6221 - Sd.Kfz.234/4

"... This kit will certainly please fans of late-war German armored cars ..."

"...a nice kit and seems to be a totally independent effort..."

"... magnificent even built straight out of the box!"

DR6221: Sd. Kfz. 234/4 Panzerspahwagen
1/35 injection plastic kit with multimedia accessories and decals

This is Dragon’s first release in the Sd.Kfz 234 series of armoured cars and depicts the 234/4, which was the final version to enter production. The Sd.Kfz 234 were a series of heavy armoured cars (schwerer Panzerspahwagen) built to provide a vehicle with good cross country performance, good wading, improved armour and capable of operating in tropical conditions. They featured eight wheels, an air-cooled Tatra diesel engine and a top speed of 90 km/hour. One innovative feature, since copied on post war armoured cars was that the armoured hull also served as the chassis.

The Sd.Kfz 234/4 was introduced as a result of a direct political order to mount the 75mm PAK 40 anti-tank gun on the Sd.Kfz 234 chassis, to create an armoured car tank-destroyer. The same order lead to the mounting of the Pak 40 on the Sd.Kfz 251 half-track creating the 251/22 (Dragon kit 6248). About ninety Sd.Kfz 234/4 were produced from December 1944 through to war’s end.

Overview
This kit features all new tooling for all parts unique to the Panzerspahwagen and is up to Dragon’s current high standards. The chassis is highly detailed and the open-top fighting compartment is comprehensive. The gun’s tooling is from Dragon’s recently issued Pak 40 towed anti-tank gun.

The model has approximately 570 parts and includes some photo etch, a metal barrel, clear periscopes, and turned brass width indicators. The gatefold instructions have 28 steps of line drawings. The model compares favourably to scale plans and photos of captured and museum vehicles.

Hull and Fittings
The main hull bottom is a detailed one-piece slide-molded tub. The axle stubs and suspension arms are attached to a one-piece chassis frame and this sub-assembly is then fitted to the main hull. The upper hull is a large single piece with cut outs for the varying visors, hatches and louvers. Test fitting indicated that these parts fit together precisely. Preliminary construction also indicates that the parts are readily removed from the sprues due to small connectors.

All engine deck louvers can be built either open or closed, and while there is no engine, the kit layout would suit adding an aftermarket engine. Mesh was fitted underneath these louvers and can be added by either scratch building it from nylon mesh or getting drop fit PE mesh as included in the Cyber-Hobby upgrade set.

The tyres have a military tread pattern with large blocks extending onto the sidewalls; a pattern often seen on the 234 series. The tyres are a two-piece injection plastic design, which fit together smoothly, and are fitted onto wheels made from three parts. A choice of two hub designs is offered. The steering assembly is represented with numerous connecting rods and the like. The suspension’s tie rod ends (D23, D24, D15) which fit onto the hull and guide the wheels have tabs that fit into slots on the hull so that the road wheels face straight ahead, but the tabs can be snipped off so that the wheels can be turned. I would suggest not gluing the stubs (D18, D19) in place until step 12 to ensure that the road wheels are aligned.

The fenders are the late-war pattern with two stowage bins on each fender. The padlock on the forward bin is integrated into the fender and is finely detailed. Photos show this pattern of fender was common on the Sd.Kfz 234/4. The side bins lids are molded shut. The storage boxes mounted on the top of the fenders can be assembled open or closed.

Two jerry cans with separate injection plastic mounting straps and PE for the cans’ centre weld join are fitted to one fender. Four complete spare jerry cans are included, which is a really useful extra.

The on-vehicle tools such as the spades and the pickaxe have the clamps molded on. The jack is built up from six parts and has the latch molded onto the body of the jack with the brackets as separate injection plastic pieces. For the rear mounted spare wheel there is the option of either having the wheel fitted or missing and showing the detailed mounting stub.

Fighting Compartment
The open topped fighting compartment is thoroughly detailed and includes the distinctive mounting for the Pak with its large beams on either side of the hull, as well as smaller features such as the bolts on front engine compartment cover and escape hatches. Both driving positions are featured with numerous dials and controls and the two seats correctly have the tubular frame for both the base and the seat back. The driver’s vision port can be built either open or closed and the vision blocks are made from clear plastic.

The floor is well detailed with features such as the transmission cover and anti-skid plate with a dimple pattern as per photos of an un-restored vehicle. The structural braces on the sidewalls are separate parts with the nuts/bolts represented on both sides.

The ammunition boxes can be assembled either open or closed and there is a choice of having the open racks either fully filled or totally empty.

Pak 40 Anti-Tank Gun
The gun is made from approximately 70 parts and has the gun shield with the side cut outs which are tell tale signs that it was mounted in an AFV.

The gun shield kit is correctly double skinned (spaced armour saved weight) and both skins are made from plastic. The bolt heads are cast in place and the edges are heavily tapered to give the impression of being thin. Cyber-Hobby’s upgrade set includes alternative PE shields.

This kit includes PE for the small sliding center-plate and the two visors fitted between the two skins of the gun shield. There is a choice of plastic or turned metal gun barrel. The plastic barrel has a one-piece tube made using slide technology and both barrels are drop fits into the breach and muzzle breaks. A standard injection plastic MG42 is mounted off the gun cradle.

A plastic sprue containing 8 rounds, 8 ammunition tubes, 3 shell casings and the two metal boxes, which can be placed as you see appropriate within the vehicle or a diorama setting.

Decals
Three Cartograph waterslide decal sheets are included, while four view profiles are provided for two vehicles, both with a hard edge camouflage scheme. One of the vehicles is the 234/4 that was abandoned in a barn and of which photos are often included in books (e.g. page 13-7 of Tom Jentz’s ‘Panzerspaehwagen’). It should be built with a muzzle break made using optional parts b46 and b56, and had tyres with the tread pattern depicted in the Dragon kit. This AFV had a base coat or red-brown primer. The other 234/4 is identified as being deployed in Prague and had a dark yellow base coat.

One small sheet is new to this kit and contains the registration plate and other markings included the green clover for the 234/4 in the barn, as well as the “Bulcher” name for the other 234/4. It also includes dash dials and Balkan Crosses.

A medium sized sheet contains numerous vehicle registration numbers and Wehrmacht “WH” and Waffen SS prefixes (the runes are broken into two parts) as wells as two sets of blank white plates (one with and one without black outlines) and is from a Sd.Kfz 251 half-track kit. Another sheet is form the Pak 40 late A/T gun and contains marking for the shells and their cases. As a good number of markings are provided, the spares will be useful for other projects.

Recommendation

This new Sd.Kfz 234/4 is an impressive kit, which has a mix of detail, crisp parts, accuracy and subject appeal that will ensure it’s popular. The attention to detail on areas such as the fighting compartment and suspension and the inclusion of the turned metal extras all adds to the appeal of this model which I really looked forward to. Definitely recommended.

- Neville Lord