In Box Review of AFV Club 1/35th Scale
“UHU” (Owl) Sd.Kfz.251/20 Ausf. D
Kit no. AF35116
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright 2007
Available at Section 8 Hobbies for $39.16 or at Mega Hobby for $42.49 or at Kit Linx for $26.30 or at Sprue Bros for $33.49 and at 9 locations overseas on the web.
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright 2007
Available at Section 8 Hobbies for $39.16 or at Mega Hobby for $42.49 or at Kit Linx for $26.30 or at Sprue Bros for $33.49 and at 9 locations overseas on the web.
HISTORY:
The later part of WWII, especially after D-Day, the Allied owned overwhelming air superiority, resulting destructive loss to the German ground troops, and making them difficult to maneuver in daylight. As a result, the German army had to develop night vision equipment to enable the troops to maneuver at night.
Although infrared night vision equipment projects started in the 30’s. however development wa discontinued due to unsatisfied quality in initial stages. The first infrared search light and BIWA (Bildwandler – image converter), which converted the infrared image into a visible reproduction, unit was mounted onto a Tiger tank in 1943.
Nevertheless, its efficiency range was only 500 meters. To take the advantage of the tank’s KwK 42 75mm/L70 main gun, the German Army mounted a large infrared search light onto the Sd.Kfz.251 half-track vehicle, resulting in the Sd.Kfz.251/20 “UHU” (Owl), to assist tanks.
The infrared search light was converted from a 60 mm anti-aircraft searchlight, and its efficiency range was up to 1500 m. The projector was able to rotate 360 degrees, and could be folded into the vehicle when moving.
The Sd.Kfz.251/20 “UHU” had a crew of 4. Usually the “UHU” used the FuG5 radio unit equipped in the vehicle to command night vision enabled tanks, and operated with the Sd.Kfz.251/1 “Falke”, which also had night vision capability. An order of 600 “UHU’s” was issued on August 1944. However, there were only around 60 of them that saw action by the end of the war.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Type: Half-track armored personnel carrier
Place of origin: Nazi Germany
In service: 1939–1945
Used by: Nazi Germany, Romania, Hungary, Italy, Croatia, Czechoslovak Army, Yugoslav People's Army
Wars: World War II
Designer: Hanomag
Manufacturer: Hanomag, Adlerwerke, Horch, Škoda, Borgward
Unit cost: 22,560 Reichsmarks
No. built: Approx. 15,252
Mass: 7.81 tonnes (8.61 short tons)
Length: 5.80 m (19 ft)
Width: 2.10 m (6 ft 10 in)
Height: 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Crew: 2 + 10 passengers
Armor: 6-14.5 mm (0.24-0.57 in)
Main armament: MG 34 or MG 42
Secondary armament: MG 34 or MG 42
Engine: one Maybach HL42 6-cylinder petrol engine of 100 PS (99 hp, 74 kW)
Power/weight: 12.8 hp/tonne
Suspension: Overlapping torsion bar (track) Leaf spring (wheels)
Operational range: 300 km (186 mi)
Speed: 52.5 km/h (32.5 mph)
The later part of WWII, especially after D-Day, the Allied owned overwhelming air superiority, resulting destructive loss to the German ground troops, and making them difficult to maneuver in daylight. As a result, the German army had to develop night vision equipment to enable the troops to maneuver at night.
Although infrared night vision equipment projects started in the 30’s. however development wa discontinued due to unsatisfied quality in initial stages. The first infrared search light and BIWA (Bildwandler – image converter), which converted the infrared image into a visible reproduction, unit was mounted onto a Tiger tank in 1943.
Nevertheless, its efficiency range was only 500 meters. To take the advantage of the tank’s KwK 42 75mm/L70 main gun, the German Army mounted a large infrared search light onto the Sd.Kfz.251 half-track vehicle, resulting in the Sd.Kfz.251/20 “UHU” (Owl), to assist tanks.
The infrared search light was converted from a 60 mm anti-aircraft searchlight, and its efficiency range was up to 1500 m. The projector was able to rotate 360 degrees, and could be folded into the vehicle when moving.
