Revell Kübelwagen Typ.82 Platinum Edition (03500) 1:9

[Mike]

Kübelwagen Typ.82 Platinum Edition (03500)

1:9 Revell

 

 

Hitler and Nazi Germany have a strong connection to the Volkswagen Beetle, as it was their wish (read: demand) to have a “people’s car” that could be bought cheaply and run affordably by the workers to mobilise the masses.  Volkswagen literally means people’s car, and the design of the vehicle was carried out by Ferdinand Porsche of post war sports car fame.  The original Beetle was very similar to the one we all know from the 50s onward, although there were some differences that become quite obvious when viewed side-by-side.  The design-work of the Beetle was used to a great extent in the creation of the militarised light transport, which started as the Typ.62, and morphed into the Typ.82 after the kinks were ironed out following testing during the invasion of Poland.  The minimum speed was reduced to match the 4mph pace of marching soldiers, the already adequate off-road performance of this two-wheel drive car was improved further by the installation of a limited-slip differential, changes to hub gearing and the suspension, which coupled with the light weight of the vehicle itself gave it excellent off-road characteristics comparable with a 4x4 of the time.

 

The design went into full-scale production almost unchanged from the revised specification, and stayed that way throughout the war, with only small changes such as a more powerful 1.3L engine and a larger dash to set the post 1943 vehicles apart from the earlier production cars.  It was well-liked, reliable and capable, with over 50,000 made during the war.  The amphibious Schwimmwagen was developed from the Typ.82, using much of the running gear of the 4x4 Command Car, but very little of the bodywork, as its shape was unsuited to travelling through water.  After the war, the basics of the Kübelwagen were recycled as the angular Typ.181 in military service, known as the Trekker in the UK, and The Thing in the US.

 

 

The Kit

This is a reboxing of a 70s era ESCI kit, but before you run off screaming that it’s old and unbuildable, take a few minutes to read this review, because not only is the moulding really quite nice, but this is a Platinum boxing, and includes quite a quantity of additional parts that weren’t included in the original boxings all those years ago.  I’ll be brutally honest, I expected a squishy moulding with soft detail and simplified parts, but there’s really none of that visible.  A quick leaf through the instruction sheets for the Platinum parts inspires confidence that with these new parts, the kit has been brought up to pretty modern standards.  It arrives in a large top-opening box, with a card insert to hold the new parts, and due to the enhanced part count and type, let’s put the contents in a tabular format.

 

10 x sprues in grey styrene

1 x sprue in black flexible plastic

1 x sprue of clear parts

5 x black flexible tyres

1 x length of black flexible tubing (approx. 1m)

2 x linear springs

2 x torsion springs

2 x metal rods

1 x Photo Etch brass fret with nickel plating

1 x Photo Etch brass fret

1 x sheet of pre-printed fabric to create the hood

1 x sheet of self-adhesive wood veneer

18 x turned brass parts for MG42 and vehicle fixtures

1 x instruction booklet

3 x sheets of glossy Platinum instructions

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Everything is individually bagged, including the Photo-Etch (PE), the brass parts, the veneer and the decals, with some serious detail included both in the original kit, and the extra parts that are present.  Some real thought has been put into the design of the upgrade parts, targeting any areas where the detail is less impressive or soft, and using the scale thickness and sharpness of the PE to redress the issues.  Incidentally, on my kit the flexible tubing was hidden trapped between two sections of the card insert, so check your box properly before you panic or recycle the card.

 

 

 

 

My only qualm with the kit is that the instruction booklet covers construction of the original kit, which has been Revell-icised as much as possible, but doesn’t cater for the new parts.  These are dealt with in the separate glossy pages, so there will be a bit of back-and-forth between the sections as you build the model, but on the upside, the new instructions are very well-done and provide you with all the information you need to upgrade the detail.  The inclusion of a real material hood is an excellent addition, but it will take some care and skill to make it look suitably realistic without breaking any of the styrene framework during the fitting and tightening process.

 

Construction begins with the engine, which is highly detailed, and has a lot of parts, including the piston barrels replete with the cooling fins that are very well executed.  Time has really been kind to these moulds. The engine is a flat-four, and comes complete with separate cylinder cover clips and spark-plugs, with the stubby mufflers and exhausts slung underneath and the cooling tin-work around the cylinder blocks, plus more detail such as the dynamo, the distributor with its HT-leads simulated by 140mm lengths of tubing.  The cooling fan with its vertical lobe of tin, and other ancillaries are fixed in place, and colour call-outs in Revell codes are given throughout the process.  Moving to the front axle, the brake drums and suspension arms are made up with a double-rail between the two ends, and the steering box actually functional, which the instructions advise to lubricate with Vaseline during closure to ensure that the gears last the distance. This attaches to the top rail on a bracket, then has the steering arms clipped on with careful and selective gluing allowing the pivots to stay loose.

