6553 1/35 Sd.Kfz.7 w/3.7cm FlaK 43 (Smart Kit)

Dragon 6553 1/35 Sd.Kfz.7 w/3.7cm FlaK 43 (Smart Kit)

Dragon has released several members of the Sd.Kfz.7 8-ton halftrack family, but up till now one variant has been absent. Dragon is thus pleased to announce a 1/35 scale kit of an Sd.Kfz.7 with 3.7cm Flak 43 antiaircraft gun. The range already includes halftracks with 3.7cm Flak 36 and Flak 37 cannons, so this one is a little more unique. It is essentially an Sd.Kfz.7/2 type and includes the armored cab with 8mm-thick plates as seen on previous kits. The newer gun could be traversed 360º by hand, and the Flak 43 had an elevation range of -10º to +90º. The crew comprised seven men – the commander, driver and five gunners. Some 120 rounds of ammunition were carried on the vehicle, while another 432 rounds could be stowed in a special trailer. Sd.Kfz.7/2 systems were produced by Germany beginning in 1942, and from late 1943, instead of the usual open cab, a number of antiaircraft halftracks were supplied with a cab protected by 8mm-thick armor plate. These vehicles served in Luftwaffe flak units.

This kit includes the armored cab as well as a magnificently detailed 3.7cm Flak 43 cannon. The associated gun shield of the weapon is made out of metal so as to achieve true scale thickness. The brackets by which the shield attaches to the gun are also brand new. Moreover the gun mount of this anti-aircraft gun is also new! The drop-sides on the rear fighting platform can be modeled upright for transport, or folded down for an in-action diorama. The halftrack and cannon are of the highest quality, so this vehicle with armored cab and new weapon is indeed a welcome addition to Dragon’s Sd.Kfz.7 family.