Maybach HL42 TRKM and TUKRM Engines

[Mike]

Machbach HL42 TRKM and TUKRM Engines

These two kits will be a welcome release for anyone building German WWII half-tracks, as these power units were used to propel the majority of the more well known versions into combat. The two kits are available separately, as there are some significant differences to the sprues, the major difference being the radiator configuration.

The basic block and cylinder system, as well as a great number of the ancillary parts are common to both versions, but you should check your references carefully to establish which engine to buy for your project. The box tops helpfully provide guidance as well as line drawings of some of the more well known vehicles it was used on, which will save some rooting round your references.

Each box contains one sprue of styrene parts, crisply moulded in a pleasant grey plastic. In addition, taped to the outside of the parts bag is a small fret of Photo Etched brass components. The TRKM parts count is 43, while the TUKRM tops out at 49 - both have a small number of parts that are not used, which leads me to wonder whether these sprues will eventually turn up in some special edition kits from Great Wall Hobby, especially as 2 parts appear to be engine mounting brackets.

For the purposes of this review I have built up the TRKM engine, which I shall use in my forthcoming build of the sWS with Flak43. The parts are delicate in places, but everything fits together well, with only a few parts needing to be positioned before others in the same section of the build. Good practice would be to cut the set of parts for each step and do a dry fit, to avoid any confusion. A few of the parts are incredibly delicate, and can quite easily ping off into the void while you are tidying them up. One such part are the bolts on the top of the rocker cover, one of which I managed to lose during the build.

Once you get to the end of the build, you realise what a nicely detailed piece of engineering you have in your hand. The various hoses and wires fit well, and with a little care the radiator can be left separate for painting, allowing you to get in and put some detail in the radiator matrix that would otherwise be difficult to get at.

The kit box states that the engine is provided to build a stand-alone display model, but it should not be too difficult to add this model into the engine bay of any suitable kit, although reference pictures can be a little hard to find on the net - perhaps I'm just not using the correct search terms.

Conclusion

A pair of great little kits that will busy up the engine bay of any sWS, Sd Kfz. 250, 251, 11 or Demag (plus a few others that I don't yet know about!). It builds easily and looks the part once together. If you're planning on building the GWH sWS Cargo version with their PE update set, all those lovely etched cowlings will look great with a nicely painted HL42 inside.

Review sample courtesy of:

[TonyT]

the major difference being the that the TRKM is a water-cooled engine, while the TUKRM is air-cooled.

The boxing says water cooled for both??

[Mike]

The boxing says water cooled for both??

You're right... that'll teach me to listen to other people Review updated.