Sd.Kfz. 181 Panzerkampfwagen VI w/Zimmerit - Dragon Zimmerit

Dragon, 1/35 scale

Reviewed by Cookie Sewell

Summary

FirstLook

As I noted when the first kit of the Sd.Kfz. 10/5 came out, the Germans were clearly the most adventurous and committed country in working on halftracked vehicles during WWII, and had multiple classes of vehicles covering the 1, 3, 5, 8, 12 and 18 ton classes on softskin platforms and 1 and 3 ton fully armored chassis. The Sd.Kfz. 10 chassis – and its armored Sd.Kfz. 250 equivalent - were the mainstay of the light end of the range.

Five different variants of the Sd.Kfz. 10 model were produced by DEMAG, and the latter two – Sd.Kfz.10/4 and Sd.Kfz. 10/5 - were self-propelled light antiaircraft variants. The differences between them were slight - the /4 mounted the 2 cm Flak 30 and the /5 the 2 cm Flak 38. Both were apparently accounted for as one variant as the same chassis was used for both vehicles, and a total of over 600 of both variants was produced.

DML has now re-released the eariler variant of the Sd.Kfz. 10/4 with the complete FlaK 30 kit plus a typical ammo trailer. This consisted of a box structure attached to the universal Sonderanhanger 51 two-wheel Y-shaped trailer chassis.

The kit comes with a hull pan with individual torsion bars for the suspension and a complete engine and transmission assembly. The modeler only has the street” tire choice (two piece types) for this kit, but a new set of road wheels and new driver center are included.

As before, the hood and grille are impressive as all vanes and louvers are molded open and clear, with the ones on the hood being very petite and neatly done (be careful as I would bet a thick coat of paint would block them up and ruin the effect). No storage or rifles are included with this kit.

The cargo bed is new with four built-in mounts for the FlaK 30 carriage and a very intricate one piece frame (part D11) for it. The side frames are separate with etched brass grid inserts and ten spare 2 cm ammo magazines to mount on them. Oddly enough it also comes with the stock Sd.Kfz. 10 cargo body which appears to provide some parts, but DML forgot to use its “blue-out” treatment on the parts layout to show which parts are not used. This will confuse some modelers who look to that to see which parts are used and which are spares.

The 2 cm gun is the complete DML/cyber-hobby item. But as noted when it came out, the gun comes with a linked sight elevation system BUT it is not operable. The best solution I can offer to those who wish to build the gun in an elevated position is install the gun and the sight arm (A26), set it at the desired angle, “freeze” the gun with a drop of liquid cement on the trunnions, and then install the sight (assembly B) and its linkage arm (A41).

The FlaK 30 for this kit comes minus the extensive brass set seen in its previous incarnation (No. 6739) which will not disappoint those not infatuated with brass.

Once more the kit retains tiny Magic Track links of two parts each. While they are nicely done and accurate, they are smaller than many 1/72 scale kits and very tedious to assemble.

Technical consultants on this kit were Tom Cockle and Gary Edmundson.

Two different finishing options are included, both “Unidentified Unit”: 1940, panzer grey with registration AA-640940; 1939, panzer grey with registration WH-129831. All decals are on a Cartograf sheet; also, four masks for the windshield are provided with the kit.

Overall this kit is a nice kit, and the replacement of the over-saturation of etched brass for a nicely done ammo trailer will be appreciated by at least diorama and vignette fans.

Sprue Layout:

A 83 Sd.Kfz. 10/5 - fenders, hood, grille, chassis detail parts
A 110 2 cm FlaK 30 gun, mount, magazines, wing nuts
B 92 Sd.Kfz. 10/5 - suspension, engine, transmission, front seats
B 45 Sd.Anh. 51 from FlaK 38 kit
B 14 Flakpanzer - ammo cargo box and armored windscreen
D 58 Sd.Kfz. 10/5 - rear fenders, cargo platform, details
D 50 Sd.Kfz. 10 - cargo platform, braces, frames, seat components
E 13x2 Sd.Kfz. 10.5 - road wheels, driver centers
H 6 Sd.Kfz. 250 - drivers
N 192 Sd.Kfz. 250 - two part Magic Track links
V 4 Clear styrene
X 1 Sd.Kfz. 10/5 - Lower hull pan
Z 10 10 x 2 cm magazines
MA 103 Etched brass

Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.