In Box Review of DML Dragon 1/35th Scale
Sd.Kfz. 250/1 Neu
Premium Edition kit no. 6427
By Ray Mehlberger
MSRP: $44.99
By Ray Mehlberger
MSRP: $44.99
HISTORY:
The Sd.Kfz. 250 (German: Sonderkraftfahrzeug 250; 'special motor vehicle') was a light armoured halftrack, very similar in appearance to the larger Hanomag-designed Sd.Kfz. 251, and built by the DEMAG firm, for use by Nazi Germany in World War II. Most variants were open-topped and had a single access door in the rear.
The Sd. Kfz 250 was adopted in 1939 to supplement the standard halftrack. Production delays meant that the first 250 did not appear until mid-1941
In 1939, the Inspectorate for Motorized Troops (AHA/In 6) decided that it would be useful for small armored half-tracks to accompany tanks in the attack. They could satisfy requirements for which a larger vehicle wouldn't be needed, such as headquarters, artillery forward observer, radio, and scout vehicles.
Demag, the designer of the smallest half-track in service, the Sd.Kfz. 10, was selected to develop the "light armored troop carrier" (leichter gepanzerter Mannschafts-Transportwagen) or Sd.Kfz. 250. The D7 chassis of the Sd.Kfz. 10 was shortened by one roadwheel station, an armored hull (Panzerwanne) replaced the sheet steel bodywork and almost every component was specially designed for the D7p, as the armored chassis was designated
Power for the Sd.Kfz. 250 was provided by a Maybach 6-cylinder, water-cooled, 4.17-litre (254 cu in) HL 42 TRKM gasoline engine of 100 horsepower (100 PS). It had a semi-automatic pre-selector transmission with seven forward and three reverse gears: Maybach SRG, type VG 102 128 H, (SRG=Schaltreglergetriebe, VG=Variorex-Getriebe, H=Hohlachse). Gears were first selected and then the clutch depressed to change the ratio, the next gear could then be selected in advance. In effect, the clutch acted as a gear change 'switch'. It could attain 76 km/h (47 mph), but the driver was cautioned not to exceed 65 km/h (40 mph).
Both tracks and wheels were used for steering. The steering system was set up so that shallow turns only used the wheels, but brakes would be applied to the tracks when the steering wheel was turned more. The drive sprocket had rollers, rather than the more common teeth. The rear suspension for its continuous track consisted of four double roadwheels, overlapping and interleaved in the so-called Schachtellaufwerk design used by nearly all German half-tracked vehicles, mounted on swing arms sprung by torsion bars. An idler wheel, mounted at the rear of the vehicle, was used to control track tension. The front wheels had transversely mounted leaf springs and shock absorbers, the only ones on the vehicle, to dampen impacts.
The Sd.Kfz. 250 was unique among German half-track designs as it, and its parent Sd.Kfz. 10, used a hull rather than a frame.
DML Dragon is a prolific model company based in Hong Kong, China. They make all manner of model subjects in the popular scales.
The Sd.Kfz. 250 (German: Sonderkraftfahrzeug 250; 'special motor vehicle') was a light armoured halftrack, very similar in appearance to the larger Hanomag-designed Sd.Kfz. 251, and built by the DEMAG firm, for use by Nazi Germany in World War II. Most variants were open-topped and had a single access door in the rear.
The Sd. Kfz 250 was adopted in 1939 to supplement the standard halftrack. Production delays meant that the first 250 did not appear until mid-1941
In 1939, the Inspectorate for Motorized Troops (AHA/In 6) decided that it would be useful for small armored half-tracks to accompany tanks in the attack. They could satisfy requirements for which a larger vehicle wouldn't be needed, such as headquarters, artillery forward observer, radio, and scout vehicles.