 

 

The vehicle’s floor pan is moulded as a single part, thickened with inserts on the underneath and in the rear, which is then flipped over and has the gear stick and handbrake installed.  There is a replacement brass gear lever and knob included here, which can replace the styrene parts, keeping the gaiter from the kit at the bottom end.  Additionally, a lamination of nickel-plated PE and real wood veneer is inserted into the floor to provide the additional realism of duck-boards to the finished product.  The frame under the A-pillar that surrounds the dash is begun next, with the instrument panel inserted along with a decal for the large central dial, then it is closed in by a clear lens.  The two front seats are made up from their tubular frame, and have the flexible black plastic covers snapped closed over them, with one each for the driver and front passenger, augmented with a detailed set of textured PE straps across the rear, adding extra interest.  These flexible parts seem like they would be a little reticent to hold paint, so check them out by performing a test on one of the inner surfaces so that you’re not wasting your time.  The seats are attached to the floor with a pair of clips on each one, and the dashboard is glued into the front on pins, and has the pedal box inserted into the floor, with new pedals included on the PE sheets, made up from two layers that slot onto the levers and have a really nice chequered pattern etched-in that will be useful to create the appearance of wear by rubbing back the paint to expose the metal surface.  The front axle is inserted into the front of the floorpan, and is linked to the brake drums by more of the flexible hosing of various lengths.  The front bulkhead and the “frunk” are made up and joined to the floor, and the two-part steering column is joined around the T-shaped top of the box, and another T-shaped lower end of the cylindrical column that protrudes from the dashboard, which you are again advised to lubricate for longevity.

 

The wing mirror on the left A-pillar is upgraded with a PE bracket that is made up from two parts plus a length of brass, replacing the more refined (and probably later) adjustment knuckle with a bracket.  There is also a shiny circular piece of PE you can use as the mirror glass if you want to.  The kit horn is replaced entirely by a turned body, PE diaphragm, and PE bracket with a PE bolt holding it in place, then the two front headlights are assembled with a clear lens covered by a two-part slit-cover to reduce backwash on the road during night driving.  At the rear a new number-plate holder bracket is created from PE, and the Notek convoy light with its twin smiley faces and flaps that cover up the daylight lamps on the bottom, exposing the four distance marking lights on the top.  On the real thing, you’ll see one light at 300m, two at 35m, and all four if you’re too close.  The aim is to see two lights so you know you’re at the correct distance from the vehicle in front.  All the bracketry is there, and the only missing part is the downward facing slot to illuminate the numberplate and the peg that allows it to be open or closed. All of these subassemblies are set aside for later installation on the vehicle during the final stages of the build.

 

The sides of the body are prepared with internal structure, then the left front wing is fixed to the side and on the right-hand back seat floor the battery is assembled and strapped down before the right body panel is glued in place, but will need some wiring.  The B-pillars are separate from the side panels, and have two hinge-points fixed to the outsides before they are glued into the body, as are the four wheel wells, with a scrap diagram showing the correct location of them all.  There is a jerrycan included on the sprues that is shown in the frunk on the instructions, but the Platinum instructions show it inserted into a frame over the left rear wheel arch, which is folded up from PE and shown in position on the arch to assist you in placing it correctly.  The front of the vehicle is now assembled from the bonnet panel, which has two towing hooks fitted to the front, and an oval fuel tank glued inside that can be seen from within the cabin through the space in the dashboard.  This has a couple of ribs added, and a nice set of raised lettering facing the crew, just like the real tank.  It is glued to the front and the ribbed front guard that protects the steering rack is added below, then the fuel filler cap, which is augmented by a PE strip and ribbed grip around the sides, shackled to the vehicle by a piece of PE chain that joins them together.

 

The rear suspension is a torsion-link design, and this is simulated by the torsion springs that are included in the kit, hidden within the swing-arms that are assembled without glue in places to allow them to remain movable once complete.  The drive-shafts are threaded through the swing-arm into the back of the rear hubs, where a ball-joint allows them to clip into position and remain mobile.  The other ends of the drive-shafts are inserted into the halves of the transmission and secured inside by a collar that is glued in place, then the two halves are glued together, completing the back axle.  The two-part hubs are attached to the brake drums, and brake hoses are fitted to the pins on the back of the drums, with another length joining the transmission to the frame on which it is assembled.  The rear seats are inserted in the back of the crew compartment along with the rear cushion on a frame, then the engine is mated with the open end of the gearbox then covered over by the top panel, a cut-out floor and rear bulkhead in a slightly confusing diagram (88).  The external boot cowling is outfitted with two folding doors by the addition of brackets covering up the hinge pegs.  The styrene grab-handles are replaced by PE parts, and when the cowling is fixed to the body, the Notek light and a combined towing hitch and sump protector are installed under the rear.  The hitch is improved by adding some PE parts from the set, and a new PE reflector is fixed next to the rear left wheel.  Speaking of wheels, the four flexible tyres can be pushed onto the hubs, while the spare gets pushed over a two-part hub that is fitted to the bonnet next to two replacement PE windscreen clips that hold it down when it is laid flat.

