In Box Review of Tamiya 1/35th Scale
German Sd.Kfz. 2 Kleines Kettenkraftrad
Motorcycle Tractor with Crew of 3 & Diecast Metal Engine
Series no. 29
Kit no. MM-129
By Ray Mehlberger
Out of production
Copyright 1978
Available from one location overseas.
Kit no. MM-129
By Ray Mehlberger
Out of production
Copyright 1978
Available from one location overseas.
HISTORY:
The Sd.Kfz. 2 (Sonderkraftfahrzeug 2), better known as the Kleines Kettenkraftrad HK 101 or Kettenkrad for short (plural Kettenkräder; where Ketten means "chains" or "tracks" and krad is the military abbreviation of the German word Kraftrad, the administrative German term for motorcycle), started its life as a light tractor for airborne troops.
The vehicle was designed to be delivered by Junkers Ju 52 aircraft, though not by parachute. The vehicle had the advantage of being the only gun tractor small enough to fit inside the hold of the Ju 52, and was the lightest mass-produced German military vehicle to use the complex Schachtellaufwerk overlapped and interleaved road wheels used on almost all German military half-track vehicles of World War II.
Steering the Kettenkrad was accomplished by turning the handlebars: Up to a certain point, only the front wheel would steer the vehicle. A motion of the handlebars beyond that point would engage the track brakes to help make turns sharper.
It was also possible to run the vehicle without the front wheel installed and this was recommended in extreme off-road conditions where speed would be kept low.
The Sd.Kfz. 2 was designed and built by the NSU Werke AG at Neckarsulm, Germany. Patented in June 1939, it was first used in the invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941.
Later in the war Stoewer from Stettin also produced Kettenkrads under license, accounting for about 10% of the total production.
Most Kettenkräder saw service on the Eastern Front, where they were used to lay communication cables, pull heavy loads and carry soldiers through the deep Russian mud.
Later in the war, Kettenkräder were used as runway tugs for aircraft, especially for the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter, and sometimes the Arado Ar 234 jet reconnaissance-bomber.
In order to save aviation fuel, a German jet aircraft would be towed to the runway, rather than taxiing under its own power.The vehicle was also used in the North African theater and on the Western Front.
The Kettenkrad came with a special trailer (Sd.Anh.1) that could be attached to it to improve its cargo capacity.Being a tracked vehicle, the Kettenkrad could climb up to 24° in sand and even more on hard ground.
Only two significant sub-variations of the Kettenkrad were constructed. Production of the vehicle was stopped in 1944, at which time 8,345 had been built.
After the war, production resumed at NSU. Around 550 Kettenkräder were built for agricultural use, with production ending in 1948 (some sources say 1949).
SPECIFICATIONS:
Type: Light half-track 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
Speed: 70 km/h (44 mph)
The Sd.Kfz. 2 (Sonderkraftfahrzeug 2), better known as the Kleines Kettenkraftrad HK 101 or Kettenkrad for short (plural Kettenkräder; where Ketten means "chains" or "tracks" and krad is the military abbreviation of the German word Kraftrad, the administrative German term for motorcycle), started its life as a light tractor for airborne troops.
The vehicle was designed to be delivered by Junkers Ju 52 aircraft, though not by parachute. The vehicle had the advantage of being the only gun tractor small enough to fit inside the hold of the Ju 52, and was the lightest mass-produced German military vehicle to use the complex Schachtellaufwerk overlapped and interleaved road wheels used on almost all German military half-track vehicles of World War II.
Steering the Kettenkrad was accomplished by turning the handlebars: Up to a certain point, only the front wheel would steer the vehicle. A motion of the handlebars beyond that point would engage the track brakes to help make turns sharper.
It was also possible to run the vehicle without the front wheel installed and this was recommended in extreme off-road conditions where speed would be kept low.
The Sd.Kfz. 2 was designed and built by the NSU Werke AG at Neckarsulm, Germany. Patented in June 1939, it was first used in the invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941.
Later in the war Stoewer from Stettin also produced Kettenkrads under license, accounting for about 10% of the total production.
Most Kettenkräder saw service on the Eastern Front, where they were used to lay communication cables, pull heavy loads and carry soldiers through the deep Russian mud.
Later in the war, Kettenkräder were used as runway tugs for aircraft, especially for the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter, and sometimes the Arado Ar 234 jet reconnaissance-bomber.
In order to save aviation fuel, a German jet aircraft would be towed to the runway, rather than taxiing under its own power.The vehicle was also used in the North African theater and on the Western Front.
The Kettenkrad came with a special trailer (Sd.Anh.1) that could be attached to it to improve its cargo capacity.Being a tracked vehicle, the Kettenkrad could climb up to 24° in sand and even more on hard ground.
Only two significant sub-variations of the Kettenkrad were constructed. Production of the vehicle was stopped in 1944, at which time 8,345 had been built.
