In Box Review of Italeri 1/35th Scale
Schwerer Panzerspahwagen (2 cm)
Sd.Kfz. 234/1 Heavy Armoured Car
Kit no. 294
By Ray Mehlberger
I paid $18.00 for my kit, years ago, at a local hobby shop that went out of business.
Kit is available at 3 locations overseas on the web.
By Ray Mehlberger
I paid $18.00 for my kit, years ago, at a local hobby shop that went out of business.
Kit is available at 3 locations overseas on the web.
HISTORY:
The Sd.Kfz. 234 (Sonderkraftfahrzeug 234, Special Purpose Vehicle 234), was a family of armoured cars designed and built in Germany during World War II. The vehicles were lightly armoured, armed with a 20, 50 or 75 mm main gun, and powered by a Tatra V12 diesel engine. The Sd.Kfz. 234 broadly resembles the appearance of Sd.Kfz. 231 (8 rad)
SPECIFICATIONS:
Type: Armoured car
Place of origin: Nazi Germany
Produced: 1943–1945
No. built: 478 (all types)
Mass: 10,500 kg (23,100 lb)
Length: 6.02 metres (19 feet 9 inches)
Width: 2.36 metres (7 feet 9 inches)
Height: 2.10 metres (6 feet 11 inches)
Crew: 4
Armour: 9–30 mm (0.35–1.18 in) rolled homogeneous armour
Main armament: •(234/1) 20mm autocannon, •(234/2) 50mm L/60 KwK 39, •(234/3) 75mm L/24 K 51, •(234/4) 75mm L/46 PaK 40
Secondary armament: 7.92 mm MG 42 machine gun
Engine: 14,825 cc (905 in3) Tatra 103[2] V12 diesel of 157 kW (211 hp)
Suspension: Independent on each wheel
Operational range: 1,000 km (620 mi) on-road; 600 km (370 mi) off-road.
Maximum speed: 90 km/h (56 mph)
The Sd.Kfz. 234 (Sonderkraftfahrzeug 234, Special Purpose Vehicle 234), was a family of armoured cars designed and built in Germany during World War II. The vehicles were lightly armoured, armed with a 20, 50 or 75 mm main gun, and powered by a Tatra V12 diesel engine. The Sd.Kfz. 234 broadly resembles the appearance of Sd.Kfz. 231 (8 rad)
SPECIFICATIONS:
Type: Armoured car
Place of origin: Nazi Germany
Produced: 1943–1945
No. built: 478 (all types)
Mass: 10,500 kg (23,100 lb)
Length: 6.02 metres (19 feet 9 inches)
Width: 2.36 metres (7 feet 9 inches)
Height: 2.10 metres (6 feet 11 inches)
Crew: 4
Armour: 9–30 mm (0.35–1.18 in) rolled homogeneous armour
Main armament: •(234/1) 20mm autocannon, •(234/2) 50mm L/60 KwK 39, •(234/3) 75mm L/24 K 51, •(234/4) 75mm L/46 PaK 40
Secondary armament: 7.92 mm MG 42 machine gun
Engine: 14,825 cc (905 in3) Tatra 103[2] V12 diesel of 157 kW (211 hp)
Suspension: Independent on each wheel
Operational range: 1,000 km (620 mi) on-road; 600 km (370 mi) off-road.
Maximum speed: 90 km/h (56 mph)
THE KIT:
Italeri is an old prolific plastic model kit manufacturer, based in Italy. They make all manner of plastic model kits in the popular scales.
The kit comes in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The box art shows a color illustration of a Sd.Kfz. 234/1 moving down a dirt road in a grassy field. It is overall earth-yellow. It has a black and white German cross on the sides of the turret and a black outlined rectangular white license plate with black no. WH-612115 on the front. The guns are Panzer grey.
One side panel has one paragraph histories of the Sd.Kfz. 234/1 in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Nederlandse, Finnish and Swedish.
