In Box Review of Tristar 1/35th Scale
German 2cm Flak 38, Pz.Kpfw. 38(t)
Kit no. 35035
By Ray Mehlberger
MSRP: $54.00
Tristar is a model company based in Hong Kong China.
By Ray Mehlberger
MSRP: $54.00
Tristar is a model company based in Hong Kong China.
HISTORY:
In 1943, German forces lost the initiative on all front lines. The German Army didn’t find it uncommon to encounter air raids. High mobility Flak panzers were greatly needed. Due to difficulties in the development of Flak panzers based on the chassis of the Pz.Kpfw. IV, the proven Panzer 38(t) Ausf. M chassis was chosen as an interim solution. It was armed with a 20mm Flak 38.
According to records, 141 were produced by BMM and issued to Panzer and Panzer Grenadier Divisions in 1944.
THE KIT:
This kit comes in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The box art shows a Flak 38 parked in a clearing in a forest. Two crewmen are firing it’s 20mm. The tank is overall earth yellow with dark green wave pattern. Tree branches are placed on the side and top of it for extra camouflage. The only mark shown is the German cross. There are 3 German infantrymen running for cover behind the Flak 38. The box art says that the kit includes PE parts, in Chinese and English and special thanks is given to Mr. Thomas Jentz (for whatever reason is not mentioned) and the project was supervised by C.K. Pat.
One side panel gives the copyright date of 2008, followed by Tristar’s street address in Honk Kong, their fax number, e-mail address and web site address. Next to this is the history of the Flak 38, in Chinese and English and a color side profile illustration of a Flak 38 in all earth yellow with just the German national cross on the side.
The other side panel has a blue self-adhering sticker with white lettering on it that gives Model Rectifier’s address in New Jersey and MADE IN CHINA. Next is Tristar’s address in Hong Kong , their telephone and fax numbers and e-mail address. Below this is the address of their office in Japan, along with the telephone and fax number there, the e-mail address and the web site address. To the right of these is 2 color box arts of other AFV kits that Tristar markets:
1. Kit no. 35028, a German Panzer 1 Ausf. A, Sd.Kfz. 101
2. Kit no. 35030, a German 7.5cm Pak 40 Fgst. Pz.Kpfw. Marder III Ausf. H
WHAT’S IN THE KIT:
The kit contains 18 light tan trees of parts in 6 sealed cello bags, a fret of brass PE parts, the decal and a length of steel braided wire in a sealed cello with a stiff card behind the PE fret to protect it from bending and a frosted sheet on the face of the decal to prevent scratching.
Very extensive nice packaging. The parts in this kit add up to over 500. This kit is really jam-packed!!
The instructions complete the kit’s contents. It consists of a single sheet that accordion folds out into 10 pages in 6 ½” x 11” page format.
Page 1 begins with a black and white repeat of the box art, Followed by the repeat of the thanks to the 2 fellows mentioned on the box art again and the history of the Flak 38 in English and Chinese again. Below these is READ BEFORE ASSEMBLY instructions in the two languages and Tristar’s addresses etc. in Hong Kong and Japan repeated.
Page 2 is the parts trees illustrations. I am not going to try to name the parts on these trees as there are just too many small parts and it would be a near impossible task to get the descriptions correct. So, please excuse me this chore.
In 1943, German forces lost the initiative on all front lines. The German Army didn’t find it uncommon to encounter air raids. High mobility Flak panzers were greatly needed. Due to difficulties in the development of Flak panzers based on the chassis of the Pz.Kpfw. IV, the proven Panzer 38(t) Ausf. M chassis was chosen as an interim solution. It was armed with a 20mm Flak 38.
According to records, 141 were produced by BMM and issued to Panzer and Panzer Grenadier Divisions in 1944.
THE KIT:
This kit comes in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The box art shows a Flak 38 parked in a clearing in a forest. Two crewmen are firing it’s 20mm. The tank is overall earth yellow with dark green wave pattern. Tree branches are placed on the side and top of it for extra camouflage. The only mark shown is the German cross. There are 3 German infantrymen running for cover behind the Flak 38. The box art says that the kit includes PE parts, in Chinese and English and special thanks is given to Mr. Thomas Jentz (for whatever reason is not mentioned) and the project was supervised by C.K. Pat.
One side panel gives the copyright date of 2008, followed by Tristar’s street address in Honk Kong, their fax number, e-mail address and web site address. Next to this is the history of the Flak 38, in Chinese and English and a color side profile illustration of a Flak 38 in all earth yellow with just the German national cross on the side.
The other side panel has a blue self-adhering sticker with white lettering on it that gives Model Rectifier’s address in New Jersey and MADE IN CHINA. Next is Tristar’s address in Hong Kong , their telephone and fax numbers and e-mail address. Below this is the address of their office in Japan, along with the telephone and fax number there, the e-mail address and the web site address. To the right of these is 2 color box arts of other AFV kits that Tristar markets:
1. Kit no. 35028, a German Panzer 1 Ausf. A, Sd.Kfz. 101
2. Kit no. 35030, a German 7.5cm Pak 40 Fgst. Pz.Kpfw. Marder III Ausf. H
WHAT’S IN THE KIT:
The kit contains 18 light tan trees of parts in 6 sealed cello bags, a fret of brass PE parts, the decal and a length of steel braided wire in a sealed cello with a stiff card behind the PE fret to protect it from bending and a frosted sheet on the face of the decal to prevent scratching.