 

 

The Kübelwagen is a four-door vehicle, and all four are identical, so interchangeable, which was quite a clever idea.  The panel is surrounded by a four-part frame, a handle on each side, plus two hinges that allow them to mount on the B-pillar without glue.  The windscreen is similarly surrounded by a four-part frame, and has two motor housings fixed into the inside, and two replacement PE wiper arms and blades on the outside.  There are two hinges fixed to the bonnet, and two pegs are slipped through to secure the screen in position but leave it poseable.  The steering wheel, wing mirror, headlamps and Notek blackout front light are all attached, as are the horn assembly and a shovel that has its simplified restraints replaced with more accurate brass parts with a high part count for ultimate realism.  A new assembly is provided for the centre of the crew compartment that is not included in the base kit in any shape or form.  That is a four-place rifle rack, which has a set of clamps at the top, and four oval receptacles that glue to the floor below.  As to where you’ll get the rifles, that’s up to you, as 1:9 is a bit of a niche scale.  Now for some accessories.  The kit includes an MG42 machine gun on a pintle mount, a helmet with separate part for the liner and flexible plastic straps, plus a gasmask canister.  All of these get substantially upgraded with parts from the Platinum set.  The MG42 is well-detailed as-is, but the end result is so much better thanks to the addition of a turned muzzle, a complete replacement to the breech cover, and a representation of the interior and bolt.  You also get an upgrade to the drum mag, adding extra detail to the front and rear, as well as the curved door where the bullets feed out.  The buttstock also gets a skin to add the texturing to the rear that turns the finished article into a model in itself.  The helmet has the rubbery strap replaced by a more detailed pair of PE parts that can be posed in your preferred position, rather than being at the wobbly-whim of that strange flexible plastic.  Finally, the gasmask canister is laced up with PE straps that again replace cut-up lengths of flexible black strap, but utilises the C-shaped loops that come with the kit.  The helmet and canister are shown thrown on the back seat in the instructions, while the MG42 is mounted on the cross-brace between the front and rear seat, with a bipod that can be built stowed or deployed.  If you want to put the MG42 on the pintle mount, you may have to decide whether to do that, or use the PE rifle rack instead, as they take up the same space on the cross-rail unless you move the mount to the side like in the photo below.  You could always put the MG42 on the rear seat instead.

 

 

Speaking of stowed or deployed, the last task is probably the trickiest.  The canvas hood that keeps the weather off when it’s no longer sunny.  The framework is first to be built, using glue sparingly to ensure that things will remain mobile afterwards.  It takes three steps to finish the frame, then the canvas cover is cut to shape following the solid lines, and using the dotted lines as folding guides.  The small rear window is first to be fitted after cutting the aperture carefully with a knife, then each of the four windows are wrapped in a canvas frame, using a suitable clear-friendly glue, and lots of clamps while the glue sets.  These then slot into the tops of the doors on two pegs each, and the tubular frame is inserted within the main cover, which is probably not as easy as the instructions make out.  There are a number of PE fixtures and fittings to apply to the canvas, and a set of U-shaped brackets are fixed to the rear and sides by drilling out pairs of 0.5mm holes to insert the legs, which once cured are used to tie the canvas down at the rear with those new straps.

 

 

 

Markings

There are five decal options on the sheet with a variety of schemes, but due to the ancient origin of the kit there are only some rather rudimentary profiles in black and white, which we haven’t reproduced here because they’re of little value.   It’s a shame that Revell didn’t take the time to redraw the profiles in a more modern fashion, but they’re pretty simple schemes consisting of one or two colours.  From the box you can build one of the following:

 

• Panzergrenadierdivision Großdeutschland, Kharkov, Eastern Front, May 1943 – all over panzer grey
• 3. Pz. Grenadier Div. Empoli, Italy, July 1944 – all over sand
• 6. Panzerdivision, Volokolamsk, Russia, December 1941 – panzer grey with white winter distemper finish
• 21. Panzerdivision, Caen, Normandy, July 1944 – Dark yellow with green camouflage
• Soviet Army (captured) Vilnius, Lithuania, July 1944

 

The profiles are captioned in French, so I’ve done my best to translate them into English.

 

 

Decals are by Zanetti, which is a guarantee of good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin matt carrier film cut close to the printed areas.

 

 

Conclusion

This is an old kit, but it is really rather good for its age, and with the addition of the extras in the Platinum pack, it absolutely takes it up a notch or seven.  The canvas roof will make a few baulk at first sight, but with care and attention to detail, an amazing model will result.

 

Very highly recommended.

 

Currently, Revell are unable to ship to the UK from their online shop due to recent changes in import regulations, but there are many shops stocking their products where you can pick up the kits either in the flesh or online.

 

 

Revell model kits are available from all good toy and model retailers. For further information visit

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[bigbadbadge]

Mike Thanks for posting this it is a cracking kit, I have been building the older Revell release which builds up very nicely,  the original looks to have been researched from a post war, restored vehicle with some Beetle components such as the front suspension and engine and although absolutely lovely, some scratch work on the engine was required to make authentic, this is in no way a criticism at the time it would have been researched by Esci the examples that are around today had not been uncovered. 

I really enjoyed building the kit (I am still to do the roof, the frame all works, but the material is yet to be cut) and anyone building the kit will end up with an impressive model that is big .

Chris