The Sd.Kfz.251/20 “UHU” had a crew of 4. Usually the “UHU” used the FuG5 radio unit equipped in the vehicle to command night vision enabled tanks, and operated with the Sd.Kfz.251/1 “Falke”, which also had night vision capability. An order of 600 “UHU’s” was issued on August 1944. However, there were only around 60 of them that saw action by the end of the war.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Type: Half-track armored personnel carrier
Place of origin: Nazi Germany
In service: 1939–1945
Used by: Nazi Germany, Romania, Hungary, Italy, Croatia, Czechoslovak Army, Yugoslav People's Army
Wars: World War II
Designer: Hanomag
Manufacturer: Hanomag, Adlerwerke, Horch, Škoda, Borgward
Unit cost: 22,560 Reichsmarks
No. built: Approx. 15,252
Mass: 7.81 tonnes (8.61 short tons)
Length: 5.80 m (19 ft)
Width: 2.10 m (6 ft 10 in)
Height: 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Crew: 2 + 10 passengers
Armor: 6-14.5 mm (0.24-0.57 in)
Main armament: MG 34 or MG 42
Secondary armament: MG 34 or MG 42
Engine: one Maybach HL42 6-cylinder petrol engine of 100 PS (99 hp, 74 kW)
Power/weight: 12.8 hp/tonne
Suspension: Overlapping torsion bar (track) Leaf spring (wheels)
Operational range: 300 km (186 mi)
Speed: 52.5 km/h (32.5 mph)
THE KIT:
AFV Club is an old prolific model company based in Taiwan. 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 color illustration of a “UHU” that is in a wave-pattern of tan, dark-green and red brown. It has a rectangular white license plate on its nose with black serial no. WH-1688662 on it.
Behind it is a pale-grey ghostlike illustration of another “UHU” and an owl’s face.
One corner of the box art says the features of the kit: All new tooling night vision scope “Beobachtungs Great 1221” assembly produced in clear styrene plastic. All new tooling infrared 600m search light “Beobachtungs Great 1251” faithfully reproduced full rotation and tilting function. All new tooling side storage compartments with positional doors. Photo etched parts included. All new tooling raised interior fighting compartment only for Sd.Kfz.251/20. All new fighting compartment detail with detailed power supply system. Positional armored vision blocks.
This is said in English, Chinese and Japanese.
One side panel of the box has 14 black and white walk-around type illustrations of areas of the “UHU”. Four of the illustrations are of the infrared searchlight and its base.
AFV Club is an old prolific model company based in Taiwan. 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 color illustration of a “UHU” that is in a wave-pattern of tan, dark-green and red brown. It has a rectangular white license plate on its nose with black serial no. WH-1688662 on it.
Behind it is a pale-grey ghostlike illustration of another “UHU” and an owl’s face.
One corner of the box art says the features of the kit: All new tooling night vision scope “Beobachtungs Great 1221” assembly produced in clear styrene plastic. All new tooling infrared 600m search light “Beobachtungs Great 1251” faithfully reproduced full rotation and tilting function. All new tooling side storage compartments with positional doors. Photo etched parts included. All new tooling raised interior fighting compartment only for Sd.Kfz.251/20. All new fighting compartment detail with detailed power supply system. Positional armored vision blocks.
This is said in English, Chinese and Japanese.
One side panel of the box has 14 black and white walk-around type illustrations of areas of the “UHU”. Four of the illustrations are of the infrared searchlight and its base.
This is followed by a small color repeat of the box art.
The other side panel begins with Hobby Fan Trading Company’s street address in Taiwan, their telephone and FAX numbers and web address.
The kit is intended for modelers over the age of 14. This is said over the street address for Astromodel who is the importer for AFV Club models in Europe. They are based in Italy.
This is followed by a color side view of the “UHU” in the box are scheme and another repeat of the box art.
On the side walls of the inside of the lid of the box there are 12 black and white box arts of other kits that AFV Club manufacture, and on the bottom of the tray there are 17 more.
The kit is intended for modelers over the age of 14. This is said over the street address for Astromodel who is the importer for AFV Club models in Europe. They are based in Italy.
This is followed by a color side view of the “UHU” in the box are scheme and another repeat of the box art.
