Build Review of AFV Club 1/35th Scale
German Leichte Zugkraftwagen 3t, Sd.Kfz. 11
Kit no. 35040
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2002
I paid $ 35.00 for this kit, when it was marked down from $40.00 at the Toy Fare store that was at our local mall that went out of business.
Kit is available at Sprue Brothers for $35.99 or at Squadron Shop for $37.00 or at Hobbylinc for $39.39 or at Mega Hobby for $41.37 or at Kit Linx for $42.49 and at 5 locations overseas on the web.
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2002
I paid $ 35.00 for this kit, when it was marked down from $40.00 at the Toy Fare store that was at our local mall that went out of business.
Kit is available at Sprue Brothers for $35.99 or at Squadron Shop for $37.00 or at Hobbylinc for $39.39 or at Mega Hobby for $41.37 or at Kit Linx for $42.49 and at 5 locations overseas on the web.
HISTORY:
The Sd.Kfz. 11 (Sonderkraftfahrzeug – special motor vehicle) was a German half-track that saw widespread use in World War II. Its main role was as a prime mover for medium towed guns ranging from the 3.7 cm FlaK 43 anti-aircraft gun up to the 10.5 cm leFH 18 field howitzer. It could carry eight troops in addition to towing a gun or trailer.
The basic engineering for all the German half-tracks was developed during the Weimar era by the Reichswehr Military Automotive Department, but final design and testing was farmed out to commercial firms with the understanding that production would be shared with multiple companies. Borgward was chosen to develop the second smallest of the German half-tracks and built a series of prototypes between 1934 and 1937. However development was taken over in 1938 by Hanomag who designed the main production version, H kl 6.
The chassis formed the basis for the Sd.Kfz. 251 medium armored personnel carrier. Approximately 9,000 were produced between 1938 and 1945, making it one of the more numerous German tactical vehicles of the war. It participated in the Invasion of Poland, the Battle of France, the Balkans Campaign and fought on both the Western Front and the Eastern Front, in North Africa and in Italy. Nine were also received by the Kingdom of Romania in late 1942.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Type: Light half-track
Place of origin: Nazi Germany
In service: 1938–1945
Used by: Nazi Germany, Kingdom of Romania
Wars: World War II
Designer: Hanomag
Designed: 1934–1938
Manufacturer: Hanomag, Adlerwerke, Horch, Škoda, Borgward
Unit cost: 22,000 ℛℳ
Produced: 1938–1945
No. built: Approx. 9,000
Variants: Sd.Kfz. 11/1, Sd.Kfz. 11/2, Sd.Kfz. 11/3, Sd.Kfz. 11/4, Sd.Kfz. 11/5, Sd.Kfz. 251
Specifications (late Sd.Kfz. 11)
Mass: 7,200 kilograms (15,900 lb)
Length: 5.55 metres (18.2 ft)
Width: 2 metres (6.6 ft)
Height: 2.15 metres (7.1 ft)
Crew: 2 + 6
Main armament: none
Engine: 4.1L Maybach HL42 TRKM petrol 6-cylinder, water-cooled of 100 horsepower (100 PS)
Payload capacity: 1,800 kilograms (4,000 lb)
Transmission: 4 + 1 speed Hanomag U 50
Suspension: torsion bar
Ground clearance: 32 centimetres (13 in)
Fuel capacity: 110 litres (29 US gal)
Operational range: 240 kilometres (150 mi) (road), 140 kilometres (87 mi) (cross-country)
Maximum speed: 52.5 km/h (32.6 mph) (road)
Weight: 7.2 ton (this is different from the 3 tons they say on the cover art)
Length: 5.5m
Width: 2m
Height: 2.1m
Engine: Maybach HL42 TUKARAM
Speed: 53 km
Crew: 8
The Sd.Kfz. 11 (Sonderkraftfahrzeug – special motor vehicle) was a German half-track that saw widespread use in World War II. Its main role was as a prime mover for medium towed guns ranging from the 3.7 cm FlaK 43 anti-aircraft gun up to the 10.5 cm leFH 18 field howitzer. It could carry eight troops in addition to towing a gun or trailer.
The basic engineering for all the German half-tracks was developed during the Weimar era by the Reichswehr Military Automotive Department, but final design and testing was farmed out to commercial firms with the understanding that production would be shared with multiple companies. Borgward was chosen to develop the second smallest of the German half-tracks and built a series of prototypes between 1934 and 1937. However development was taken over in 1938 by Hanomag who designed the main production version, H kl 6.
