DRAGON MODELS LIMITED

Product Specifications.

6353, 3cm FlaK38/103 "Jaboschreck" w/Trailer. 1/35th-scale styrene/multimedia kit containing 174 styrene parts, four photo-etched brass frets, five stamped/etched brass parts, water-slide decals and eight pages of instructions in 12 steps.

Introduction.

The 3cm MK103 was originally designed as armament for Luftwaffe aircraft, and was seen on certain versions of the Heinkel He.219 and Junkers Ju.88 night-fighters, as well as on variations of the Messerschmitt Me.262 jet-fighter. The MK103 was more complex and expensive to produce than its stable-mate, the 3cm MK108, but it was longer-ranged and fired a round with an extremely flat trajectory. References 5 and 6 indicate the MK103 was a better weapon then the MK108. The MK108 was chosen for Luftwaffe use based upon its ease of manufacture; its ballistic performance was inferior to the MK103, and it tended to jam due to the use of lower-quality stamped parts, especially when mounted in the Me.262 jet-fighter.

Towards the war's end, stock-piled, single MK103s were mounted on a modified 2cm Flak38 cradle, manufactured by Rheinmetall-Guben, with (possibly; sources differ) as many as 1,000 units produced. The MK103's belt-fed ammunition system allowed for a higher cyclic rate of fire than the standard and widely-used magazine-fed 2cm FlaK38. Instrumental in the fielding of this weapon was one Hans C. Graf von Seherr-Thoss, a German Heer officer during World War Two; he is listed on the kit's instructions (along with Thomas Anderson, Tom Cockle and Gary Edmundson) as having provided "technical assistance". It's rather nice that DML was able to go directly to "the source".

Gun.

The new 3cm MK (Machinenkanone) is composed of styrene parts detailed with etched brass parts. The main gun part, with the gun tube, comes from a slide mold that allows faithful reproduction of the unique muzzle brake. It visually represents the prototype quite well, according to photographs in reference 4, below. To completely replicate this gun, DML has also provided new sights and mounts, new trunnions, new port-side mounting frames, new center shield parts (in styrene or etched brass), new ammunition box and etched brass mount, new landing gear part, and new belted and individual rounds of 3cm ammunition.

From previous iterations of this kit, there is a multi-part styrene or etched/stamped brass main gun shield assembly, and the styrene/etched/stamped brass spent round collection basket and frame. The entire gun can be traversed on the pedestal mount, but elevation is limited due to scale considerations. The kit's designers have provided parts specific to four different elevation angles: 0-degrees and 20-, 40- and 60-degrees. The modeler should consult the instructions closely in this case, and also plan ahead regarding the elevation angle of the finished kit.

The platform, part A-71, will require care in its clean-up since the sprue attachment points are as usual, co-located with the injection-molded process's mold seam. The prototype was of stamped, welded construction and the styrene mold seam runs precisely where the weld seam would be; this must be retained. Hence, the need for care when cleaning up that part. The add-on detail for this assembly is superior and consists of separate cross-shaped hand-wheels (in styrene or etched brass), as well as multi-part, folding gunner's seat assembly. The latter, with planning, can be depicted folded-up for travel.

Trailer.

This unit has to be modified by the modeler by removing the fenders. The instructions show what needs to be removed, but the modeler is urged to go slowly so that it is done cleanly and that only spurious details are removed. I recommend that the instructions be studied carefully during this "operation". A new skid part is provided to show the trailer in the upright, parked position. The frame is nicely-molded and the finished item will reward careful clean-up of the mold seams and detail parts. The wheel hubs feature a tire inflation stem, which is the first time I've ever seen this detail provided for this widely-used type. The tires have restrained tread detail and are devoid of manufacturer's logo as well as tire type information on the side-walls.

Accessories.

The only accessories provided are several complete 3cm rounds. All other accessories such as 2cm magazines, magazine carrying cases, spare gun tube carrying cases and magazine loading device (parts A-32 and A-33) are not for use with this model; they will certainly prove quite useful in dressing up any standard 2cm Flak30 or 38 kit.

Molding, Fit and Engineering.

I have reviewed the both previous releases of this gun prior to the advent of this new kit and found no major fit problems. The new gun and its associated mounting parts went together well, but the modeler may need to tweak part D-2 for a better fit. Mold seams on the new parts are rather fine, but still must be dealt with in a delicate manner; ordnance kits always consist of fine details that need to be preserved during the parts clean-up process. There are no visible ejector pin marks on any easily visible surface, to include both sides of the styrene gun shields; these have beveled edges for better scale appearance. The tiny cross-shaped hand-wheels, parts A-4, will require care in their removal from the sprues as well as in their clean-up.

Accuracy.

With the exception of some small detail glitches on the trunnion pedestal parts (A-1 and D-17; see reference 4), and the lack of the opened style of traverse and elevation gear hand-wheels, this model matches available photographic references quite well.

Instructions.

These are typical for DML and are clearly-rendered, although somewhat busy, conventional line drawings. There are a couple of issues, however. For instance, the use and placement of the belted 3cm ammunition is not shown anywhere. The instructions also direct the modeler to remove both fenders, but then proceed to direct the modeler to fit all of the items on the fenders. Removing the fenders is not presented as being an option, as the box art suggests, although it probably could be, I suppose. The two 2cm ammo boxes and their brackets, which are mounted inside the fenders, are presented as being "optional"; why? This gun used totally different ammunition and feed system. I guess the moral here is to proceed with caution and check references!

Decals and Markings Information.

The water-slide decals are from Cartograf and are rather simple, but as usual, they are crisp and well-saturated. As each design is only one color, registration is not an issue. Not surprisingly, there is not much variety in the markings; they consist of mainly gun tube "kill rings" and shield-applied target silhouettes, colored white or yellow. Carrier film is thin and cropped close to the edges of the designs. The paint scheme given is an un-marked gun finished in overall Dunkelgelb. Colors are, as usual, coded to match Gunze and Testors paints.

Conclusion.

This is an unusual version of a standard piece and should prove attractive to those who model German military equipment involved in combat during the final months of the war. It is also a fine addition to the collections of modelers who favor ordnance over other subjects.

Highly Recommended.

Frank V. De Sisto

- Frank De Sisto