In Box Review of Trumpeter 1/35th Scale
German Krupp/Ardelt Waffentrager 88mm PAK-43
Kit no. 01587
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2011
I got this kit given to me, when I was on the staff of Cybermodeler in 2012, It sold for $51.95 back then.
Available at Squadron for $43.00 or at 1001 Hobbies for $44.99 or at Kit Linx for $53.31 and at 3 locations over-seas on the web.
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2011
I got this kit given to me, when I was on the staff of Cybermodeler in 2012, It sold for $51.95 back then.
Available at Squadron for $43.00 or at 1001 Hobbies for $44.99 or at Kit Linx for $53.31 and at 3 locations over-seas on the web.
HISTORY:
The terms of reference for the development of a fundamentally new combat vehicle, which in the German classification was called the Waffentrager (weapon carrier), was formulated by the artillery and technical supply department at the end of 1942. It was assumed that two main types of carriers would be developed in parallel. The first one could be considered light and was supposed to mount a 75 mm PaK 40L/70 anti-tank gun, a 105 mm FH 18/40 howitzer, or a 37 mm FlaK anti-aircraft gun.
The second type of carrier was intended for the more powerful 88mm PaK 43 L/71 gun, the 150 mm FH 43 howitzer, and the 128 mm K43 gun. One of the main requirements was the possibility of circular fire. In addition, it was assumed that the gun would be removed from the undercarriage and mounted on a conventional field carriage.
Due to the insufficiently high priority and the workload of other orders from large firms, work progressed very slowly. Only at the end of 1943, Krupp, Daimler-Benz and Steyr-Daimler-Puch submitted their projects to the artillery supply department, but did not receive full approval due to the high complexity of the design. The main problem was that the “gunners” themselves did not really know what they wanted.
After much deliberation, at the end of February 1944, the final version was approved with the installation of an 88-mm anti-tank gun on the chassis of the Jagdpanzer 38 (t) Hetzer serial self-propelled gun, but at the same time, driving performance was not lower than that of the RSO tracked tractor. Oddly enough, but in this sharp struggle, the project of the almost unknown Dr. Günter Ardelt became the winner.
The idea to create self-propelled guns came to him after his stay on the Eastern Front, where Adelt witnessed the capture by Soviet troops of 70 new PaK 43 anti-tank guns. volume. This system was tested at the Kummersdorf test site, but military experts recognized it as unsuccessful. Then Ardelt, initially not taking part in the competition, decided to try his hand at a more difficult task – they were asked to create a unified chassis for all types of guns, and already at the beginning of 1944, WaPruf 4 issued the corresponding technical task, but with the condition that the carrier would have to equally well suited for mounting the 105mm leFH 18/40 howitzer,
The first prototype, presented to the customer a few months later, had several design flaws and did not pass the tests. Nevertheless, the specialists from WaPruf 4, who had already decided on the choice of the main artillery system, issued a new order for the manufacture of an improved version of the self-propelled gun.The undercarriage used 8 road wheels with spring-balance suspension and caterpillar tracks from the Hetzer self-propelled unit.
The drive wheels were located in front, the guides were in the back. The body of the Ardelt self-propelled gun had a welded structure and was assembled from sheets of rolled armor steel sheets with a thickness of 8 to 20 mm. The power plant was located in front of the hull. Here, with an offset to the starboard side, a 4-stroke 6-cylinder Maybach HL 42 gasoline engine was installed.
The liquid in the cooling system circulated using a centrifugal pump. The lubrication system included an oil tank, an oil filter, a pump and an oil-water cooler. The power system used a fuel priming pump, Solex carburetor, intake manifold and air cleaner. Two fuel tanks were located on the sides of the pedestal installation of the gun. The ignition was made from a magneto with automatic advance control. The transmission was also located in front of the hull and consisted of an intermediate gearbox, main clutch,
The electrical equipment was made according to a single-wire circuit and consisted of a generator with a relay-regulator. one battery (installed in a special box behind the back of the driver’s seat), electric starter, road headlight. charging control lamp and box for six fuses. The means of communication included only an intercom for the driver and commander of the vehicle. The radio station was not installed due to lack of space in the case.
The 8.8cm PaK 43 L / 71 gun was mounted on a pedestal mount, which was attached to a U-shaped beam mounted across the hull. The design of the pedestal made it possible to fire in a circular sector, however, firing on the move was not allowed. To protect against bullets from light small arms, an armored shield with a sheet thickness of 5 mm was installed.