The chassis formed the basis for the Sd.Kfz. 251 medium armored personnel carrier. Approximately 9,000 were produced between 1938 and 1945, making it one of the more numerous German tactical vehicles of the war. It participated in the Invasion of Poland, the Battle of France, the Balkans Campaign and fought on both the Western Front and the Eastern Front, in North Africa and in Italy. Nine were also received by the Kingdom of Romania in late 1942.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Type: Light half-track
Place of origin: Nazi Germany
In service: 1938–1945
Used by: Nazi Germany, Kingdom of Romania
Wars: World War II
Designer: Hanomag
Designed: 1934–1938
Manufacturer: Hanomag, Adlerwerke, Horch, Škoda, Borgward
Unit cost: 22,000 ℛℳ
Produced: 1938–1945
No. built: Approx. 9,000
Variants: Sd.Kfz. 11/1, Sd.Kfz. 11/2, Sd.Kfz. 11/3, Sd.Kfz. 11/4, Sd.Kfz. 11/5, Sd.Kfz. 251
Specifications (late Sd.Kfz. 11)
Mass: 7,200 kilograms (15,900 lb)
Length: 5.55 metres (18.2 ft)
Width: 2 metres (6.6 ft)
Height: 2.15 metres (7.1 ft)
Crew: 2 + 6
Main armament: none
Engine: 4.1L Maybach HL42 TRKM petrol 6-cylinder, water-cooled of 100 horsepower (100 PS)
Payload capacity: 1,800 kilograms (4,000 lb)
Transmission: 4 + 1 speed Hanomag U 50
Suspension: torsion bar
Ground clearance: 32 centimetres (13 in)
Fuel capacity: 110 litres (29 US gal)
Operational range: 240 kilometres (150 mi) (road), 140 kilometres (87 mi) (cross-country)
Maximum speed: 52.5 km/h (32.6 mph) (road)
Weight: 7.2 ton (this is different from the 3 tons they say on the cover art)
Length: 5.5m
Width: 2m
Height: 2.1m
Engine: Maybach HL42 TUKARAM
Speed: 53 km
Crew: 8
THE KIT:
AFV Club is owned by Hobby Fan Trading Co. Ltd., based in Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China. They are an old prolific model company that manufactures various plastic model subjects in the popular scales.
This kit comes in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The box art shows a Sd. Kfz.11 illustrated in color and posed against an all-white background. Similar to how Tamiya also does the majority of their box arts.
It shows the half-tracked vehicle’s front and side. It is overall earth yellow. It has a small black tactical marking on its left front fender that is a triangle with a vertical bar through it. On the right front fender there is a white tactical marking for a half-tracked vehicle with the number 15 below it. On the passenger side door there is an Afrika Korps black palm-tree and swastika marking. The rectangular white license plate on the front bumper carries the serial no. WH-240079.
The upper left corner shows a small color illustration of the front of the vehicle.
Across a narrow banner at the top of the box art it says in white: With photo etched medal parts. Realistic rubber tracks. Highly detailed precision lower hull. German 3 ton half-track. In Taiwanese and English.
One side panel of the box begins with Hobby Fan Trading Co. Ltd’s street address in Taiwan and their telephone and FAX numbers. This is followed by a small color repeat of the box art and more specifications:
This is followed by: Scale model for collectors aged 10 and over. Importer for Europe is Azimut Productions, with the street address in Paris, France, in 3 languages, including English.
AFV Club is owned by Hobby Fan Trading Co. Ltd., based in Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China. They are an old prolific model company that manufactures various plastic model subjects in the popular scales.
This kit comes in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The box art shows a Sd. Kfz.11 illustrated in color and posed against an all-white background. Similar to how Tamiya also does the majority of their box arts.
It shows the half-tracked vehicle’s front and side. It is overall earth yellow. It has a small black tactical marking on its left front fender that is a triangle with a vertical bar through it. On the right front fender there is a white tactical marking for a half-tracked vehicle with the number 15 below it. On the passenger side door there is an Afrika Korps black palm-tree and swastika marking. The rectangular white license plate on the front bumper carries the serial no. WH-240079.
The upper left corner shows a small color illustration of the front of the vehicle.
Across a narrow banner at the top of the box art it says in white: With photo etched medal parts. Realistic rubber tracks. Highly detailed precision lower hull. German 3 ton half-track. In Taiwanese and English.
