6292 - Sd.Kfz.251/17 Ausf.D w/2cm Schwebelafette

"... I can't wait to see what else they come up with next! ..."

"DML 6292: Sd.Kfz. 251/17 Ausf. D w/2cm Schwebelafette
1/35 injection plastic kit with decals, PE, turned metal and styrene accessories

Introduced during 1944, the mittlerer Schutzenpanzerwagen mit Schwebelafette 38 was the last version of the 251 half track to enter service fitted with a 20mm cannon. This version was far better suited to mass production, as it used an essentially unmodified Sdkfz 251 Ausf D body and a relatively compact mounting and shield for the cannon. The Schwebelafette, which roughly translates as "floating (gun) cradle", was the pedestal-mounted cannon in a small armored body. As the gun was mounted forward in the fighting compartment and just above the roof of the driving compartment allowed it to engage both aerial and ground targets. An earlier version of the Sdkfz 251/17, which was developed for the Luftwaffe, fitted a 20mm flak in an extensively modified armoured body with folding sides and was complex to build.

OVERVIEW

This new kit is based on Dragon’s recent Sdkfz 251 Ausf D half-track series and features newly tooled sprues for the Schwebelafette, as well the ammunition racks and extended forward upper plate which protected the loaders from straffing and shrapnel.

This model has over 670 parts and many components are broken down into multiple parts. For example the suspension arms, which are positionable, are separate; the lower hull is built up from 3 main panels and there is detail hidden underneath the fighting compartment floor (these parts could be omitted to save time). From experience building Dragon’s 251/1 D, this kit will require several modelling sessions and while well suited for most modellers, care should be taken when aligning key parts such as the road wheels. The kit can also be built as a standard 251/1 Ausf D armoured personnel carrier.

The multi-fold instruction sheet has 20 steps and well sized drawings in the black, white and blue format, which appear easy to follow.

The box art by Barry Crook, show a 251/17 providing fire support alongside StuG. This picture caught my attention for its convincing interpretation of a Christmas Eve attack by the Fuehrer Grenadier Brigade at Heiderscheid, Luxemburg, during the Battle of the Bulge. While not stated, the scene is based on a photo of an abandoned 251/17 and StuG III G late lying in a field outside the village with the same tall church steeple alongside a row of houses in the background.

CONTENTS

One new sprue contains the mounting and cradle for the Schwebelafette, spare ammunition clips and ammunition racks that replace the forward bench seats; while a smaller new sprue contains the KwK 38. The Schwebelafette, can be elevated and rotated and comes with a choice of three shields varying mainly by level of complexity to build (all shields have the same general profile, which wrapped around the gunner). The simplest is a one piece injection plastic shield, the second is a preformed metal shield which comes protected in clear cover and the third is a PE shield which is slightly thinner than the pre-formed metal shield and has a small protrusion on the left side (photos show this was not standard and hence the other two profile are also correct).

The cannon has the feeder & breech of the KwK 38, which was also fitted to the Sdkfz234/1 and 250/9. It is cast to the same high standard as the hand weapons in Dragon’s Generation 2 figure sets and has a the choice of the feeder cover being modeled open or closed. The more commonly used Flak 38 barrel is injection plastic and part of the same part as the breech (flash suppressor vents are solid). A turned metal piece is provided for the shorter KwK 38 barrel, but the flash suppressor and breech will have to be cut off from the Flak 38 version. A jig is provided to align the parts. PE parts and plastic alternatives are provided for the trays that held the ammunition about to be feed into the cannon. The two spare ammunition racks are injection plastic and have about 4 empty slots each.

A choice of two track types is provided, leaving the modeler with a useful spare set. One set is the early style (with lightening holes), which are two part separate link tracks with one part for the rubber pad and the other for the shoe. The shoes do not have any injection marks and from experience can be removed quickly from the sprue with a fresh blade, but make sure to correctly align the three pins on the pad and be sparing with the glue. The other are the pressed pattern with rubber shoe, which being Dragon ez-track come loose from the sprue allowing for quick assembly; although some modelers may wants to remove the injection marks.

Some of the features and upgrades including in the Sdkfz 251/17 are:

Upgraded front tyres and upgraded rear road wheels with VORWERK sidewall markings
Photo etch detail including the seat backs and applique detail for the lower hull.
Brass width indicator rods
Improved anti-skid plate detail for the fighting compartment floor
Vinyl tarpaulin which was been rolled back to only cover the rear fifth of the fighting compartment. This tarp also fits other Dragon 251 kits.
Clear vision blocks which can be modelled either open or closed
Driver figure wearing a M43 field cap and M1942 field jacket with matching trousers and ankle length boots. This figure is moulded in Dragon styrene, which provides some give when positioning.

MARKINGS

Two Cartograph waterslide decal sheets are included along with painting and marking guides for 8 vehicles with a varied range of paint schemes from the Wehrmacht and Waffen SS.

One medium sized sheet specific to this kit contains shipping stencils (2 styles), Balkan Crosses, specific tactical numbers, dashboard dials, complete registration plates and several unit emblems. The other medium sized sheet has numerous vehicle generic 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), which will allow modellers to depict any specific 251.

The painting guide includes front, side and rear profiles and ? profile of the Schwebelafette mount. The vehicles are Fuehrer Grenadier Brigade in Luxembourg 1944 (white wash over 3 colour), Hitler Jungen 1944 (green/yellow), WH Berlin 1944 (3 colour soft edged), Yugoslavia 1943 (colour soft edged), Belgium 1944, (3 colour hard edged), 16th Panzer Division 1945 (3 colour hard edged), WH Hungary 1945 (yellow) and Germany 1944 (3 colour hard edged).

RECOMMENDATION

The Sdkfz 251 with Schwebelafette 38 is an attractive addition to Dragon's range of WWII models. The KwK 38 and Schwebelafette mounting are particularly crisply detailed and the choice of shields ensures that it suits most modelers. Other strong points are the upgraded parts such as the road wheels and width indicator, rear tarpaulin and a choice of tracks. Definitely recommended."

- Neville Lord

"... Another stunning addition to the growing range of 251 variants from Dragon. Who know? Maybe we’ll get the complete line up... and if they’re all like this one.... I can’t wait!"

<full review here>
- Vinnie Branigan

"... While they had always had a problem with the Soviet Il-2 in the East, the Germans began to run into a problem with "Jabos" – Allied fighter-bombers – when they lost air supremacy over Europe in the summer of 1944. As a result, they began to make more and more modifications to standard vehicles to carry light or medium caliber antiaircraft guns ..."

<full review here>
- Cookie Sewell