In Box Review of Italeri 1/35 Scale
SWS Halftrack With 37mm FLAK 43
KIT NO. 370
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright 1999
I paid $29.20 for this kit when it was marked down from $35.00 at the Toy Fair store that went out of business at the local mall.
Kit is available at 4 sites overseas, in Italeri 2010 reissue kit no. 6480.
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright 1999
I paid $29.20 for this kit when it was marked down from $35.00 at the Toy Fair store that went out of business at the local mall.
Kit is available at 4 sites overseas, in Italeri 2010 reissue kit no. 6480.
HISTORY:
The SWS heavy German 1/2 track was equipped with a modern, rapid-fire 37mm anti-aircraft gun 43 and built in small quantities for the German army late in the war. The vehicle was an offspring of the artillery tractor SWS (which is offered as a kit by Italeri as kit no. 360), but with heavy armor plate protection for the cab and engine. The chassis was beefed up to carry the ack-ack gun and its ammo.
The SWS heavy German 1/2 track was equipped with a modern, rapid-fire 37mm anti-aircraft gun 43 and built in small quantities for the German army late in the war. The vehicle was an offspring of the artillery tractor SWS (which is offered as a kit by Italeri as kit no. 360), but with heavy armor plate protection for the cab and engine. The chassis was beefed up to carry the ack-ack gun and its ammo.
THE KIT:
The kit comes in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The box art shows a SWS with Flak 43 parked on a snow-covered road, with hills and mountains in the background. No one is shown aboard. It is in a base of sand with dark green blotch camouflage pattern. No markings are shown on it.
This is the 3rd issue of SWS variants by Italeri in 1/35th scale. They earlier did the SWS as a vehicle with the panzerwerfer (rocket-launcher) 42 that fired 5cm rockets as kit no. 356. The SWS was issued as a second kit as just a cargo carrying version, Italeri kit no. 360. Also, the Flak 43 was previously issued by itself as kit no. 363.
One side panel has one-paragraph histories on it in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Nederlands, Swiss and Finish. Each language is labeled with a color illustration of the flag of the country that speaks the language.
The kit comes in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The box art shows a SWS with Flak 43 parked on a snow-covered road, with hills and mountains in the background. No one is shown aboard. It is in a base of sand with dark green blotch camouflage pattern. No markings are shown on it.
This is the 3rd issue of SWS variants by Italeri in 1/35th scale. They earlier did the SWS as a vehicle with the panzerwerfer (rocket-launcher) 42 that fired 5cm rockets as kit no. 356. The SWS was issued as a second kit as just a cargo carrying version, Italeri kit no. 360. Also, the Flak 43 was previously issued by itself as kit no. 363.
One side panel has one-paragraph histories on it in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Nederlands, Swiss and Finish. Each language is labeled with a color illustration of the flag of the country that speaks the language.
The other side panel has four more one-paragraph histories in Portuguese, Russian, Japanese and Chinese, labeled with flags.
These are followed by a short suggested paint color listing of Model Master brand hobby paints. Model is for modelers age 10 and over. It is not suitable for children under 3 because of sharp parts. Kit was made in Italy and Italeri address there is provided, in multiple languages, including English.
These are followed by a short suggested paint color listing of Model Master brand hobby paints. Model is for modelers age 10 and over. It is not suitable for children under 3 because of sharp parts. Kit was made in Italy and Italeri address there is provided, in multiple languages, including English.
Italeri is an old prolific model company based in Italy. They manufacture all manner of model subjects in the popular scales.
WHAT’S IN THE BOX:
This kit contains 6 tan trees, three of which make up the SWS and two for the flak 43. None of these parts are in cello bags and this (as I have said in other reviews of Italeri kits) is my pet peeve with this company.
I found two parts broken off the trees and floating around in the box. There are no figures included in the kit. A gun crew would have been very welcome here.
The kit includes a small section of nylon screen to do the centers of the side fold-downs.
A small decal sheet has the skinny type national black crosses, outlined in white, some white tactical markings for a 1/2 tracked anti-aircraft vehicle...and what I would call 'do it yourself' license plate numbers.
You get the white back-plates, the letters "WH" (for a wehrmacht vehicle), "WL" (for Luftwaffe) and black numbers 0 thru 9 to make up your own 7 digit vehicle license number. I wish that this had not been done this way as putting that many decals on top of each other is just that many accidents or failures waiting to happen.
