MENG Type 82 German Pkw.K1 Kübelwagen - Eastern Front (SS-020) 1:35

[Mike]

Type 82 German Pkw.K1 Kübelwagen - Eastern Front (SS-020)

1:35 MENG via Creative Models Ltd

 

 

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 largely 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 new tool from MENG in 2024, and has expanded to three boxings based on the same base sprues.  The kit arrives in a small top-opening box with a satin finish and a painting of the Kübelwagen in front of a snowy backdrop “somewhere on the Eastern Front”.  Inside are three sprues in light grey styrene, two clear sprues wrapped in self-cling plastic, a bag of five flexible black tyres, decal sheet, and instruction booklet printed in colour, with painting profiles on the rearmost pages.  Detail is excellent, and although it isn’t a full chassis model, the undersides of the engine and axles are depicted, and parts for a soft-top roof are also included for cold-weather situations.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Construction begins with the floorpan, which superbly detailed, and is fitted with rear chassis rails, axle and transmission, adding four more structures to the area before installing the rear floor and arches over the top of the rear axle.  The sump of the engine is mated with twin exhausts and mufflers, locating it on a raised box at the rear of the vehicle between the arches.  The front axle is assembled with a steering linkage under the front floorpan with arches moulded-in, mating it with the main floorpan, then fitting a chassis protector along with a transmission-tunnel cover underneath.  Righting the floor, a set of duckboards are installed in the foot wells after painting them a wooden colour, followed by the gear lever, handbrake, foot pedals and the steering column that locks into position through

the firewall.

 

 

 

Although the engine isn’t included, the boot is made from a firewall and two sloped sides that are mounted on the arches and are then joined by the body sides, which have extra thickness and detail added to the sills before installation.  The sloped bonnet has a fuel tank applied to the underside before it is glued to the front of the vehicle, adding rear body panels and the boot flap with moulded-in handle to the rear.  The rear is detailed with a chunky bumper, rear lights, convoy light and number plate holder, adding a stand-off bar with supports to the bumper.  The instrument binnacle is suspended between a pair of dash bars with a single dial applied as a decal, flexing it into position over the steering column fitted earlier.  A pair of crew seats are made with separate lower frames, siting them within reach of the dash, installing a bench seat in the rear for passengers, flexing a tyre over a hub and mounting it on the bonnet on a recessed cone, with a filler nozzle next to it in another depression.

 

The front wheel hubs are unique and made from two parts, as they are handed to match their axles, but both have a flexible tyre push-fitted over the flanges around the edges.  The rear wheels are interchangeable and are also formed from two parts plus a flexible tyre, mounting each one in its appropriate arch, and adding a sump-protector under the engine.  Righting the model allows fitting of the headlights with a choice of slotted lenses, or covered alternatives, both with different rear housings, and joined by a convoy light with separate base on the left side of the bonnet.  There are four sockets moulded into the floor to accept the buttstock of a Kar98 rifle, which are inserted in a gaggle between and behind the front seats, adding a cover over the rear of the vehicle.  The barrels of the rifles are held in place by a tubular cross-brace that has four loops moulded in, and is mounted on the B-pillars between the front and rear door cut-outs.  Another bumper bar with brackets is attached to the front, and four simple square doors with moulded-in handles fill the spaces down the side of the body, slipping a clear windscreen into its frame and adding two wiper-motor covers before attaching it to brackets at either end of the scuttle panel, cutting off a pair of pegs on the top edge of the frame.

 

The soft top is moulded with creases and folds in a complete part that is detailed on all exterior sides thanks to slide-moulding.  The interior is smooth, but once the side and rear windows are installed, little will be seen within, so a coat of the same colour as the exterior should hide that fact away.  A pair of clamps are mounted in recesses on the bonnet, sited higher on the slope than the spare tyre, gluing a pair of rabbit-ear indicator stalks to the A-pillars, the left bracket also holding a circular wing mirror for the driver.  The driver’s side also has a shovel mounted behind the arch, with an option to shave away the bracket that holds the blade in place, replacing it with a separate bracket to add a little realism.  A Jerry can with moulded-in bracket is made from two halves, adding the three-handles to the top, and painting a white cross on the body that indicates that it carries water.  This is attached to the left over the rear arch to complete the model.

 

 

Markings

There are three decal options included on the small sheet, all wearing different schemes, one of which is under new management in Olive Drab with American markings.  From the box you can build one of the following:

 

• Communications Unti, 7th Panzer Division, Kursk, 1943
• 12th SS Panzer Division, Hitlerjugend, France, 1944
• Vehicle captured and used by US Forces, Italy, 1943

 

 

 

Decals are by Meng’s usual partners in China, with good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin matt carrier film cut close to the printed areas.

 

 

Conclusion

The Kübelwagen was almost ubiquitous in German use during WWII, and is certainly a staple of WWII movie light transport vehicles.  This new boxing of the latest tooling is well-detailed, available at a pocket-friendly price, and should be a straight-forward build, allowing the modeller to allocate time to the painting and weathering of the kit.

 

Highly recommended.

Currently out of stock at Creative Models Ltd, but check back soon

 

Review sample courtesy of