Very extensive nice packaging. The parts in this kit add up to over 500. This kit is really jam-packed!!
The instructions complete the kit’s contents. It consists of a single sheet that accordion folds out into 10 pages in 6 ½” x 11” page format.
Page 1 begins with a black and white repeat of the box art, Followed by the repeat of the thanks to the 2 fellows mentioned on the box art again and the history of the Flak 38 in English and Chinese again. Below these is READ BEFORE ASSEMBLY instructions in the two languages and Tristar’s addresses etc. in Hong Kong and Japan repeated.
Page 2 is the parts trees illustrations. I am not going to try to name the parts on these trees as there are just too many small parts and it would be a near impossible task to get the descriptions correct. So, please excuse me this chore.
Light tan letter A tree holds 14 parts.
Light tan lower case letter a tree holds 50 parts. 9 of these parts are shaded out in the parts trees illustration as being excess and not needed to complete the kit.
Light tan letter B tree holds 57 parts.
Light tan letter C tree holds 46 parts.
Small light tan lower case letter c tree holds 11 parts.
Lower case letter d holds 4 parts.
Lower case letter d holds 4 parts.
Light tan letter D tree holds 63 parts. 21 of these are excess.
Light tan letter E tree consist of two trees of 56 parts. 9 are excess.
Light tan letter F tree holds 17 parts.
There is no letter G tree.
Light tan letter H tree holds 57 parts. 10 are excess.
Light tan letter H tree holds 57 parts. 10 are excess.
There is no letter I tree.
Light tan letter J tree holds 38 parts. 2 are excess.
Light tan letter J tree holds 38 parts. 2 are excess.
Light tan letter K tree holds 7 parts. 2 are excess.
Next are 2 light tan trees that have no letter designations. One holds 30 parts. 5 are excess. The second tree holds 11 parts. 2 are excess.
The brass PE fret is next and it holds 109 parts.
The decal sheet and length of steel braded wire (to use for a tow cable) complete the parts in the kit.
Additional trees include the individual track links.
The building of this kit is very complicated. My jaw dropped when I looked at the first assembly step. To put together the transmission takes 30 parts or more and most of them are the size of fly poop that you can barely see without a magnifying glass. Very over-engineered assembly created by Tristar.
Assembly steps are very busy looking and if care is not taken looking them over good mistakes are going to happen. This kit is not for the novice modeler in any respect.
Pages 3 through 9 give a grand total of 20 assembly steps.
The inside of this model has a lot of detail for the driver’s area and the open fighting compartment.
Page 10 has two 4-views for painting and marking schemes for the Flak 38:
The first one is a vehicle with the 2nd Panzer Div., France 1944. It is in earth yellow with dark green blotch pattern.
The second one is a vehicle with the 12th Panzer Div. (no location or year given). It is overall earth yellow.
Underneath these illustrations is the decal application instructions, in English and Chinese and a paint listing of Tamiya and Mr. Color brands of hobby paints.
The copyright date of 2008 for the kit and PRINTED IN HONG KONG appear at the bottom of this page.
I have found, for some strange reason, that all the Tristar kits I have purchased have been marked down half price at the two shops I bought them at. Why this is going on puzzles me, but I’m not knocking it. Always nice to get a bargain.
The kit is well worth the money of the MSRP at 500 parts or more that you get for your money.
Highly recommended to modelers of advanced skills that have tackled other kits of this complexity. This kit is not for novices, nor is it a weekend project.
I got my kit at my local hobby shop.
Assembly steps are very busy looking and if care is not taken looking them over good mistakes are going to happen. This kit is not for the novice modeler in any respect.
Pages 3 through 9 give a grand total of 20 assembly steps.
The inside of this model has a lot of detail for the driver’s area and the open fighting compartment.
Page 10 has two 4-views for painting and marking schemes for the Flak 38:
The first one is a vehicle with the 2nd Panzer Div., France 1944. It is in earth yellow with dark green blotch pattern.
The second one is a vehicle with the 12th Panzer Div. (no location or year given). It is overall earth yellow.
Underneath these illustrations is the decal application instructions, in English and Chinese and a paint listing of Tamiya and Mr. Color brands of hobby paints.
The copyright date of 2008 for the kit and PRINTED IN HONG KONG appear at the bottom of this page.
I have found, for some strange reason, that all the Tristar kits I have purchased have been marked down half price at the two shops I bought them at. Why this is going on puzzles me, but I’m not knocking it. Always nice to get a bargain.
The kit is well worth the money of the MSRP at 500 parts or more that you get for your money.
Highly recommended to modelers of advanced skills that have tackled other kits of this complexity. This kit is not for novices, nor is it a weekend project.
I got my kit at my local hobby shop.