No division marks are given.
The instructions consists of a single-sheet that accordion-folds out into 10 pages in 7 ¼” x 13” page format
Page 1 has the history of the SWS in 12 languages, including English.
Page 2 begins with ATTENTION about the kit in 11 languages, including English, over part trees illustrations for the letter A & B trees for the SWS and the black vinyl section of screen.
This kit contains 6 tan trees, three of which make up the SWS and two for the flak 43. None of these parts are in cello bags and this (as I have said in other reviews of Italeri kits) is my pet peeve with this company.
I found two parts broken off the trees and floating around in the box. There are no figures included in the kit. A gun crew would have been very welcome here.
The kit includes a small section of nylon screen to do the centers of the side fold-downs.
A small decal sheet has the skinny type national black crosses, outlined in white, some white tactical markings for a 1/2 tracked anti-aircraft vehicle...and what I would call 'do it yourself' license plate numbers.
You get the white back-plates, the letters "WH" (for a wehrmacht vehicle), "WL" (for Luftwaffe) and black numbers 0 thru 9 to make up your own 7 digit vehicle license number. I wish that this had not been done this way as putting that many decals on top of each other is just that many accidents or failures waiting to happen.
No division marks are given.
The instructions consists of a single-sheet that accordion-folds out into 10 pages in 7 ¼” x 13” page format
Page 1 has the history of the SWS in 12 languages, including English.
Page 2 begins with ATTENTION about the kit in 11 languages, including English, over part trees illustrations for the letter A & B trees for the SWS and the black vinyl section of screen.
Page 3 begins with the illustration of tree C for the SWS and a few international assembly symbol explanations over a larger suggested paint color listing of Model Master brand of hobby paints in 5 languages, including English.
The bottom of page 3 through to page 6 gives a grand total of 10 assembly steps for assembling the SWS.
Page 7 begins with parts-trees illustrations of the A & B trees for the Flak 43, with a repeat of suggested Model Master paints.
The bottom of page 7 through to the top of page 10 gives a grand total of 10 assembly steps for assembling the Flak 43.
The bottom of page 10 is the painting and marking guide. It shows a 3-view of the SWS in overall sand, with German cross on sides of the cab and you fabricate a license no. for a Wehrmacht or Lufthansa vehicle.
Tan letter A for the SWS holds: the chassis sides and cross members, suspension parts, axles, leaf spring, floor, bogies, tools etc. (96 parts). I built the chassis using this tree.
The bottom of page 3 through to page 6 gives a grand total of 10 assembly steps for assembling the SWS.
Page 7 begins with parts-trees illustrations of the A & B trees for the Flak 43, with a repeat of suggested Model Master paints.
The bottom of page 7 through to the top of page 10 gives a grand total of 10 assembly steps for assembling the Flak 43.
The bottom of page 10 is the painting and marking guide. It shows a 3-view of the SWS in overall sand, with German cross on sides of the cab and you fabricate a license no. for a Wehrmacht or Lufthansa vehicle.
Tan letter A for the SWS holds: the chassis sides and cross members, suspension parts, axles, leaf spring, floor, bogies, tools etc. (96 parts). I built the chassis using this tree.
A very large tan letter B tree is for the SWS 1/2 track and has such parts as: the floorboards, the armored cab and hood, the dash board, some body panels etc. 60 parts here.
Two identical letter C trees complete the parts for the SWS. They hold the link and length type tracks, the drive sprockets, rims, tires etc. There are 65 parts on each tree for a total of 130.
Tan tree letter A for the flak 43 contains 86 parts...and a LOT of ammo for it too.
Tree letter B is also for the flak 43 and holds shields etc. 22 more parts for it.)
A piece of screen is included for the fold down sides.
The decals complete the kit.
I purchased the Eduard photo etch set for this kit.
This is a very well molded kit. I could find no flash on any parts and detail abounds. I just wish that Italeri would cello bag things.
My second wish would have been for some figures.
Although a redo of the SWS for Italeri, I am sure that this kit will find its way into many armor collections and I recommend it highly with only the few reservations mentioned.
Although a redo of the SWS for Italeri, I am sure that this kit will find its way into many armor collections and I recommend it highly with only the few reservations mentioned.