One side panel of the box begins with Hobby Fan Trading Co. Ltd’s street address in Taiwan and their telephone and FAX numbers. This is followed by a small color repeat of the box art and more specifications:
This is followed by: Scale model for collectors aged 10 and over. Importer for Europe is Azimut Productions, with the street address in Paris, France, in 3 languages, including English.
The other side panel of the box shows a 3-view color illustration of a Sp. Kfz. 11 that is in winter white-wash. It has a tactical marking of an illustration of a black and white skull and crossbones on its left front fender and another tactical marking of a black outlined square on the front of the right fender. The license plate carries the serial no. SS-118743. It was with the SS 3rd Panzer Div., Kharkov 1943.
Illustrated in color on the inside walls of the box’s lid, there are 12 box arts of other kits AFV Club manufactures: Kit no. AF35002, a M73A01 Chaparral Air Defence Missile system, Kit no. AF35006, an M102 105mm Howitzer, Kit no. AF35011, an M88 Recovery Tank (NAM), Kit no. AF35022, an LVTP5A1, Kit no. AF35024, an M-10 Tank Destroyer, Kit no. AF35041, an M41 Light tank, Kit no. AF35004, an M35A2 2 ½ Ton Cargo Truck, Kit no. AF35007, an M49A2C Fuel Truck, Kit no. AF35009, an M35A1 Quad 50 Gun Truck, Kit no. AF35003, an M548A1 Tracked Cargo Carrier, Kit no. AF35015, an M-18 Tank Destroyer and Kit no. AF35023 an Achilles Mk. 11c.
Eleven of these black cover arts are illustrated in the bottom of the box’s tay. New ones are Kit no. AF3505 and AF3510 , M48,M60 workable track links, (although there are 2 kits for the same track links is beyond me?), kit no. 3517, 155 Howitzer rounds & 203 Storage cases and Kit no. 3512, M1A18A2 workable track links.
WHAT’S IN THE BOX:
This kit contains 7 tan trees, a clear tree, black vinyl tracks, a brass PE fret, the decal sheet, in 9 sealed clear cello bags. The decal sheet has a loose stiff white card protecting its face.
I put a painted figure and some parts from other kits in the box to possibly use. These parts are: 2 white halves of an engine, an assembled engine of white and green parts, 2 black radiators, a white radiator frame, a brown engine radiator, a white radiator with a black frame.
This kit contains 7 tan trees, a clear tree, black vinyl tracks, a brass PE fret, the decal sheet, in 9 sealed clear cello bags. The decal sheet has a loose stiff white card protecting its face.
I put a painted figure and some parts from other kits in the box to possibly use. These parts are: 2 white halves of an engine, an assembled engine of white and green parts, 2 black radiators, a white radiator frame, a brown engine radiator, a white radiator with a black frame.
Trees are alphabetized.
Tan letter A tree holds: front tires, road wheels and axles etc. (33 parts)
Tan letter A tree holds: front tires, road wheels and axles etc. (33 parts)
Tan letter B tree holds: the drive sprockets, leaf spring, tie rod etc. (26 parts)
Tan letter C tree holds: the chassis side members etc. (30 parts)
Tan letter D tree holds: the grill, window frame, hood, front fenders etc. (36 parts)
Tan letter E tree holds: the floor, cargo compartment walls etc. (36 parts)
Clear letter F tree holds the windshield glass etc. (3 parts)
Letter G is the brass PE fret. It holds the textured floor plates, logo. etc. (4 parts).
Letter H is the two runs of black vinyl tracks.
Letter I is the decal sheet.
Lettering jumps to the tan letter M tree. It holds the cargo compartment and seats (5 parts)
I did a kit of this vehicle by AFV Club (kit no. AF35047) that is in the archives here on this site:
Both kits share the same parts trees, except for trees letter D & E, which are new to this kit. This new kit has solid side walls. The first kit had a stake-sided cargo bed.
The instructions consist of a staple-bound booklet of 16 pages.
Page 1 begins with a black and white repeat of the box art, over the history of the Sd.Kfz. 11 in English and Taiwanese.
Page 2 begins with more text in Taiwanese, over international assembly symbols and decal application instructions, and a suggested paint color listing of Hobby Color, Mr. Hobby, Humbrol, Revell and Life Color bands of hobby paints. In the 2 languages.
Page 3 through to page 13 gives a grand total of 23 assembly steps.
Pages 14 & 15 are painting and marking guides. They show profiles that are alphabetized.
