2 cm Flak 38 Late Production mit Sd.An. 51

Dragon Models Limited ‘39-‘45 Series, 1/35 Scale

Reviewed by Cookie Sewell

Summary

FirstLook

After two releases of the improved 2 cm Flak 38 kit with vehicles - the Sd.Kfz. 10/5 and a cyber-hobby.com version on the Opel 3 ton Blitz – DML has now released the upgraded kit on its own with the Sonderanhanger 51 carrier trailer.

Sprues A, B and C are familiar parts as they come with the gun mount proper on the A sprue, the trailer on the B sprue and the four sets of elevation arms on the C sprue. But this gun only offers the long barrel (J10) for the late 2 cm Flak 38 and no longer offers the choice of three from the other kits. This is mismarked in the directions as “J1" which it is not. (The box art is NOT correct in its statement all three are in the kit.)

As per my original review from 2006, the gun barrels all have a slide-molded flash hider A case with spare barrel molded in place is also included, as well as at least four magazines and two ammo carrier cans. (All that is missing are shell casings, but that’s pushing it in this caliber and scale!) Three breech assemblies are provided with an assembly jig on one of the sprues.

The gun can be built for free elevation, but that requires leaving out some parts. DML’s answer is to provide different length elevation buffer rods and sight mounts so that the modeler can position the barrel at 0, 20, 40 and 60 degree elevations. The mount provides for free traverse. The gun shields are – as is now normal for DML – either plastic or etched brass, your option. This kit comes with a pre-formed set of late model shields as well as the original styrene ones.

The Sonderanhanger 51 trailer is nicely detailed but with rather conventional tires – none of the fancy sectional slide molding for tread depth used on the 88mm or Pak 40 kits.

Nice touches overall include the provision of accessories for the gun such as the aforementioned gun case, two ammo cases with magazines, and a gizmo (!) which I am guessing is a loading device for filling magazines.

Technical assistance was provided by Dan Graves, Tom Cockle and Gary Edmundson.

Three finishing options are provided: Unidentified Unit, Alsace, France 1944-45 (sand overall); Unidentified Luftwaffe Unit, Italy 1944 (sand with kill rings on the barrel and three tank silhouettes on the gun shield); and Unidentified Unit, Western Front 1945 (sand with red-brown stripes on gun and trailer). A tiny sheet of Cartograf decals is included for the gun and barrel carrier.

Overall this is a nice kit but a bit pricey for the gun alone as it is so small.

Sprue Layout:

A 88 2 cm - complete carriage and shields
B 89 2 cm Sonderanhanger 51 and spare 2 cm magazines
C 6 2 cm - brackets and elevation braces
J 8 2 cm - Flak 38 and detail parts
J 1 2 cm - Flak 38 with longer barrel
MA 5 Preformed etched brass parts
MB 47 Etched brass
MC 3 Etched brass

Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.