On the side walls of the inside of the lid of the box there are 12 black and white box arts of other kits that AFV Club manufacture, and on the bottom of the tray there are 17 more.
WHAT’S IN THE BOX:
This kit holds 10 olive-drab parts trees, the loose olive-drab hull top part, a clear tree, black vinyl treads, a brass PE fret and the decal sheet in 10 sealed clear cello bags and the instructions.
The instructions consists of a staple-bound booklet of 16 pages in 8 ¼” x 11 ½” page format.
Page 1 begins with a black and white repeat of the box art at the top, over the history of the “UHU” over its history in English and Chinese.
Page 2 begins with a paragraph all in Chinese, over international assembly symbol explanations, decal application instructions and a suggested color listing of Gunzi Sangyou, Humbrol, Revell and Life Color brands of hobby paints, in English and Chinese.
The bottom of the page has illustrations of other track variants sets for the Sd.Kfz.251 that AFV Club manufactures.
Page 3 through to page 14 gives a grand total of a whopping 30 assembly steps.
Page 7 is a painting and marking guide.
At the top is both side views of the “UHU” as line-drawings, only showing the German cross on its sides.
Below is a 4-view of the “UHU” in the box art scheme (already described above)
No unit designation is provided.
The top of page 8 has the parts trees illustrations. At the bottom of the page is a parts replacement order form, in English and Chinese.
Trees are alphabetized.
There are 2 identical olive-drab letter A trees. They hold: road wheels, front tires, bogies etc. (33 parts each)
This kit holds 10 olive-drab parts trees, the loose olive-drab hull top part, a clear tree, black vinyl treads, a brass PE fret and the decal sheet in 10 sealed clear cello bags and the instructions.
The instructions consists of a staple-bound booklet of 16 pages in 8 ¼” x 11 ½” page format.
Page 1 begins with a black and white repeat of the box art at the top, over the history of the “UHU” over its history in English and Chinese.
Page 2 begins with a paragraph all in Chinese, over international assembly symbol explanations, decal application instructions and a suggested color listing of Gunzi Sangyou, Humbrol, Revell and Life Color brands of hobby paints, in English and Chinese.
The bottom of the page has illustrations of other track variants sets for the Sd.Kfz.251 that AFV Club manufactures.
Page 3 through to page 14 gives a grand total of a whopping 30 assembly steps.
Page 7 is a painting and marking guide.
At the top is both side views of the “UHU” as line-drawings, only showing the German cross on its sides.
Below is a 4-view of the “UHU” in the box art scheme (already described above)
No unit designation is provided.
The top of page 8 has the parts trees illustrations. At the bottom of the page is a parts replacement order form, in English and Chinese.
Trees are alphabetized.
There are 2 identical olive-drab letter A trees. They hold: road wheels, front tires, bogies etc. (33 parts each)
Olive-drab letter B tree holds: drive-sprockets, suspension parts etc. (26 parts)
There is no letter C tree.
There is no letter C tree.
Olive-drab letter D tree holds: hull sides, rear wall, steering wheel, tools etc. (34 parts)
Lettering jumps to the letter G brass PE fret. It holds 17 parts that I cannot readily name. Sorry!
Letter H is the black vinyl treads (2 parts)
Olive-drab letter I tree holds the infrared searchlight parts etc. (66 parts)
Letter J is the decal sheet.
Clear letter K tree holds the lenses for the infrared searchlight and scopes (20 parts)
Olive-drab letter L tree holds: the raised crew compartment deck, wood plank side walls, bulkhead etc. (41 parts)
There is no letter M tree.
There is no letter M tree.
Olive-drab letter N tree holds: more infrared searchlight parts, night vision scope parts etc. (32 parts)
Lettering jumps to the olive-drab TA tree. There are 2 identical trees. They hold: benches, seats, MP40 submachine guns etc. (14 parts each)
Olive-drab letter U tree holds: floor panels, hull bottom, front and rear panels, exhausts, MG shield, etc. (52 parts)
There is a small slip in the kit that shows corrections to steps 12 and 29.
Sadly there are no crew figures included in this kit. Some would have been greatly appreciated in an open-topped vehicle like this.
Otherwise highly recommended.
Otherwise highly recommended.