Demag, the designer of the smallest half-track in service, the Sd.Kfz. 10, was selected to develop the "light armored troop carrier" (leichter gepanzerter Mannschafts-Transportwagen) or Sd.Kfz. 250. The D7 chassis of the Sd.Kfz. 10 was shortened by one roadwheel station, an armored hull (Panzerwanne) replaced the sheet steel bodywork and almost every component was specially designed for the D7p, as the armored chassis was designated
Power for the Sd.Kfz. 250 was provided by a Maybach 6-cylinder, water-cooled, 4.17-litre (254 cu in) HL 42 TRKM gasoline engine of 100 horsepower (100 PS). It had a semi-automatic pre-selector transmission with seven forward and three reverse gears: Maybach SRG, type VG 102 128 H, (SRG=Schaltreglergetriebe, VG=Variorex-Getriebe, H=Hohlachse). Gears were first selected and then the clutch depressed to change the ratio, the next gear could then be selected in advance. In effect, the clutch acted as a gear change 'switch'. It could attain 76 km/h (47 mph), but the driver was cautioned not to exceed 65 km/h (40 mph).
Both tracks and wheels were used for steering. The steering system was set up so that shallow turns only used the wheels, but brakes would be applied to the tracks when the steering wheel was turned more. The drive sprocket had rollers, rather than the more common teeth. The rear suspension for its continuous track consisted of four double roadwheels, overlapping and interleaved in the so-called Schachtellaufwerk design used by nearly all German half-tracked vehicles, mounted on swing arms sprung by torsion bars. An idler wheel, mounted at the rear of the vehicle, was used to control track tension. The front wheels had transversely mounted leaf springs and shock absorbers, the only ones on the vehicle, to dampen impacts.
The Sd.Kfz. 250 was unique among German half-track designs as it, and its parent Sd.Kfz. 10, used a hull rather than a frame.
DML Dragon is a prolific model company based in Hong Kong, China. They make all manner of model subjects in the popular scales.
THE KIT:
This kit comes in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box. It is very blousy inside with a 4" wide letter L void around the contents. The kit could really have been marketed in a much smaller box.
The box art shows a Sd.Kfz. 250/1 parked on a city street. It is in a base of earth yellow with a green and red-brown pattern and German crosses on it's sides with a red number 312 outlined in white.
The tank commander is dressed in a black Panzer unifordm and is standing in the fighting compartment holding a pair of binoculars.
One side panel has 7 tiny color side profiles of the Sd.Kfz. 250/1 showing variations of the earth-yellow base with green and red brown commouflage differences. This is followed by illustrations of the brass PE fret and one of the decal sheets in the kit.
This kit comes in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box. It is very blousy inside with a 4" wide letter L void around the contents. The kit could really have been marketed in a much smaller box.
The box art shows a Sd.Kfz. 250/1 parked on a city street. It is in a base of earth yellow with a green and red-brown pattern and German crosses on it's sides with a red number 312 outlined in white.
The tank commander is dressed in a black Panzer unifordm and is standing in the fighting compartment holding a pair of binoculars.
One side panel has 7 tiny color side profiles of the Sd.Kfz. 250/1 showing variations of the earth-yellow base with green and red brown commouflage differences. This is followed by illustrations of the brass PE fret and one of the decal sheets in the kit.
Cautions about using glue or paint near a flame is next in 3 languages, including English.
The kit is intended for modelers 10 and over and not suitable for kids under 3 due to small parts and a possible choking hazzard.
The copyright date is 2007 for this kit, followed by DML Dragon's street address in Hong Kong, China and MADE IN CHINA.
The other side panel has chalk-white illustrations of the kit parts, posed against all-black backgrounds with captions telling their features: New one-piece slide-molded hull. Newly tooled suspension system. PE brackets for equipments. Gen 2 equipment for interior incuded as a bonus. New rear machine gun mount (rotatable). Detailed engine included.
The kit is intended for modelers 10 and over and not suitable for kids under 3 due to small parts and a possible choking hazzard.
The copyright date is 2007 for this kit, followed by DML Dragon's street address in Hong Kong, China and MADE IN CHINA.
The other side panel has chalk-white illustrations of the kit parts, posed against all-black backgrounds with captions telling their features: New one-piece slide-molded hull. Newly tooled suspension system. PE brackets for equipments. Gen 2 equipment for interior incuded as a bonus. New rear machine gun mount (rotatable). Detailed engine included.
