In Box Review of Alan 1/35th Scale Pz.Kpfw. 1 Ausf. F
Kit no. 007
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2007
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2007
HISTORY: The Panzerkampfwagen I Ausf. F, also known as VK 18.01, was a German light tank from World War II. Despite the fact that it was designated as a modification of the light tank Panzer I, the VK.18.01 was a completely new vehicle, had almost nothing to do with it.
The Pz.Kpfw.I Ausf.F was created in 1942 as a light tank designed to storm fortified lines. In that same year, 30 units were produced (No. 150301-150330). From 1943 it was used for anti-guerrilla operations on the Eastern Front and in Yugoslavia.
Thirty Ausf F tanks were built between April and December 1942, eight of which were sent to the Eastern Front for evaluation. The Pz.Kpfw.I Ausf.F was almost the same as the Panzer II Ausf. J in terms of armor, which itself did not enter serial production.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Type: Light tank
Place of origin: Germany
In service: 1942–1944
Used by: azi Germany
Wars: World War II
Designed: 1941–1942
Manufacturer: Krauss-Maffei
Produced: 1942
No. built: 30 produced
Mass: 21 long tons (21 t; 24 short tons)
Length: 4.375 m (14 ft 4.2 in)
Width: 2.640 m (8 ft 7.9 in)
Height: 2.050 m (6 ft 8.7 in)
Crew: 2: commander and driver
Armor: 20–80 mm (0.79–3.15 in)
Main armament: 2 × 7.92 mm MG-34
Engine: HL 45P 6-cylinder of 150 hp (110 kW)
Power/weight: 7.1
Suspension: Individual torsion bar
Operational range: 150 km (93 mi) on-road; 110 km (68 mi) off-road.
Maximum speed: 25 km/h (16 mph)
The Pz.Kpfw.I Ausf.F was created in 1942 as a light tank designed to storm fortified lines. In that same year, 30 units were produced (No. 150301-150330). From 1943 it was used for anti-guerrilla operations on the Eastern Front and in Yugoslavia.
Thirty Ausf F tanks were built between April and December 1942, eight of which were sent to the Eastern Front for evaluation. The Pz.Kpfw.I Ausf.F was almost the same as the Panzer II Ausf. J in terms of armor, which itself did not enter serial production.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Type: Light tank
Place of origin: Germany
In service: 1942–1944
Used by: azi Germany
Wars: World War II
Designed: 1941–1942
Manufacturer: Krauss-Maffei
Produced: 1942
No. built: 30 produced
Mass: 21 long tons (21 t; 24 short tons)
Length: 4.375 m (14 ft 4.2 in)
Width: 2.640 m (8 ft 7.9 in)
Height: 2.050 m (6 ft 8.7 in)
Crew: 2: commander and driver
Armor: 20–80 mm (0.79–3.15 in)
Main armament: 2 × 7.92 mm MG-34
Engine: HL 45P 6-cylinder of 150 hp (110 kW)
Power/weight: 7.1
Suspension: Individual torsion bar
Operational range: 150 km (93 mi) on-road; 110 km (68 mi) off-road.
Maximum speed: 25 km/h (16 mph)
THE KIT:
Alan is an old prolific plastic model kit manufacturer based in Russia. They make all manner of plastic model kit subjects in the popular scales.
The kit came in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The cover art shows a color illustration of a Pz.Kpfw. 1 Ausf. F on a snow-covered road by a hill. It is leading a German half-track, that is illustrated very faintly. Two men are looking out of the top of the halftrack and no markings on it are shown. The halftrack is not included in the kit.
The Pz.Kpfw. 1 Ausf. F is in a camouflage of a base of earth-yellow with a dark-green wave pattern. It has a large black and white German cross on the sides of the hull.
One side-panel of the box shows a small color side view illustration of the Pz.Kpfw. 1 Ausf. F that is overall Panzer-grey with a skeletal white German cross on its sides and one-paragraph histories of the tank in Russian, Japanese, French, German and English. With each language labeled with a color illustration of the flag of the country that speaks the language.
Alan is an old prolific plastic model kit manufacturer based in Russia. They make all manner of plastic model kit subjects in the popular scales.
The kit came in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The cover art shows a color illustration of a Pz.Kpfw. 1 Ausf. F on a snow-covered road by a hill. It is leading a German half-track, that is illustrated very faintly. Two men are looking out of the top of the halftrack and no markings on it are shown. The halftrack is not included in the kit.
The Pz.Kpfw. 1 Ausf. F is in a camouflage of a base of earth-yellow with a dark-green wave pattern. It has a large black and white German cross on the sides of the hull.
One side-panel of the box shows a small color side view illustration of the Pz.Kpfw. 1 Ausf. F that is overall Panzer-grey with a skeletal white German cross on its sides and one-paragraph histories of the tank in Russian, Japanese, French, German and English. With each language labeled with a color illustration of the flag of the country that speaks the language.
The other side-panel of the box shows three color box arts of other kits that Alan manufactures: Kit no. 004, a Pz.Kpfw. 11C, Kit no. 005, a Sd.Kfz. 124 and Kit no. 006, a BA-6. The kit is not suitable for children under 36 months because of small parts. In 3 languages, including English.
WHAT’S IN THE BOX:
The kit holds 4 medium-grey parts trees in a single sealed clear cello bag, with the decal sheet. I included a Eduard Brand Steel PE set.
The instructions consist of a single-sheet, that is folded in the center to create 4 pages in 6 ¼” x 11 ¾” page format.
Page 1 begins with a black and white repeat of the cover art, just showing the Pz.Kpfw. 1 Ausf. F. Over one-paragraph histories of the tank in 3 languages, including English.
Page 2 on through to page 3 gives a grand total of 10 assembly steps
Page 4 is a painting and marking guide. It shows a three-view of the tank.
There is a choice of 4 unit markings to choose from: 2 are for the 1st Tank Div., Eastern Front 1943. One is for the 12th Tank Div., Eastern Front and the fourth one is for Tank Div., “Prinz Eugen” Yugoslavia 1943.
Trees are not alphabetized.
There are 2 identical large medium-grey trees that hold: road wheels, drive sprockets, final transfer housings, axles, individual track links etc. (124 parts ea.)
The kit holds 4 medium-grey parts trees in a single sealed clear cello bag, with the decal sheet. I included a Eduard Brand Steel PE set.
The instructions consist of a single-sheet, that is folded in the center to create 4 pages in 6 ¼” x 11 ¾” page format.
Page 1 begins with a black and white repeat of the cover art, just showing the Pz.Kpfw. 1 Ausf. F. Over one-paragraph histories of the tank in 3 languages, including English.
Page 2 on through to page 3 gives a grand total of 10 assembly steps
Page 4 is a painting and marking guide. It shows a three-view of the tank.
There is a choice of 4 unit markings to choose from: 2 are for the 1st Tank Div., Eastern Front 1943. One is for the 12th Tank Div., Eastern Front and the fourth one is for Tank Div., “Prinz Eugen” Yugoslavia 1943.
Trees are not alphabetized.
There are 2 identical large medium-grey trees that hold: road wheels, drive sprockets, final transfer housings, axles, individual track links etc. (124 parts ea.)
One medium-sized medium-grey tree holds: a hull side wall, central roof section, engine room roof etc. (19 parts)
The other medium-sized medium-grey tree hold: the other hull side wall, hull bottom, turret parts, tools etc. (30 parts)
I purchased the steel Eduard Brand PE fret exterior details. The set includes parts for the engine intake screen, mud guards etc.
The decal sheet completes the kit’s contents.
Recommended.