To increase bullet resistance, the frontal sheet was installed at a large angle of inclination. In the stowed position, the barrel of the gun was fixed using a special scissor-like support fixed to the front hull plate. The ammunition load consisted of 32 shots: 6 shells were in a box on the inside of the shield and another 12 shells were placed in boxes in the rear of the hull.
The crew of the self-propelled gun Ardelta consisted of four people. The driver’s seat and controls were located in front of the case on the left side. For observation, a hatch was used in the roof of the hull, and in a combat position, the review could only be carried out through a viewing slot in the armored shield. The gunner was located to the left of the gun, while the commander and loader were placed on the seats at the rear of the vehicle. In order to simplify the design, heating and lighting chosen path and already in August the self-propelled gun was presented to A. Hitler along with other competitors, of crew jobs, were absent.
Tests of the second prototype, which took place in the summer of 1944 at the ground forces training ground in Hillersleben, confirmed the correctness of the
Despite the fact that the Ardelt design did not provide for a transition to a field carriage, it was she who was chosen for mass production. The self-propelled gun turned out to be much more technologically advanced, had the smallest possible dimensions and acceptable driving performance.
The terms of reference for the development of a fundamentally new combat vehicle, which in the German classification was called the Waffentrager (weapon carrier), was formulated by the artillery and technical supply department at the end of 1942. It was assumed that two main types of carriers would be developed in parallel. The first one could be considered light and was supposed to mount a 75 mm PaK 40L/70 anti-tank gun, a 105 mm FH 18/40 howitzer, or a 37 mm FlaK anti-aircraft gun.
The second type of carrier was intended for the more powerful 88mm PaK 43 L/71 gun, the 150 mm FH 43 howitzer, and the 128 mm K43 gun. One of the main requirements was the possibility of circular fire. In addition, it was assumed that the gun would be removed from the undercarriage and mounted on a conventional field carriage.
Due to the insufficiently high priority and the workload of other orders from large firms, work progressed very slowly. Only at the end of 1943, Krupp, Daimler-Benz and Steyr-Daimler-Puch submitted their projects to the artillery supply department, but did not receive full approval due to the high complexity of the design. The main problem was that the “gunners” themselves did not really know what they wanted.
After much deliberation, at the end of February 1944, the final version was approved with the installation of an 88-mm anti-tank gun on the chassis of the Jagdpanzer 38 (t) Hetzer serial self-propelled gun, but at the same time, driving performance was not lower than that of the RSO tracked tractor. Oddly enough, but in this sharp struggle, the project of the almost unknown Dr. Günter Ardelt became the winner.
The idea to create self-propelled guns came to him after his stay on the Eastern Front, where Adelt witnessed the capture by Soviet troops of 70 new PaK 43 anti-tank guns. volume. This system was tested at the Kummersdorf test site, but military experts recognized it as unsuccessful. Then Ardelt, initially not taking part in the competition, decided to try his hand at a more difficult task – they were asked to create a unified chassis for all types of guns, and already at the beginning of 1944, WaPruf 4 issued the corresponding technical task, but with the condition that the carrier would have to equally well suited for mounting the 105mm leFH 18/40 howitzer,
The first prototype, presented to the customer a few months later, had several design flaws and did not pass the tests. Nevertheless, the specialists from WaPruf 4, who had already decided on the choice of the main artillery system, issued a new order for the manufacture of an improved version of the self-propelled gun.The undercarriage used 8 road wheels with spring-balance suspension and caterpillar tracks from the Hetzer self-propelled unit.
The drive wheels were located in front, the guides were in the back. The body of the Ardelt self-propelled gun had a welded structure and was assembled from sheets of rolled armor steel sheets with a thickness of 8 to 20 mm. The power plant was located in front of the hull. Here, with an offset to the starboard side, a 4-stroke 6-cylinder Maybach HL 42 gasoline engine was installed.
The liquid in the cooling system circulated using a centrifugal pump. The lubrication system included an oil tank, an oil filter, a pump and an oil-water cooler. The power system used a fuel priming pump, Solex carburetor, intake manifold and air cleaner. Two fuel tanks were located on the sides of the pedestal installation of the gun. The ignition was made from a magneto with automatic advance control. The transmission was also located in front of the hull and consisted of an intermediate gearbox, main clutch,
The electrical equipment was made according to a single-wire circuit and consisted of a generator with a relay-regulator. one battery (installed in a special box behind the back of the driver’s seat), electric starter, road headlight. charging control lamp and box for six fuses. The means of communication included only an intercom for the driver and commander of the vehicle. The radio station was not installed due to lack of space in the case.