Each language is labeled with a color illustration of the flag of the country that speaks the language.
Italeri is an old prolific plastic model kit manufacturer, based in Italy. They make all manner of plastic model kits in the popular scales.
The kit comes in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The box art shows a color illustration of a Sd.Kfz. 234/1 moving down a dirt road in a grassy field. It is overall earth-yellow. It has a black and white German cross on the sides of the turret and a black outlined rectangular white license plate with black no. WH-612115 on the front. The guns are Panzer grey.
One side panel has one paragraph histories of the Sd.Kfz. 234/1 in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Nederlandse, Finnish and Swedish.
Each language is labeled with a color illustration of the flag of the country that speaks the language.
The other side panel continues with the histories in Portuguese, Czech, Japanese and Chinese. All are also labeled with flags.
The model is 17.1 cm in length. Followed by listing of Model Maser brand of paints. Over for modelers aged 10 and over, in 5 languages, including English.
Followed by: Model not suitable for children under 3 because of small parts, in multiple languages, including English. Copyright of the kit is 1995. Over Italari's street address in Italy and kit was made by them.
The model is 17.1 cm in length. Followed by listing of Model Maser brand of paints. Over for modelers aged 10 and over, in 5 languages, including English.
Followed by: Model not suitable for children under 3 because of small parts, in multiple languages, including English. Copyright of the kit is 1995. Over Italari's street address in Italy and kit was made by them.
WHAT’S IN THE BOX:
This kit holds 3 tan parts-trees, a decal sheet and a section of black screen.
Nothing is cello bagged.
The instructions consist of a single-sheet that accordion-folds out into 10 pages in 7 ¾” x 13” page format.
Page 1 gives the history and specifications of the Sd.Kfz. 234/1 in 12 languages, including English.
The top of page 2 gives ATTENTION-USEFUL ADVICE about the kit in 10 languages, including English.
The bottom of page 2 is the parts-trees illustrations.
Page 3 on through to the top of page 9 gives a grand total of 12 assembly steps.
The bottom of page 9 is a painting and marking guide. It shows a 4-view of a Sd.Kfz. 234/1 that is overall earth-yellow. (The box art scheme).
It was with the German Army, 1944, Western Front.
The bottom of the page gives the decal application instructions, in 8 languages, including English.
Page 10 shows two more 4-views. One in earth-yellow and one in Panzer-grey.
No units are mentioned for them.
The part-trees are alphabetized.
Tan letter A tree holds: wheels, axles, jerry cans, bumper etc. (133 parts)
This kit holds 3 tan parts-trees, a decal sheet and a section of black screen.
Nothing is cello bagged.
The instructions consist of a single-sheet that accordion-folds out into 10 pages in 7 ¾” x 13” page format.
Page 1 gives the history and specifications of the Sd.Kfz. 234/1 in 12 languages, including English.
The top of page 2 gives ATTENTION-USEFUL ADVICE about the kit in 10 languages, including English.
The bottom of page 2 is the parts-trees illustrations.
Page 3 on through to the top of page 9 gives a grand total of 12 assembly steps.
The bottom of page 9 is a painting and marking guide. It shows a 4-view of a Sd.Kfz. 234/1 that is overall earth-yellow. (The box art scheme).
It was with the German Army, 1944, Western Front.
The bottom of the page gives the decal application instructions, in 8 languages, including English.
Page 10 shows two more 4-views. One in earth-yellow and one in Panzer-grey.
No units are mentioned for them.
The part-trees are alphabetized.
Tan letter A tree holds: wheels, axles, jerry cans, bumper etc. (133 parts)
Tan letter B tree holds: the bottom, top, sides, jack etc. (30 parts)
Tan letter C tree holds: the turret, 2 cm and m.g. gun parts (31 parts)
There is one loose tan wheel that is used as the spare wheel.
Letter D is the square of black screen.
The decal sheet completes the kit’s contents.
The detail is very good.
Recommended.
Recommended.