In Box Review of Certi 1/35th Scale
Samochod Pancerny WZ.34 Armored Car
Kit no. 3501
By Ray Mehlberger
OUT OF PRODUCTION
My kit has a copyright date of the 1980's. I only found it listed twice on the net. One guy wants a whopping $190.00 for his kit of it and one got sold and is gone that was only $12.00.
I got my kit in trade with a modeler in Krakow, Poland who since has passed away. He included a English translation of the history of the WZ-34. However, I got my history off of the Wikipedia site.
By Ray Mehlberger
OUT OF PRODUCTION
My kit has a copyright date of the 1980's. I only found it listed twice on the net. One guy wants a whopping $190.00 for his kit of it and one got sold and is gone that was only $12.00.
I got my kit in trade with a modeler in Krakow, Poland who since has passed away. He included a English translation of the history of the WZ-34. However, I got my history off of the Wikipedia site.
HISTORY:
Samochód pancerny wz. 34 ("armored car, year 1934 model"), was a standard light armored car used by the Polish Army during the September Campaign of 1939.
The vehicle was based on the earlier half-track samochód pancerny wz. 28, which entered service in 1928. The original vehicle proved to be unpopular with its crews who were unhappy with its handling, low maximum speed, as well as poor cross-country capabilities, and it was decided to rebuild it as a wheeled vehicle. The new version of the armored car entered service in 1934.
The cars were built in a number of versions with different engines and slightly different armored plates. They were armed with either 7.92 mm version of Hotchkiss M1914 machine gun (karabin maszynowy Hotchkiss wz.25) or the short-barreled 37 mm Puteaux SA 18 gun.
By 1939, at the outbreak of the Second World War, the car was obsolete but was still in use. All Polish cavalry brigades has organic armored company made of 8 armored cars and 13 tankettes. In 10 out of 11 Polish cavalry brigades, the very armored car, wz.34, had been used.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Type: Armored car
Place of origin: Poland
In service: 1934-1939
Wars: Invasion of Poland (1939)
Designed: 1928
Weight: 2.2 t
Length: 3.62 m
Width: 1.91 m
Height: 2.22 m
Crew: 2
Armor: 6-8 mm
Main armament: 7.92 mm wz. 25 Hotchkiss machine gun or 37 mm SA-18 Puteaux gun
Engine: gasoline of 25 hp
Suspension: wheels
Operational range: 250 km
Speed: 55 km/h
HISTORY:
Samochód pancerny wz. 34 ("armored car, year 1934 model"), was a standard light armored car used by the Polish Army during the September Campaign of 1939.
The vehicle was based on the earlier half-track samochód pancerny wz. 28, which entered service in 1928. The original vehicle proved to be unpopular with its crews who were unhappy with its handling, low maximum speed, as well as poor cross-country capabilities, and it was decided to rebuild it as a wheeled vehicle. The new version of the armored car entered service in 1934.
The cars were built in a number of versions with different engines and slightly different armored plates. They were armed with either 7.92 mm version of Hotchkiss M1914 machine gun (karabin maszynowy Hotchkiss wz.25) or the short-barreled 37 mm Puteaux SA 18 gun.
By 1939, at the outbreak of the Second World War, the car was obsolete but was still in use. All Polish cavalry brigades has organic armored company made of 8 armored cars and 13 tankettes. In 10 out of 11 Polish cavalry brigades, the very armored car, wz.34, had been used.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Type: Armored car
Place of origin: Poland
In service: 1934-1939
Wars: Invasion of Poland (1939)
Designed: 1928
Weight: 2.2 t
Length: 3.62 m
Width: 1.91 m
Height: 2.22 m
Crew: 2
Armor: 6-8 mm
Main armament: 7.92 mm wz. 25 Hotchkiss machine gun or 37 mm SA-18 Puteaux gun
Engine: gasoline of 25 hp
Suspension: wheels
Operational range: 250 km
Speed: 55 km/h
THE KIT:
Certi is based in Poland.
This kit came in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The box art shows a WZ-34 armored car crossing a field with forests in the background. It is in a base of earth yellow, brown and green wave pattern. No markings are shown.
The box is blousy with a letter "L" void around the parts of a inch or better.
WHAT'S IN THE BOX:
Certi is based in Poland.
This kit came in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The box art shows a WZ-34 armored car crossing a field with forests in the background. It is in a base of earth yellow, brown and green wave pattern. No markings are shown.
The box is blousy with a letter "L" void around the parts of a inch or better.
WHAT'S IN THE BOX:
The kit contains 3 very dark-green trees in 2 sealed cello bags with the black vinyl tires in another sealed cello bag along with the instructions and a tiny decal sheet.
The instructions consist of a single-sheet printed on both sides in 8 1/2" x 11" page format folded to fit the box.
The face side has the history of the WZ-34 in Polish only, above two 4-views of the armored car.
The first 4-view shows one in a horizontal wave pattern of green over the base of sand yellow. It shows a license plate no. of 5579 in white on the front and rear.
The reverse side of the instructions shows 7 assembly steps, numbered with Roman numerals.
Part trees are not alphabetized or illustrated in the instructions. They do however have part number tabs next to the parts on the trees.
The first very dark-green tree holds: the floor, fenders, grill, engine compartment side doors etc. (32 parts)
The instructions consist of a single-sheet printed on both sides in 8 1/2" x 11" page format folded to fit the box.
The face side has the history of the WZ-34 in Polish only, above two 4-views of the armored car.
The first 4-view shows one in a horizontal wave pattern of green over the base of sand yellow. It shows a license plate no. of 5579 in white on the front and rear.
The reverse side of the instructions shows 7 assembly steps, numbered with Roman numerals.
Part trees are not alphabetized or illustrated in the instructions. They do however have part number tabs next to the parts on the trees.
The first very dark-green tree holds: the floor, fenders, grill, engine compartment side doors etc. (32 parts)
The second very dark-green tree holds: the body side panels, turret parts, leaf springs, axle, shovel, tow hooks, pick ax, alternate guns, a plate that says CERTI POLAND on it etc. (19 parts)
The third very dark-green tree holds the wheel hubs (15 parts)
Next are the black vinyl tires. There are 7 of them (six down and one spare).
The decal sheet completes the contents of the kit. It is the size of a postage stamp and only has the license numbers on it in white as already mentioned.
Exterior detail is nice. However, the doors are molded shut and it wouldn't help to have them seperate as there is no interior detail or an engine provided. You do get the option of both of the main armaments anyway.
Recommended.
Recommended.