In Box Review of Tamiya 1/35th Scale
German 8 Ton Semi-track Sd.Kfz. 7
Kit no. 35148
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright 1990
I paid $26.45 for this kit at a hobby shop in Tamaqua, PA, while visiting my mother near-by.
Kit is available on the web at 4 locations overseas or 2 places in the USA, for either $20.00 or $40.00.
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright 1990
I paid $26.45 for this kit at a hobby shop in Tamaqua, PA, while visiting my mother near-by.
Kit is available on the web at 4 locations overseas or 2 places in the USA, for either $20.00 or $40.00.
HISTORY:
The Sd.Kfz. 7 (Sonderkraftfahrzeug 7) was a half-track military vehicle used by the German Wehrmacht SS during WWII.
Development of the Sd.Kfz. 7 can be traced back to a 1934 requirement for an eight ton (7.67 tons) half-track. The vehicle first appeared in 1938 and was destined to be used mainly as the tractor for the 8.8cm Flak gun and 15cm Sfh 18 and the 150mm howitzer.
The vehicle could carry gun crews of up to 12 men in theatre-type seats. The rear of the vehicle had a closed compartment for storage of ammunition. The tractor could tow loads up to 8,000 kg (17,600 lb) in weight. Most were fitted with a winch.
The use of half-tracked prime movers for artillery was common in the German forces, but not elsewhere. Compared to wheeled vehicles, half-tracks were more difficult to maintain and slower on roads. However, they may have superior off-road mobility.
Some Sd.Kfz. 7’s were pressed into service by the Allies during and after WWII. An Italian-manufactured variant was also built, and is easily recognized by its longer hood and right-hand-drive steering.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Weight: 11.53 tonnes
Length: 6.85m
Width: 2.35m
Height: 2.62m
Crew: 1-12
Armour: 8 mm
Engine: Maybach HL.62 six-cylinder, petrol of 140 hp (kW)
Power/weight: hp/tonne
Suspension: Torsion-bar
Operational range:250 km (road), 120 km (off-road)
Speed: 50 km/h
The Sd.Kfz. 7 (Sonderkraftfahrzeug 7) was a half-track military vehicle used by the German Wehrmacht SS during WWII.
Development of the Sd.Kfz. 7 can be traced back to a 1934 requirement for an eight ton (7.67 tons) half-track. The vehicle first appeared in 1938 and was destined to be used mainly as the tractor for the 8.8cm Flak gun and 15cm Sfh 18 and the 150mm howitzer.
The vehicle could carry gun crews of up to 12 men in theatre-type seats. The rear of the vehicle had a closed compartment for storage of ammunition. The tractor could tow loads up to 8,000 kg (17,600 lb) in weight. Most were fitted with a winch.
The use of half-tracked prime movers for artillery was common in the German forces, but not elsewhere. Compared to wheeled vehicles, half-tracks were more difficult to maintain and slower on roads. However, they may have superior off-road mobility.
Some Sd.Kfz. 7’s were pressed into service by the Allies during and after WWII. An Italian-manufactured variant was also built, and is easily recognized by its longer hood and right-hand-drive steering.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Weight: 11.53 tonnes
Length: 6.85m
Width: 2.35m
Height: 2.62m
Crew: 1-12
Armour: 8 mm
Engine: Maybach HL.62 six-cylinder, petrol of 140 hp (kW)
Power/weight: hp/tonne
Suspension: Torsion-bar
Operational range:250 km (road), 120 km (off-road)
Speed: 50 km/h
THE KIT:
Tamiya is an old prolific model company based in Shizuoka City, Japan, They manufacture all manner of model subjects in the popular scales.
This kit comes in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The cover art shows a color illustration of a Sd.Kfz. 7 posed against one of Tamiya’s signature all-white backgrounds, that they use for the majority of their box arts.
The half-track is in a base of earth yellow, with dark-green blotch pattern. It carries a 8 man crew. They are all dressed in field gray uniforms. Seven wear steel helmets and the eighth man is bare-headed. The half-track has license no. WH-605030 twice on its front bumper.
