Sd.Kfz. 251/17 Ausf. C Command Versionby Cookie Sewell
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Stock Number and Description | cyber-hobby. com 1/35 scale Kit No. 18 (Dragon Models Limited 1/35 Scale ‘39-‘45 Series Kit No. 6413); Sd.Kfz. 251/17 Ausf. C Command Version |
Scale: | 1/35 |
Media and Contents: | 732 parts (671 in grey styrene, 36 etched brass, 16 clear styrene, 5 DS plastic, 2 turned brass, 2 silver paper); |
Price: | price about US $45 |
Review Type: | First Look |
Advantages: | First kit of this vehicle in this scale in styrene; provides a nice set of radio equipment |
Disadvantages: | Another variant of the 251 series may dull modelers' interest in the subject; no cabling or wiring instructions for radio sets |
Recommendation: | Highly Recommended for all German fans |
Dragon's 1/35 scale Sd.Kfz. 234/4 is available online from
Mission Models
FirstLook
As this is a command variant, much of what has to be said for it
follows the previous review I did on the Sd.Kfz. 251/17 Ausf. D;
note that from the kit's parts DML kit No. 6395 will be an Sd.Kfz.
251/17 Ausf C. model, with which this kit shares most of its parts.
While they had always had a problem with the Soviet Il-2 in the
East, the Germans began to run into a problem with "Jabos" – Allied
fighter-bombers – when they lost air supremacy over Europe in the
summer of 1944. As a result, they began to make more and more
modifications to standard vehicles to carry light or medium caliber
antiaircraft guns.
One of the most radical conversions was the Sd.Kfz. 251/17 Ausf. C,
as it required cutting away the side armor and adding new panels
that folded down in order to provide suitable traverse and operating
room for the crew. Prototypes came out in October 1943, using
obsolete Ausf. A and B chassis. But these were expensive and time
consuming conversions, and so a simpler method was sought.
The result was the /17 D model, which used a very compact mounting
that "drop fit" into a standard Sd.Kfz. 251/1 hull by removing the
forward pair of dismount seats and adding ammo racks. While cramped,
it did provide for a more rapid conversion. This mounting, the
so-called "Schwebelafette" or "Suspended Mount," boosted the 2 cm
gun up over the top of the armor so it could be used from under
armor protection, and also engage ground targets in a 360 degree
circle.
As a command vehicle for its D model 251/17 cyber-hobby.com is
offering a "boutique" version of the command variant. As such it
comes with all of the conversion parts to the "stroke 17" less the 2
cm gun, and instead offers five sprues of now generic German radio
sets from DML.
As it is the C model no "Magic Tracks" are provided and the kit's
regular two-piece clip-‘em-and-clean'em tracks are used.
Once again, the kit comes with a nice set of radios for use in
commanding a unit – this requires sets to talk to the guns,
headquarters, and a radar unit if one was available or in reach of
tactical communications, but as with the VW command car cyber-hobby.
com once again provides lovely kit but no diagrams for cabling nor
cabling material. As the radio sets are quite visible, this is an
error and lets the kit down. True, the radios are in the rear corner
of the hull and therefore their backs are harder to see, but the
fronts also have a lot of cabling and cyber-hobby.com really owes a
diagram to the modelers.
A DS plastic flexible driver figure and partial tarpaulin are also
included.
Finishing options are for one vehicle: Flak Regiment, Herman-Goering
Division, 1942 in grey. The model comes with two separate Cartograf
decal sheets, one for licenses and one for tactical markings.
Overall this is a nice kit and well executed, but again the lack of
a wiring diagram provides a nice effort with "magic radios" to go
with the "magic tools" of earlier day.
Highly Recommended.
A 27 (251/17 C) Upper hull
components
B 39 (251/17 C) Lower hull components
C 55 (251) lower hull details and interior, machine guns
D 42+43 (251) interior
E 151 x 2 (251) wheels and tracks
E 6 x 2 (251) new drivers
E 6 x 2 (251) new outer road wheels
F 14 (251/17) Interior base and components
F 32x2 (251/17) Interior details, side walls to hull
RB 8 x 2 (Generic) radio installation components
RC 14 (Generic) radio rack and radio components
RD 14 (Generic) radio rack and radio sets
RE 7 (Generic) "clothes rail" antenna and mounts
RF 8 (Generic) radio rack and power supply components
T 9 (251) seats
W 16 (clear)
X 1 (251) lower hull pan
a 5 (DS) driver figure
MA 36 (251/17 C)
a 2 (silver paper)
1 turned aluminum
2 turned brass
2 silver paper
Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.