After the war, production resumed at NSU. Around 550 Kettenkräder were built for agricultural use, with production ending in 1948 (some sources say 1949).
SPECIFICATIONS:
Type: Light half-track 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
Speed: 70 km/h (44 mph)
THE KIT:
Tamiya is an old prolific model company based in Shizuoka City, Japan.
They manufacture all manner of model subjects in the popular scales.
This kit comes in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The box art shows a kettenkraftrad with driver and 2 German infantryman marching behind it, on one of Tamiya's signature all-white backgrounds, that they use for the majority of their box arts.
The men are all in field-grey uniforms. The driver, and one of the marching men wear steel helmets. The other marching man wears a soft billed cloth cap.
Both marching men have their trousers bloused over low shoes and have a lot of field gear on their belts.
One man has a 98K rifle slung over his right shoulder and the other man is carrying a MG34 machine gun resting on his right shoulder.
One side panel has the box art repeated smaller in color, followed by a paragraph in Japanese.
Tamiya is an old prolific model company based in Shizuoka City, Japan.
They manufacture all manner of model subjects in the popular scales.
This kit comes in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The box art shows a kettenkraftrad with driver and 2 German infantryman marching behind it, on one of Tamiya's signature all-white backgrounds, that they use for the majority of their box arts.
The men are all in field-grey uniforms. The driver, and one of the marching men wear steel helmets. The other marching man wears a soft billed cloth cap.
Both marching men have their trousers bloused over low shoes and have a lot of field gear on their belts.
One man has a 98K rifle slung over his right shoulder and the other man is carrying a MG34 machine gun resting on his right shoulder.
One side panel has the box art repeated smaller in color, followed by a paragraph in Japanese.
The other side panel shows 3 color box arts of other 1/35th scale kits that Tamiya manufactures: a German 88mm gun, Flak 36/37, a Russian field car and a German Sd.Kfz. 251 half-track.
No kit numbers are given for these 3 kits.
No kit numbers are given for these 3 kits.
WHAT'S IN THE BOX:
This kit contains 2 tan trees and 2 dark-green trees and a diecast metal engine in a stapled-shut clear cello bag and the decal sheet.
The instructions consists of a single-sheet, printed on both sides in 8" x 22" format, folded twice to fit the box.
The face side of the instructions begins with a black and white photo of a kettenkraftrad with driver and a passenger riding on the rear and a black and white photo of a kettenkraftrad sitting un-manned and attached to a 2-wheeled trailer. This is over the history of the vehicle and painting and decal application instructions for the kettenkraftrad, all in Japanese.
The reverse side of the instructions has painting and assembly instructions for the figures, down the left side column and the parts trees illustrations.
Down the right column is 9 assembly steps for the kettenkraftrad.
Trees are not alphabetized. They are illustrated in the instructions and do have part number tabs next to the parts on the trees.
The 1st tan tree holds: jerry cans, the outside road wheels, handlebars, front fork, tracks, floor, front wheel etc. (29 parts)
This kit contains 2 tan trees and 2 dark-green trees and a diecast metal engine in a stapled-shut clear cello bag and the decal sheet.
The instructions consists of a single-sheet, printed on both sides in 8" x 22" format, folded twice to fit the box.
The face side of the instructions begins with a black and white photo of a kettenkraftrad with driver and a passenger riding on the rear and a black and white photo of a kettenkraftrad sitting un-manned and attached to a 2-wheeled trailer. This is over the history of the vehicle and painting and decal application instructions for the kettenkraftrad, all in Japanese.
The reverse side of the instructions has painting and assembly instructions for the figures, down the left side column and the parts trees illustrations.
Down the right column is 9 assembly steps for the kettenkraftrad.
Trees are not alphabetized. They are illustrated in the instructions and do have part number tabs next to the parts on the trees.
The 1st tan tree holds: jerry cans, the outside road wheels, handlebars, front fork, tracks, floor, front wheel etc. (29 parts)
The 2nd tan tree holds: the side panels, more floor sections etc. (29 parts)
I have removed a few of the parts from these tan trees and did a little assembly, then stopped years ago.
I have removed a few of the parts from these tan trees and did a little assembly, then stopped years ago.
The larger of the dark-green trees holds: the 2 marching figures (one is full-bodied with separate arms. The other marching man is divided into separate torso, lower body and arms). Also on this tree is: a panzerfaust rocket launcher, 2 canteens, a MG 43 machine gun, 3 steel helmets, 2 soft billed field caps, a mess kit, a pouch, a rolled canvas tarp and 2 base plates (26 parts)
The smaller dark green tree holds: 3 gas mask canisters, a ammo case, 2 shovels in pouches, 2 98K rifles, one of the figures alternate left arm, 2 canvas bags and 2 98K ammo pouches (13 parts)
Next is the diecast metal engine.
A tube of glue is also included in the kit.
The decal sheet completes the kit's contents.
Great detail. Highly recommended.