At the top edge of the box art it says: 1/35th military miniature series no. 148. Ready to assemble precision model kit . Modeling skills helpful if under 10 years of age, Precision 1/35th scale static display model. Complete chassis under-surface detail. Movable front suspension and wheels. Choice of open or folded top. Realistic plastic tracks. Includes eight lifelike figures.
One side panel of the box shows a color side view of a Sd.Kfz. 7 towing a 88 mm Flak 36/37 gun. Both are overall mono-tone German gray. This is followed by a paragraph all in Japanese, the copyright for the kit of 1990 and Tamiya’s street address in Shizuoka City, Japan.
Tamiya is an old prolific model company based in Shizuoka City, Japan, They manufacture all manner of model subjects in the popular scales.
This kit comes in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The cover art shows a color illustration of a Sd.Kfz. 7 posed against one of Tamiya’s signature all-white backgrounds, that they use for the majority of their box arts.
The half-track is in a base of earth yellow, with dark-green blotch pattern. It carries a 8 man crew. They are all dressed in field gray uniforms. Seven wear steel helmets and the eighth man is bare-headed. The half-track has license no. WH-605030 twice on its front bumper.
At the top edge of the box art it says: 1/35th military miniature series no. 148. Ready to assemble precision model kit . Modeling skills helpful if under 10 years of age, Precision 1/35th scale static display model. Complete chassis under-surface detail. Movable front suspension and wheels. Choice of open or folded top. Realistic plastic tracks. Includes eight lifelike figures.
One side panel of the box shows a color side view of a Sd.Kfz. 7 towing a 88 mm Flak 36/37 gun. Both are overall mono-tone German gray. This is followed by a paragraph all in Japanese, the copyright for the kit of 1990 and Tamiya’s street address in Shizuoka City, Japan.
The other side panel of the box has a color 3-view of a Sd.Kfz. 7. It is in the box art color scheme. It carries the license no. WL-62178 twice on the front and once on its rear.This is followed by another paragraph all in Japanese and 3 small color side views of the Sd.Kfz. 7.
One side view shows it in overall earth yellow and mounted with a 3.7 mm flak gun. The other side view shows it in overall German gray with a different 4-barreled flak gun mounted (caliber not given).
One side view shows it in overall earth yellow and mounted with a 3.7 mm flak gun. The other side view shows it in overall German gray with a different 4-barreled flak gun mounted (caliber not given).
WHAT’S IN THE BOX:
This kit holds 3 tan parts trees and a tan loose chassis and top part, a medium gray tree, a sheet of clear plastic for the windshield, black vinyl rubber-band type tracks and tires, 2 metal rods and a screw and nut and the decal sheet in 5 stapled shut clear cello bags.
The instructions consist of a single-sheet that is accordion-folded into 8 pages in 7” x 10 ¼” page format,
Page 1 begins with the history of the Sd.Kfz. 7 in English, German and French, with a black and white photo of the model made up in the cover art scheme, but with license no. WL-62176,
Page 2 begins with READ BEFORE ASSEMBLY instructions, over suggested Tamiya brand tools, cement and their paint colors in 4 languages, including English.
The bottom of page 2 through to page 7 gives a grand total of 17 assembly steps.
Step 17 is for assembly and painting of the 8 crew figures.
Page 8 has painting instructions down its left column in 4 languages, including English. The right side of the page shows four 2-views of the Sd.Kfz. 7.
The first one shows a front and back view. It is overall German gray. It carries the license no. WL-55431 twice on the front bumper and once on the left rear. Its fenders are edged in white. It has a letter “G” on the front of its left front fender and again on its right rear door. It is as it looked in the summer of 1941 on the Eastern Front. No unit is named.
The second one also shows a front and back view and is overall German gray. It carries license no WL-123006 . It has a unit insignia of a black square with a white leaf on it on the front of its left front fender and insignia of a white clock face with a black hand at the 2 o’clock position. It is as the vehicle looked in the spring of 1940 and again no unit is named,
The third one again shows the front and back view and it is overall earth yellow. It carries the license no. WL-86338. It has a white tactical insignia for a radio-equipped vehicle on the front of its left front fender and again on its left rear door. It is shown as it looked with the Luftwaffe in Africa in 1942. No unit is named again.
