In Box Review of Nitto Kagaku 1/35th Scale
Kettenkrad Sd.Kfz-2 With 37mm Gun
Art no. 411-300
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 1973
Out of production
I paid a mere $2.50 for this kit years ago.
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 1973
Out of production
I paid a mere $2.50 for this kit years ago.
HISTORY:
The Sd.Kfz.2 (German: Sonderkraftfahrzeug 2) is a half-track motorcycle with a single front wheel, better known as the Kleines Kettenkraftrad HK 101 (from German klein 'small', Ketten 'chains/tracks', and kraftrad 'motorcycle'), shortened to Kettenkrad (pl. Kettenkräder). It was used by the military of Nazi Germany during the Second World War.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Type: Light half-tracked gun tractor
Place of origin: Germany
In service: 1941–1945
Used by: Nazi Germany
Wars: World War II
Designer: NSU
Designed: 1939
Manufacturer: NSU Motorenwerke
Produced: 1939–1948
Mass: 1,560 kg (3,440 lb)
Length: 3 m (9 ft 10 in)
Width: 1 m (3 ft 3 in)
Height: 1.2 m (3 ft 11 in)
Crew: 1 driver
Passengers: 2 passengers
Engine: Opel water-cooled four-cylinder inline engine of 36 bhp (26 kW)
Transmission: 3 forward/1 reverse × 2 range
Maximum speed: 70 km/h (44 mph)
The Sd.Kfz.2 (German: Sonderkraftfahrzeug 2) is a half-track motorcycle with a single front wheel, better known as the Kleines Kettenkraftrad HK 101 (from German klein 'small', Ketten 'chains/tracks', and kraftrad 'motorcycle'), shortened to Kettenkrad (pl. Kettenkräder). It was used by the military of Nazi Germany during the Second World War.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Type: Light half-tracked gun tractor
Place of origin: Germany
In service: 1941–1945
Used by: Nazi Germany
Wars: World War II
Designer: NSU
Designed: 1939
Manufacturer: NSU Motorenwerke
Produced: 1939–1948
Mass: 1,560 kg (3,440 lb)
Length: 3 m (9 ft 10 in)
Width: 1 m (3 ft 3 in)
Height: 1.2 m (3 ft 11 in)
Crew: 1 driver
Passengers: 2 passengers
Engine: Opel water-cooled four-cylinder inline engine of 36 bhp (26 kW)
Transmission: 3 forward/1 reverse × 2 range
Maximum speed: 70 km/h (44 mph)
THE KIT:
Nitto Kakaku is an old prolific plastic model kit manufacturer based in Tokyo, Japan. They make all manner of plastic model kit subjects in the popular scales.
This kit came in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The cover art shows a color illustration of a kettenkrad that is towing a 37mm gun down a dirt road. It is leading 2 German half-tracks (not included in the kit).
All the vehicles are in a camouflage of a base of earth-yellow with dark-green bands. The kettenkrad has a white square with a black diamond on it, with a large letter R on it and below it is a small black letter K. On the front fender is a white license plate with black no. WH-1029 891.
It carries a driver and 2 passengers. They are all dressed in field-grey uniforms with steel helmets. One passenger has a MP40 sub machine-gun slung on his back. At the side of the road there is a battle damaged house and telephone pole. Also some white road signs.
One sign says Stalingrad 75k with an arrow and the other sign says Dresden 2425km with an arrow.
One side panel of the box shows a color side-view of the kettenkrad and 37mm gun as overall sand-yellow with no markings shown. Followed by the history of the unit, in English.
Nitto Kakaku is an old prolific plastic model kit manufacturer based in Tokyo, Japan. They make all manner of plastic model kit subjects in the popular scales.
This kit came in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The cover art shows a color illustration of a kettenkrad that is towing a 37mm gun down a dirt road. It is leading 2 German half-tracks (not included in the kit).
All the vehicles are in a camouflage of a base of earth-yellow with dark-green bands. The kettenkrad has a white square with a black diamond on it, with a large letter R on it and below it is a small black letter K. On the front fender is a white license plate with black no. WH-1029 891.
It carries a driver and 2 passengers. They are all dressed in field-grey uniforms with steel helmets. One passenger has a MP40 sub machine-gun slung on his back. At the side of the road there is a battle damaged house and telephone pole. Also some white road signs.
One sign says Stalingrad 75k with an arrow and the other sign says Dresden 2425km with an arrow.
One side panel of the box shows a color side-view of the kettenkrad and 37mm gun as overall sand-yellow with no markings shown. Followed by the history of the unit, in English.
The other side panel of the box has a paragraph in Japanese, followed by a small color repeat of the box art and EASY TO ASSEMBLE.
WHAT’S IN THE BOX:
This kit holds 2 dark-green trees,3 tan ones, black vinyl tracks and the decal s in two sealed clear cello bags.
There are two sets of instructions. One is all in English and the other one all in Japanese.
The instructions consist of single-sheets that accordion-fold out into 8 pages in 6” x 8 ½” page format.
Page 1 begins with a black and white photo of the Kettenkrad and 37mm in the cover art camouflage scheme. Over the history of them.
Page 2 is the parts-trees illustrations, with a listing of the names of all the parts.
Page 3 on through to page 7 gives a grand total of 10 assembly steps. Step 8 is for painting and assembly of the figures and step 9-10 are for the 37mm.
Page 8 is a painting and marking guide showing the kettenkrad and 37mm gun in the box art scheme.
Trees are alphabetized.
Dark-green lower-case letter a holds: weapons, steel helmets, potato-masher type grenades, gas mask canisters, canteens, rocket launcher, bipods etc. (61 parts)
This kit holds 2 dark-green trees,3 tan ones, black vinyl tracks and the decal s in two sealed clear cello bags.
There are two sets of instructions. One is all in English and the other one all in Japanese.
The instructions consist of single-sheets that accordion-fold out into 8 pages in 6” x 8 ½” page format.
Page 1 begins with a black and white photo of the Kettenkrad and 37mm in the cover art camouflage scheme. Over the history of them.
Page 2 is the parts-trees illustrations, with a listing of the names of all the parts.
Page 3 on through to page 7 gives a grand total of 10 assembly steps. Step 8 is for painting and assembly of the figures and step 9-10 are for the 37mm.
Page 8 is a painting and marking guide showing the kettenkrad and 37mm gun in the box art scheme.
Trees are alphabetized.
Dark-green lower-case letter a holds: weapons, steel helmets, potato-masher type grenades, gas mask canisters, canteens, rocket launcher, bipods etc. (61 parts)
Tan letter A tree holds the Kettenkrad side panels, front wheel, fork, rear wall, seat etc. (24 parts)
Tan letter B holds the parts of the Kettenkrad: wheels, interior, handlebars etc. (33 parts)
Tan tree letter C holds the parts of the 37mm (30 parts)
Dark-green letter D tree holds the parts of three figures. Two are seated and one is standing. They a full-bodied with separate arms (9 parts)
The decal sheet and the 2 runs of narrow black vinyl tracks complete the contents of the kit.
The detail is very good.
Recommended.
Recommended.