"... this kit is sure to please..."

< full review here >
- Frank De Sisto

"... This is probably the most wanted version of the 234 amongst modelers, and so Dragon have most likely produced another winner..."

< full review here >
- Vinnie Branigan

DR6298: Sd. Kfz. 234/1 schwerer Panzerspahwagen (2cm)
1/35 injection plastic kit with multimedia accessories and decals

The Sd.Kfz 234/1, which featured a 20cm cannon in an open topped turret was the most numerous of the Sd.Kfz 234 series of heavy armoured cars (schwerer Panzerspahwagen). About 230 vehicles were produced and they were issued to Panzer and Panzer Grenadier divisions. With eight wheels, a top speed of 80 km/hour, and good cross country performance they were well suited to their reconnaissance role.

OVERVIEW
This is Dragon second release in the Sd.Kfz 234 series, and features new tooling for the upper hull and interior, and the new Haengelafette six-sided turret from the Cyber-hobby Sd.Kfz 251/23. As expected the parts are all crisply detailed, the overall package is impressive and the external dimensions compare favourably to scale plans.

The model has approximately 540 parts and includes some photo etch, clear periscopes, and turned brass width indicators. The gatefold instructions have 28 steps of line drawings.

HAENGELAFETTE TURRET

The Haengelafette (suspended mount) turret was the distinguishing feature of the Sd.Kfz 234/1 and the turret in this kit is extremely good with considerable small detail. The parts are cast with no visible pin marks and the narrow connecting gates can be easily removed. The open topped turret was armed with a 20mm cannon and one MG.

Features of this turret include:

* Highly detailed fittings such as the radio and its mounting frame, the traverse hand-wheels, crew seats, fittings on the mesh screen frames and spent shell catcher.

* Photo etch for the anti-grenade screens and several small details.

* Lower turret ring which features the traverse teeth.

* Impressive detail for the feeder and breech of the KwK38 cannon.

* The KwK 38 can be elevated up or down and the feeder cover may be modeled open or closed.

* Slide molded co-axial MG 42 as seen in the Gen-2 figure sets with the option of the MG34 (also slide molded).

The cannon barrel is a crisp slide-molded item, which incorporates the flash suppressor (solid recesses for vents). Part J-1 is the correct KwK barrel, while J-10 as suggested by the instructions is the longer Flak barrel. I expect some modelers may replace it with a metal barrel and suppressor to have open vents or to have a slightly shorter barrel as per H. Doyle’s scale plans.

HULL & FITTINGS
There is a new one-piece upper hull with the opening for the Haengelafette, while the drivers’ compartment contains a mix of new tooling and parts from the Sd.Kfz 234/4.

The fenders are the earlier mid 1944 design with four stowage bins on each fender, a configuration seen in a good proportion of photos of the 234/1. The padlocks are integrated into the fenders and, like with the hinges and screws are finely detailed. The side bins lids are molded shut. The storage boxes mounted on the top of the fenders can be assembled open or closed.

The main lower hull is a detailed one-piece slide-molded tub, which is narrower on the bottom than the top; a design innovation copied on many modern wheeled armored vehicles. 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 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, which along with tabs on the axles (B4) ensure that the road wheels face straight ahead, but the tabs can be snipped off so that the wheels are turned. For my 234/4, I did not glue the stubs (D18, D19) in place to ensure that everything was aligned. I found the lower hull parts easily came of the sprue due to the small connectors and fitted together well.

All engine deck louvers can be built either open or closed. If left open mesh could be fitted underneath them, by either scratch building it or using aftermarket drop fit PE mesh as included in the Cyber-Hobby upgrade set.

The four width indicator poles are provided with a choice of injection plastic or turned brass poles. Optional photo etch parts are included for the lifting hooks and the cover for the access port on the hull’s lower rear.

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. Six jerry cans with separate injection plastic mounting straps and PE for the cans’ centre weld join are mounted on the fenders.

The tyres have a military tread pattern often seen on the 234 series of large blocks extending onto the sidewalls. The tyres are a two-piece injection plastic design, which fit together smoothly, and are fitted onto wheels, which have a choice of two hub designs (both are seen in photos). For the rear spare wheel there is the option of either having the wheel fitted or missing and showing the detailed stub.

DRIVERS’ COMPARTMENT
This model has reasonable detail for the drivers’ compartment, even though it is not that visible on the completed kit. Both driving positions have seats with springs on the back and vision ports, which can be built either open or closed, while the forward position also has the dials. As usual for recent Dragon kits the vision blocks are 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. Fittings include the MP38/40 submachine gun, head pad, transmission cover, gas masks, fuel tank, and the firewall for the engine compartment.

I am unaware of any photos of the Sd.Kfz 234/1 interior and suspect this influenced the kit’s design (overhead photos only show turret details). The 234/1 stored at least 250 rounds for the main 20mm cannon (which according to an Allied report were stored on the left side of the interior) and 2,400 rounds for the machine gun. The kit has two spare racks for the 20mm ammunition from the Sd.Kfz.251/17 and I intend to use one on my kit. If the kit is built as a section leader’s vehicle with the crow’s foot-star aerial (Sternantenne), strictly speaking the interior should also have an Fu.12 long-range radio set (the kit includes one spare radio). Photos of the Sd.Kfz 250/9 interior also have a map case and spare rounds for the MP38/40.

DECALS

The instruction sheet provides five view profiles of two vehicles, both of which are depicted in colour on the side of the box. The first vehicle is in the three colour scheme of a yellow base with green and brown camouflage with a unit insignia on the fenders. It is identified as being from the 6th Panzer Division. The other vehicle is unmarked and covered in whitewash.

Two cleanly registered Cartograph waterslide decal sheets are included. The smaller sheet is new to this kit and contains the markings for the three coloured 234/1, as well as the shipping stencil and dash dials. The other sheet contains numerous vehicle registration numbers and Wehrmacht “WH” and Waffen SS prefixes (the runes are broken into two) as wells as two sets of blank white plates (one with and one without black outlines).

RECOMMENDATION

Dragon’s new Sd.Kfz 234/1 offers a crisply detailed model of this popular late war armoured car. With the new Haengelafette turret featuring photo-etch, and the hull’s crisp suspension and external fittings, this kit will be impressive out of the box; while offering other modellers the scope for super detailing. Definitely recommended.

- Neville Lord