Page 14 shows profile letter A. it is a 2-view, that is overall German gray. It has a rectangular license plate with black serial no. WH-133889 on its front bumper and again on the left rear. It has a tactical symbol of a triangle on its right front fender and rear wall. It was with an unknown unit, Poland 1939.
Profile letter B is a 4-view. It too is overall Panzer-gray. It has a tactical insignia of a white devil on roller skates who is wielding a sword on its front doors and left front fender. A white letter K on its right front fender and rear wall. White edging on all 4 fenders and a white license plate on its front and rear, with serial no. WH-57206 on it. It was with the 119th Pz. Art. 11th Panzer Div.,Eastern Front 1941.
Profile letter C is another 4-view. It is overall earth yellow and is the box art subject (already described above). It was with the 33rd Pz. Art. 15th Panzer Div.,North Africa.
Page 15 shows two-view letter D. It is overall German gray. It has a tactical illustration of a yellow circle with a man on horseback on it, on its left front fender and rear wall. It has a white license plate with black serial no. WH-333057 on its front bumper and left rear wall. It was with the 89th Pz. Art. 24th Panzer Div., Eastern Front, 1942.
Letter E is 4-view profile. It is in a camouflage of a base of white with small German gray spots on it. I has a white skull and crossbones, outlined in black on its left front fender and right rear wall. Its white license plate on the front and rear carry the black number SS-115741. It was with the SS 3rd Panzer Div., Kharkov, 1943.
Letter F is a 2-view. It is overall German gray. It carries a white tactical insignia of a German steel helmet over the white tactical insignia that donates a half-tracked vehicle. Its license plates on front and rear have the black serial no. WH-552394 on them. It was with the 4th Pz. Kp. “Grossdeutschland” Panzergrenadier Div., July 1942.
Page 16 is the part trees illustrations, over a customer assistance coupon in Taiwanese only.
The instructions consist of a staple-bound booklet of 16 pages.
Page 1 begins with a black and white repeat of the box art, over the history of the Sd.Kfz. 11 in English and Taiwanese.
Page 2 begins with more text in Taiwanese, over international assembly symbols and decal application instructions, and a suggested paint color listing of Hobby Color, Mr. Hobby, Humbrol, Revell and Life Color bands of hobby paints. In the 2 languages.
Page 3 through to page 13 gives a grand total of 23 assembly steps.
Pages 14 & 15 are painting and marking guides. They show profiles that are alphabetized.
Page 14 shows profile letter A. it is a 2-view, that is overall German gray. It has a rectangular license plate with black serial no. WH-133889 on its front bumper and again on the left rear. It has a tactical symbol of a triangle on its right front fender and rear wall. It was with an unknown unit, Poland 1939.
Profile letter B is a 4-view. It too is overall Panzer-gray. It has a tactical insignia of a white devil on roller skates who is wielding a sword on its front doors and left front fender. A white letter K on its right front fender and rear wall. White edging on all 4 fenders and a white license plate on its front and rear, with serial no. WH-57206 on it. It was with the 119th Pz. Art. 11th Panzer Div.,Eastern Front 1941.
Profile letter C is another 4-view. It is overall earth yellow and is the box art subject (already described above). It was with the 33rd Pz. Art. 15th Panzer Div.,North Africa.
Page 15 shows two-view letter D. It is overall German gray. It has a tactical illustration of a yellow circle with a man on horseback on it, on its left front fender and rear wall. It has a white license plate with black serial no. WH-333057 on its front bumper and left rear wall. It was with the 89th Pz. Art. 24th Panzer Div., Eastern Front, 1942.
Letter E is 4-view profile. It is in a camouflage of a base of white with small German gray spots on it. I has a white skull and crossbones, outlined in black on its left front fender and right rear wall. Its white license plate on the front and rear carry the black number SS-115741. It was with the SS 3rd Panzer Div., Kharkov, 1943.
Letter F is a 2-view. It is overall German gray. It carries a white tactical insignia of a German steel helmet over the white tactical insignia that donates a half-tracked vehicle. Its license plates on front and rear have the black serial no. WH-552394 on them. It was with the 4th Pz. Kp. “Grossdeutschland” Panzergrenadier Div., July 1942.
Page 16 is the part trees illustrations, over a customer assistance coupon in Taiwanese only.
I have assembled the chassis with the axles, transmission, fuel tank, etc.
The kit has great detail. However, AFV Club should have included figures and a cargo load of some sort. These will have to come from after market kits.
Otherwise recommended.
Otherwise recommended.