These illustrations continue on the box bottom with: Gen 2 MG 42 included. Upgraded weld seams authentically reproduced. Delicate width indicator poles with optional metal ones. New front wheels with multiple-part assembly for greater detail are included as an option. Lower-hull armor detail realistically reproduced. Highly detailed sprocket mounts are seperate parts. New tarp produced in DS vinyl. Two bonus carrying cases for scissors periscope by PE parts. New rack for periscope carrying case in PE. Storage-box doors can be assembled open or closed. Tool box hinges realistically reproduced. Newly tooled road wheels with precise detail. Newly tooled Magic Tracks for Sd.Kfz. 250/1. Newly tooled sprocket with multiple part assembly to achieve higher level of detail.
WHAT'S IN THE BOX:
This kit contains no less than 21 medium-grey colored parts trees in 11 sealed cello bags, a loose medium-grey hull tub part, a tan vinyl canvas roof part, 2 brass metal width indicator poles, two decal sheets and the instructions.
Three of the medium-grey trees, the clear tree. brass width indicator poles and the PE fret are all taped to sheet of cardboard and the whole in a sealed cello bag.
The instructions consist of a single sheet that accordion-folds out into 8 pages in 8 1/2" x 11" page format.
Page 1 of the instructions begins with a black and white repeat of the box art, followed by the parts trees illustrations. Some of the parts are blued-out in these illustrations as being excess and not needed to complete the kit.
Page 2 begins with CAUTIONS, international assembly symbol explanations and a list of GSI Creos Corp. and Master Model paint colors suggested to use to complete the model, in multiple languages including English.
The bottom of the page has the first 2 assembly steps.
Page 3 through 7 give a grand total of 21 assembly steps.
Page 8 shows seven 4-view variants for marking and painting choices:
1. The box art subject (already discribed above) is a vehicle with the 3/Pz.Afkl.Btl. 2 Pz.Div. France 1944.
2. An overall earth-yellow Sd.Kfz. 250/1 with the 5 Pz. Div. "Wiking", Hungary, Eastern Front 1945.
3. A 250 in a base of earth-yellow with wide bands of green with 5 Pz. Div. "Wiking", Hungary, Eastern Front 1945.
4. A 250 in a base of earth-yellow with broad bands of dark green with 1 Pz.Div. "LAH", Kamenets Podolsk 1944.
5. A 250 in a base of earth-yellow with waves of dark green with Obergruppenfuhrer Von Puckler-Berghaus, Orlik-Cimelice, Bohemia 1945.
6. A 250 in a base of earth-yellow with light green wave pattern cammouflage with Pz.Aufkl.Btl. 1 Pz.Div. "LAH", 1944.
7. A 250 in a base of earth-yellow with heavy dark green mottling with an unidentified unit, Eastern Front 1944.
DML's office address in Austria is at the bottom of the page, with a copyright date of 2007 and decal application instructions in 6 languages, including English.
Medium-grey letter A parts tree holds: the inner side walls, axles, leaf spring, raised fighting compartment floor, sub-floor, drive sprockets, notek lamp, width indicator poles, tow hooks etc. (41 parts) 11 parts are blued-out in the parts tree illustrations as being excess and not needed,.
There is no letter B parts tree.
This kit contains no less than 21 medium-grey colored parts trees in 11 sealed cello bags, a loose medium-grey hull tub part, a tan vinyl canvas roof part, 2 brass metal width indicator poles, two decal sheets and the instructions.
Three of the medium-grey trees, the clear tree. brass width indicator poles and the PE fret are all taped to sheet of cardboard and the whole in a sealed cello bag.
The instructions consist of a single sheet that accordion-folds out into 8 pages in 8 1/2" x 11" page format.
Page 1 of the instructions begins with a black and white repeat of the box art, followed by the parts trees illustrations. Some of the parts are blued-out in these illustrations as being excess and not needed to complete the kit.
Page 2 begins with CAUTIONS, international assembly symbol explanations and a list of GSI Creos Corp. and Master Model paint colors suggested to use to complete the model, in multiple languages including English.
The bottom of the page has the first 2 assembly steps.
Page 3 through 7 give a grand total of 21 assembly steps.
