fortunate, I have since discovered many turned out to be less than enjoyable to build. Their kit release heyday seems to have been in the mid noughties and although their massive parts count and busy instructions remained, they did produce some very accurate and well engineered kits. Many with huge frets of photoetch, metal barrels and their very own magic tracks.