Special Hobby Sd.Kfz 250/1 Ausf.A Halftrack 1:72 Special Armour (72019)

[Julien]

 

Sd.Kfz 250/1 Ausf.A Halftrack

1:72 Special Armour (72019)

 

 

The Sd.kfz 250 was a light armoured half track similar in appearance to the Hanomag Sd.Kfz.251/1 , both were a  mainstay of the German armoured Personnel Carrier fleet, but was flexible enough to also take up many other tasks. With two steering wheels at the front, the rear was carried on tracks, giving it good clearance and rough ground capabilities that a truck simply could not manage once the going got tough.  It was armoured sufficiently to deflect non-armour piercing rounds from small arms fire, but with an open top it was susceptible to both grenades and aerial bombardment, where the armour would concentrate the blast inside. Almost 6,000 examples were produced between 1940 and the end of the War. The vehicle was in service in time for the invasion of France and went on to see service in most theatres in which the Wehrmacht fought. Fifteen official variants were produced, including ammunition carriers to support StuG batteries and signals cars which were equipped with radio sets. Other vehicles were equipped with heavy weapons which enabled them to provide infantry support.

 

 

The Kit

This is a re-release of the original MK72 kit, As the sprues were originally tooled By MPM/CMK. According to the Special Hobby website they now own the moulds hence its release now under the Special Armour brand. The tooling still looks sharp and the parts count is quite high for what will be a small vehicle in 1/72. Some of the small parts are very fine and will require care removing them from the sprues. The model represents the odler 250 as it was later replaced by a newer version with simplified easier to manufacture armoured structures. 

 

 

In common with most other kits of this type, construction starts with the chassis and running gear. The suspension swing arms are moulded in place along with the axles for the road wheels. This, combined with the fact that the inner run of wheels is moulded as a single part, will help ensure that all of the wheels are in contact with the ground at the same time. The detail on these parts is nice and sharp and is enhanced by the fact that the outer parts of the wheels are all moulded as separate parts.

 

The tracks are moulded in two single runs which are designed to be bent around the wheels. The tracks have some ejector pin marks on the insides, so I would probably advocate disguising these with some scale dirt! The front wheel assembly is made up of the wheels themselves, each of which is split vertically, the axle, the leaf spring suspension and the steering mechanism. The overall impression at this stage is of a very well detailed kit, particularly in this scale. With the chassis and running gear complete, construction turns to the upper body and interior. The crew compartment is split in two, with the front compartment comprised of seats for the driver and one passenger, a dashboard, steering wheels, gear selector and a stowage bin. The rear compartment is made up of seats for the passengers and a large storage compartment. The floor of the interior compartment has a nicely rendered anti-slip texture.

 

Once the interior detail has been slotted into place, the parts that make up the upper body can be assembled. As with the real thing, these are made up of various angled plates which just join together around the chassis. Hopefully the fit of these parts is good. I intend to find out by building mine soon. The driver's vision slits are all moulded as separate parts, which is a nice touch. All of the pioneer tools are moulded separately as well, which will make for a very impressive (and fully customisable) model. There are a couple of very nicely rendered MG 34s for the front and rear of the main compartment, with the front one having the armoured shield . Other small details such as the rack of rifles help to provide some finishing touches to the model. There are also a load of jerry cans which aren't used, so these can go straight into the spares box. The racks for the Jerry Cans are produced for this kit as PE parts which I dont think were in the original kit. 

 

 

Decals

Markings are supplied on the very small sheet for the number plates and a single white marking number. Three marking options are provided.

 

1. WH-1449561 - SPW 16 Panzer Division, Eastern Front winter 1942-43. Winter distemper over Dunkel Gelb, which in turn was over panzer grey.

2. WH-1030186- Panzer Division Grossdeutschland, Voronezh Oblast, 1942 finished in Panzer Grey

3. WH-679984 90. Leichte Infantrie Division, Gazala, Africa 1942. Personal Mount of General major Von Kleeman, Panzer grey over sprayed with Afika Korps Gelb. 

 

 

 

Conclusion

This is a good looking model in 1.7, it was widely praised on its original release,  and should be welcomed by the small scale armour modellers. Highly Recommended. 

 

 

Review sample courtesy of