German Rheinmetall12.8cm K44 L/55 High Velocity Anti-tank Gun

[Mike]

German Rheinmetall12.8cm K44 L/55 High Velocity Anti-tank Gun

1:35 Great Wall Hobby

The Pak44 its various developmental guises was intended to counter the heavily armoured Russian tanks of the late war, and was equipped with a monstrous 128 cm Rheinmetall barrel, with an all up weight of over 11 tonnes. This six wheeled variant was actually constructed, but none of these impressive designs reached active service before the war ended.

The kit arrives in a top opening dark brown box with a colour profile of the gun overlaid on a parchment background which also features some contemporary pictures of the prototype. Inside are seven sprues of medium grey plastic, a small sheet of photo etched metal, a small bag containing two springs and some soft wire, and of course the obligatory instruction booklet.

Looking inside the booklet it is evident that construction will be complicated, and some confusion was caused to this reviewer (perhaps because it was late at night) due to the inclusion of a loose addendum sheet, the reason for which is still a little unclear even in the cold light of day. I'm sure that this will become self evident once construction begins.

Like other new artillery kits that I have reviewed recently, slide moulding has been used to enhance some parts, evidenced by the telltale kinking of the surrounding sprue runners. The slide moulding does not however extend to the enormous barrel, which is a shame although with the muzzle break being a separate three-part component, the end of the barrel will still be hollow. The barrel is in fact made from two parts, with the wider section broken down to avoid horrendous sink mark issues. Mould alignment is good, so brief sanding of the seam should suffice to give the appearance of a one part casting. The flash hider will require careful alignment to avoid ruining the impression that this is a one part mould, although definition of the perforations in the flash Hider are well rendered, but a few of the holes will require reaming out in order to unify their appearance.

The model can be completed in either travelling or firing mode, with the main differences being the stowage of the wheel sets, and deployment or otherwise of the stabilising arms. The inclusion of a length of soft wire is to be applauded, as it gives the modeller the tools required to add a little extra detail to the model by simulating wiring and brake hoses that are evident on the real thing. Additionally, two metal springs are included and form part of the suspension unit to the front bogey. Care will obviously be needed here when gluing nearby components, to ensure that they stay mobile.

A full set of pioneer tools is included on a small sprue, which are festooned around the weapon's shield. Photo etched attachment brackets are included, which whilst fiddly will improve the realism of the model, and require you to remove the plastic renditions of the brackets from the aforementioned tools in order to install them. The ground spikes, which keep the gun from bucking when fired, benefit from the use of slide mould technology, and are commendably detailed with fine holes running along the length of them. If portraying the model in a diorama in firing mode, these will need installing and cutting to length to simulate being pushed into the ground.

There is no decal sheet with this model, and no painting guide as such, although like most German armour and artillery of the late war, Dunkelgelb was the choice for base colour, onto which additional camouflage colours were sprayed in the field, an example of which is shown on the box top illustration.

Conclusion

although the instructions may have you scratching your head, this model will build up into an impressive example of late war German artillery engineering. The sheer size of the barrel and the number of wheels alone should endear this to many, as it did me.

Another unusual and interesting kit from Great Wall Hobby, which sees them delving yet again into Wehrmacht'46, and should find approval with many modellers. Look out for a full build review of this kit in the near future from your reviewer.

Update

Your reviewer has since built the model from the box, with only the addition of a few lengths of lead wire to replace the rather stiff wire included with the kit. The build was actually straightfroward, and the results pleasing. Photos below:

Review sample courtesy of:

[daz greenwood]

That looks nice Mike.

I like all these new German subjects now hitting the shelves.

[Deon]

I've got one of these on the go too, lovely stuff! Way less expensive than their motorbike sets

[sinnerboy]

Conclusion

although the instructions may have you scratching your head,

you can say that again Mike, just bought this but looking at the instructions wish I had'nt as it has now convinced me I must be a very blunt knife in the drawer.

Maybe I'll stick to planes....wings on side, tail on top simples

yours Mr Idontgetit, 13 Myheadhurts Ave, Thickosville, Muddlesex, Isle of Clueless

[Andy K]

Very nice Mike! Lovely finish you've achieved and the camo is great.