The fourth and last one shows a front and back view also. It is overall German gray. It carries the license no, WH-438173. It has a white tactical insignia denoting a weapon towing vehicle on the front of its right front fender and again on its left rear door. It is shown as how it looked with the Wehrmacht in the winter of 1941. No unit given again,
Trees are alphabetized, but not illustrated in the instructions. So, careful study of the assembly steps is needed to get the right parts for each assembly. Bad move Tamiya!
Tan letter A tree holds: radiator, hood top and sides, fuel tanks, dashboard, leaf springs, seat cushions, exhaust pipe, floor, steering wheel, transmission, suspension parts, bogies, head light, notek lamp etc. (71 parts)
This kit holds 3 tan parts trees and a tan loose chassis and top part, a medium gray tree, a sheet of clear plastic for the windshield, black vinyl rubber-band type tracks and tires, 2 metal rods and a screw and nut and the decal sheet in 5 stapled shut clear cello bags.
The instructions consist of a single-sheet that is accordion-folded into 8 pages in 7” x 10 ¼” page format,
Page 1 begins with the history of the Sd.Kfz. 7 in English, German and French, with a black and white photo of the model made up in the cover art scheme, but with license no. WL-62176,
Page 2 begins with READ BEFORE ASSEMBLY instructions, over suggested Tamiya brand tools, cement and their paint colors in 4 languages, including English.
The bottom of page 2 through to page 7 gives a grand total of 17 assembly steps.
Step 17 is for assembly and painting of the 8 crew figures.
Page 8 has painting instructions down its left column in 4 languages, including English. The right side of the page shows four 2-views of the Sd.Kfz. 7.
The first one shows a front and back view. It is overall German gray. It carries the license no. WL-55431 twice on the front bumper and once on the left rear. Its fenders are edged in white. It has a letter “G” on the front of its left front fender and again on its right rear door. It is as it looked in the summer of 1941 on the Eastern Front. No unit is named.
The second one also shows a front and back view and is overall German gray. It carries license no WL-123006 . It has a unit insignia of a black square with a white leaf on it on the front of its left front fender and insignia of a white clock face with a black hand at the 2 o’clock position. It is as the vehicle looked in the spring of 1940 and again no unit is named,
The third one again shows the front and back view and it is overall earth yellow. It carries the license no. WL-86338. It has a white tactical insignia for a radio-equipped vehicle on the front of its left front fender and again on its left rear door. It is shown as it looked with the Luftwaffe in Africa in 1942. No unit is named again.
The fourth and last one shows a front and back view also. It is overall German gray. It carries the license no, WH-438173. It has a white tactical insignia denoting a weapon towing vehicle on the front of its right front fender and again on its left rear door. It is shown as how it looked with the Wehrmacht in the winter of 1941. No unit given again,
Trees are alphabetized, but not illustrated in the instructions. So, careful study of the assembly steps is needed to get the right parts for each assembly. Bad move Tamiya!
Tan letter A tree holds: radiator, hood top and sides, fuel tanks, dashboard, leaf springs, seat cushions, exhaust pipe, floor, steering wheel, transmission, suspension parts, bogies, head light, notek lamp etc. (71 parts)
Tan letter B tree holds: road wheels, drive sprockets, idler wheels etc. (36 parts)
Tan letter C tree holds: canvas roof, cargo compartment railing walls, windshield frame, storage box and its lids etc. (22 parts)
Tan vinyl letter D tree holds poly-caps. (18 parts)
The loose single tan chassis and body parts are next.
Lettering jumps to the medium gray letter Z tree. It holds the 8 figures, divided into separate torsos, lower bodies and arms. Included also are 8 steel helmets a 6 Mauser 98K carbines and a pistol holster and ammo pouch (48 parts)
The 2 black vinyl tires, 2 steel rods and the screw, nut and sheet of clear plastic for the windshield, the 2 lengths of black rubber band type treads and the decal sheet complete the kits parts.
The decals complete the kit.
This kit is greatly detailed.
Highly recommended.