Part 2: The Build

The buildup of this kit starts with the hull bottom. The kit contains the transmission, fuel tank and other details but as you can't see them once assembled, and since the fuel tank seems to affect the fit of the floor, I left them out. The axles are separate, allowing you to position them as you would like in case you are planning a diorama. The front suspension is nicely detailed and is workable as long as you are careful with the glue. The next step gets you involved with the road wheels and sprockets. It's time to really start paying attention to the instructions and parts here. There are different road wheels included from other versions so don't get them mixed up. The drive sprockets include round edges and, as Dragon says, "worn edges". Be sure to pay attention to the callout for the drive sprockets to get the correct alignment for each side as they are different. The tracks will fit a bit snugly on the teeth of the sprockets so you may want to sand them down a bit now on the side where you plan to install the tracks. The interior is the next step recommended. There were no issues as far as assembly, just not much as far as detail goes. There is the option of the photo etch spring backs for the front seats. Best as I can tell, the driver figure will not fit in the seat with out modifying either the legs or the firewall. The instructions call out decals for the instruments panels. After dumping the entire box looking for them (since they were not on the main decal sheet) I talked with a couple of other modelers who had the kit and found out they were missing them as well. There are two choices of seats for the gunners, a bench style or chair. For the bench style the instructions call out parts from the D sprue when it should be the B sprue. If you like the looks of the bench seats, know that the gun platform will cover some of the seat. The rear door assembly contains hinges that I found to be a bit finicky to assemble. Plus the top hinges on the hull side just suddenly appear at another point without indication of where they mount or what part they are. I also had issues with the fit of the sides of part B3, which is the rear of the compartment. Now on to the Flak 38. This uses the same parts as found in the standalone kit, thereby they have repeating sprue numbers. I found it simpler to set them to the side just to keep from looking at them while finding parts for the vehicle. The gun is nicely detailed overall, and if built according to the instructions will have to be assembled in the final elevation you want it to be. In step 14, while it looks like you should install the clip before mounting the gun, do it after. I did find that having the stand alone instructions for the gun was helpful in eliminating some confusion on the 251 kit instructions since they consolidated the assembly on them. The tracks are made with 3 pieces per link and if built carefully will be workable. If you pay attention to the pins on the back you should be OK. The decals lay down nicely, and there are plenty of options for what numbers to use since the tags are blank with separate lettering. Overall this was a nice kit, even though somewhat lacking in interior detail. The instructions were for me the main let down, and what made the build challenging in areas. I would mainly suggest paying attention to the parts more than the instructions as there are several mislabeled on the instructions. I would recommend the kit though if you are looking for a German halftrack with a different look to it. Now … about the finished build photos. Sometimes, having more than one hobby things can result in issues from time to time. For me, my other hobby - so to speak - is firefighting. As a volunteer firefighter I am normally going about everyday life when the radio goes off and I go running off to save someone from the grasp of death (or more often than not, to help someone who has a bad case of heart burn from that #3 combo at Taco Bell). Normally, the clashes come in the form of a seized up airbrush because I had to rush off without being able to clean it out. I have come to the conclusion that my compressor has a direct link to my fire radio; it never fails to get a call half way through an award-winning paint job. (This may explain my not having too many award winning paint jobs). Or, glue not being capped or something like that; which I admit is the cause for my cutting mat looking like a stock car, with various CA tube logos permanently affixed. The day I was getting ready to take the photos of this build, I had it sitting on my bench in my makeshift photo booth and of course my radio goes off. The word "fire" came across, and even after several years, it still gets the adrenalin going along with the ill-fated tunnel vision. Out the door I went. That was the problem; I forgot to close it. My workshop is separate from the house and next to the woods. Done on purpose of course. When I got back home and entered the shop, things looked different. Stuff was everywhere. The halftrack was on the floor under the workbench, a 1940 Ford coupe I was working on was also scattered. After accessing the damage I discovered that the 40 Ford body and the Flak 38 were gone as well several small pieces off the halftrack. I still have much of the tracks to recover from under the bench when I feel like doing some confined space work. My best guess is that it was a squirrel. I say that because I caught him trying to push open the door again a couple of days later. I am thinking maybe the German grey AFV looked a bit like a rival squirrel and he went nuts. But if you see a squirrel riding around the north GA Mountains in a little 1940 Ford with an antiaircraft gun mount on it, please let me know. At least I would know where my parts went to.

About the Reviewer: Chris Mobley is VP of IPMS/ Georgia Mountain Modelers and runs the IPMS SIG The Scale Firehouse (www.scalefirehouse.com).

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