Page 8 shows seven 4-view variants for marking and painting choices:
1. The box art subject (already discribed above) is a vehicle with the 3/Pz.Afkl.Btl. 2 Pz.Div. France 1944.
2. An overall earth-yellow Sd.Kfz. 250/1 with the 5 Pz. Div. "Wiking", Hungary, Eastern Front 1945.
3. A 250 in a base of earth-yellow with wide bands of green with 5 Pz. Div. "Wiking", Hungary, Eastern Front 1945.
4. A 250 in a base of earth-yellow with broad bands of dark green with 1 Pz.Div. "LAH", Kamenets Podolsk 1944.
5. A 250 in a base of earth-yellow with waves of dark green with Obergruppenfuhrer Von Puckler-Berghaus, Orlik-Cimelice, Bohemia 1945.
6. A 250 in a base of earth-yellow with light green wave pattern cammouflage with Pz.Aufkl.Btl. 1 Pz.Div. "LAH", 1944.
7. A 250 in a base of earth-yellow with heavy dark green mottling with an unidentified unit, Eastern Front 1944.
DML's office address in Austria is at the bottom of the page, with a copyright date of 2007 and decal application instructions in 6 languages, including English.
Medium-grey letter A parts tree holds: the inner side walls, axles, leaf spring, raised fighting compartment floor, sub-floor, drive sprockets, notek lamp, width indicator poles, tow hooks etc. (41 parts) 11 parts are blued-out in the parts tree illustrations as being excess and not needed,.
There is no letter B parts tree.
Medium-grey letter C parts tree holds: the hull top, seats, steering wheel, shift lever, driving compartment floor, machine gun shield, transmission compartment lid etc. (30 parts) 4 parts are excess.
There is no letter D parts tree.
There is no letter D parts tree.
Medium-grey letter E parts tree holds: the outer hull walls, fire wall, engine compartment doors, ax etc. (35 parts) 4 parts are excess.
Medium-grey letter F parts are the individual Magic Tracks. There are two components to these and I haven't a clue as to how many links of each.
There are 2 identical letter G parts trees. They each hold bogies, road wheels etc. (23 parts each)
Medium-grey letter GA tree holds: steel helmets, bayonets, mess kits, gas mask canisters,
ammo pouches, spades in pouches, canteens etc. (63 parts) 28 parts are excess.
ammo pouches, spades in pouches, canteens etc. (63 parts) 28 parts are excess.
Medium-grey letter GC tree has parts on it that I don't know what they are. They are never shown anywere in the instructions that I can see. (14 parts) 10 are shown blued out as being excess on the parts trees illustrations, but I suspect they ALL are excess.
Medium-grey letter H parts tree holds the drive sprockets and idler wheels (6 parts)
Lettering now jumps to the brass PE letter MA tree. It holds the rack for the scissors periscope etc. (40 parts)
Lettering jumps again to the medium-grey letter TG parts tree. It holds tools, the fire extinguisher etc. (10 parts) 5 are excess.
Lettering jumps again to the clear letter W parts tree. It holds vision slot covers and light lenses (8 parts)
Medium-grey WA parts tree holds: rifles with their separate bolts, ammo pouches (18 parts)
Medium-grey WB parts tree holds: a rifle, MP40 machine pistols, assault rifle etc. (18 parts)
Medium-grey WC parts tree holds: MG42's machine guns, their bipods, ammo belts and drums and cases, grab handles (29 parts) that are on 2 separate trees marked as WC.
Medium-grey letter X tree holds: the radiator fan, engine parts etc. (16 parts) 5 parts are excess.
Medium-grey letter Y tree is the hull tub part.
Tan vinyl letter Z is the single canvas roof part.
The kit decals for the options mentioned above.
The brass width indicators.
The box art is miss-leading as there is no commander figure included in the kit.
Other than a few minor clitches this is a very, very detailed kit. I highly recommend it.
Other than a few minor clitches this is a very, very detailed kit. I highly recommend it.
I bought my kit at a shop in Valparaiso, IN that is both a hobby shop and a pet shop. They were very overstocked with model kits that were not moving for them and they marked many of them down for a 50% off sale, which I took advantage of when I visited my son and his kids there in town.
