DML/Dragon

1/35 Flak 38(t) Ausf. M Late Production

Kit Number: 6590, "Smart Kit"

Reviewed by  Andrew Birkbeck, IPMS# 27087

MSRP: $55.99 Website: www.dragonmodelsusa.com Herewith one of the latest "super kits" from DML/Dragon's "Smart Kit" series: a Flakpanzer 38(t) Ausf. M "Late Production" variant. As anyone familiar with DML's recent releases will discover, upon opening the box the modeler is almost overwhelmed by the number of sprues and parts contained therein. In this case 24 (!!) sprues of various sizes and shapes, together with three PE frets, two bags of "magic tracks" plus a small decal sheet. And as one has come to expect with DML, the modeler's first duty should really be to carefully review the instruction sheet, especially the sprue/part diagrams, and make some initial construction notes! The first potentially confusing item is that there are a number of sprues with the same letter attached to them. I don't mean there are say two "H" sprues, with identical parts on them. I mean that there are two "A" sprues that are completely different from each other, and two "J" sprues, likewise different from one another. The way you tell the different parts one from another is that one sprue "A" is listed on the instruction sheet in blue lettering, while the other is listed in black lettering! So CAREFULLY read these instructions start to finish a couple of times, and make notes! Add to this situation the fact that as with all DML kits these days, there are multiple optional parts: different drive sprocket configurations, idler wheel configurations etc. The kit provides the modeler with a very well detailed interior: engine/radiator compartment in the middle of the hull, and the driver's area at the front of the hull, with nicely detailed drive shaft and transmission parts etc. DML provides the modeler with lots of separate hatches in order to give you the option of showing off all this internal detail. For the review model, to save time, I left these parts off my model. The flak gun compartment is also well detailed, with lots of ammo boxes, two radios etc. Missing is the cabling between these radios, and the radio headsets and mikes, but these are easily fabricated with some solder wire and scrap plastic, and access to suitable diagrams or photos from your reference library. In an ideal world, a wiring diagram would have been provided by the kit manufacturer though. The flak gun itself is also very well detailed, with various options available for the modeler to chose, such as PE parts or plastic parts, to complete this stage. Carefully check the options in Construction Sequence 18, and chose the parts appropriate to the angle of incidence that you wish your gun to be aimed. Problem areas I found in the Construction Sequences: generally, the fit of parts is very good, however as I have found with most of the DML kits I have built, carefully view the instructions, and test fit parts before applying glue, as the exact location of a part or sub assembly is not always clear from the instruction diagrams. Section 11: flak gun base. Note that listed part M33 should be M32, and listed part M32 should be M33. In section 14, the part listed as D15 should be D14, and that listed D16 is actually D15. In section 15, be very careful that you install parts A67 and A68 on the correct side of A53. Make sure the part with the mounting hole for the ejected shell casing catcher (see parts A3/A6/A46 and MD1, MC1/2 etc. in Section 17) is on the correct side. And when you get to Section 17, note that parts A59 and A60, on the gun shield, have the rivets facing inwards, not outwards as shown in the diagram. Look at the shape of the parts, and where they fit correctly. Finally, I had difficulty getting the base of the flak gun unit (the round base part, A66 from Section 16) to sit nicely into its cradle in the final assembly Section 19. Was it me, or was it the kit, you decide! Also in Section 19, the assembly of the Magic Tracks: these are very nicely detailed, if extremely tedious to construct. Painting and Decaling: The review was firstly given a thorough coating of Mr Surfacer 1200 primer, in order to give the follow up color coats something nice to bite into. I then applied a coat of Tamiya XF-60 Dark Yellow, lightened with a goodly amount of Tamiya XF-2 White. Then, using my Badger Sotar airbrush, I thinned down Tamiya XF-61 Dk. Green and Tamiya XF-64 Red Brown, and carefully applied the mottle camouflage colors. Paints in all cases were thinned with the superb Mr Color (lacquer) Leveling Thinner. Then I gave the whole model a couple of thin coatings of Tamiya X-22 gloss clear, in preparation for the decals. The kit provides the modeler with a choice of four markings options, three listed as "Normandy 1944 Pz. Div. Hitlerjugend", while one is listed as "Test Run, BMM Factory, 1944". I applied none of them as I discovered by carefully studying the decal application diagrams that all would be hidden if I built the model with the upper superstructure of the flak gun position folded down! If not, the decals are extremely well printed, by Cartograph of Italy. The model was then given an overall wash of burnt umber oil paint, to pick out the rivet details etc. Despite the complexity of this kit, in terms of the high number of parts, and the less than perfect instructions, I very much enjoyed building this kit. The parts are extremely well detailed, and lack any obvious ejection pin marks or sink marks. And once you study the instructions thoroughly, and note the odd error here and there in the diagrams, the modeler should easily sail through construction. The resulting model is very pleasing to my eye, and I recommend this kit unreservedly to anyone who like me has a fascination with vehicles based upon the Panzer 38(t) chassis, or German flak guns. My sincere thanks to DragonUSA for providing IPMS/USA with this excellent kit for review. Check out their web site for all their excellent kits.