The 8.8cm PaK 43 L / 71 gun was mounted on a pedestal mount, which was attached to a U-shaped beam mounted across the hull. The design of the pedestal made it possible to fire in a circular sector, however, firing on the move was not allowed. To protect against bullets from light small arms, an armored shield with a sheet thickness of 5 mm was installed.
To increase bullet resistance, the frontal sheet was installed at a large angle of inclination. In the stowed position, the barrel of the gun was fixed using a special scissor-like support fixed to the front hull plate. The ammunition load consisted of 32 shots: 6 shells were in a box on the inside of the shield and another 12 shells were placed in boxes in the rear of the hull.
The crew of the self-propelled gun Ardelta consisted of four people. The driver’s seat and controls were located in front of the case on the left side. For observation, a hatch was used in the roof of the hull, and in a combat position, the review could only be carried out through a viewing slot in the armored shield. The gunner was located to the left of the gun, while the commander and loader were placed on the seats at the rear of the vehicle. In order to simplify the design, heating and lighting chosen path and already in August the self-propelled gun was presented to A. Hitler along with other competitors, of crew jobs, were absent.
Tests of the second prototype, which took place in the summer of 1944 at the ground forces training ground in Hillersleben, confirmed the correctness of the
Despite the fact that the Ardelt design did not provide for a transition to a field carriage, it was she who was chosen for mass production. The self-propelled gun turned out to be much more technologically advanced, had the smallest possible dimensions and acceptable driving performance.
THE KIT:
Trumpeter is an old prolific model company based in Macau, China. They manufacture all manner of plastic 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 the weapons carrier backed into a large door opening in a damaged concrete building.
It is in a wave pattern camouflage of a base of earth-yellow with green waves. No markings are shown. Two crewmen are looking out the top, They both wear field-grey uniforms. One wears a steel helmet and the other crewman wears a cloth field cap with a bill.
Coming out another smaller door opening with its door is nocked-down are 2 German infantry-men. Both dressed in field-grey uniforms, with their trousers bloused over low shoes and they wear steel helmets. One is armed with a 98K carbine and the other is armed with a MP40 submachine gun.
Trumpeter is an old prolific model company based in Macau, China. They manufacture all manner of plastic 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 the weapons carrier backed into a large door opening in a damaged concrete building.
It is in a wave pattern camouflage of a base of earth-yellow with green waves. No markings are shown. Two crewmen are looking out the top, They both wear field-grey uniforms. One wears a steel helmet and the other crewman wears a cloth field cap with a bill.
Coming out another smaller door opening with its door is nocked-down are 2 German infantry-men. Both dressed in field-grey uniforms, with their trousers bloused over low shoes and they wear steel helmets. One is armed with a 98K carbine and the other is armed with a MP40 submachine gun.
One side panel of the box begins with a one-paragraph history of the weapons-carrier, in English and Chinese. Followed by color illustrations of the copper tube, ammo, metal gun barrel and 2 PE frets in the kit. Copyright for the kit is 2011, over Trumpeter’s street address in Macau, China and their web address.
The other side panel shows a color illustration of a 4-view profile of the weapons-carrier in the box art scheme. Followed by: This product is not a toy. This product is suitable for ages over 14 only. In multiple languages, including English. Made in China. A round symbol, that means: Not suitable for children under 3 is shown.
WHAT’S IN THE BOX:
The kit holds 13 tan parts trees and a tan hull tub part. A whopping 144 dark-green trees. Two brass PE frets, a metal gun barrel and a brass tube.
Twenty four of the dark-green trees are in 4 sealed clear cello bags that hold 6 trees each.
One hundred and twenty dark green trees, that are 2 parts per tree are in another sealed clear cello bag.
The brass PE frets are in another sealed cello bag, with a stiff card to keep them from bending.
The decal sheet is in another sealed cello bag.
The hull tub part, decal sheet, brass tube, metal gun barrel and the PE frets are all packaged in a small cardboard tray at one end of the box.
The tan parts trees are not cello bagged.
There are 2 instructions.
The main instructions consist of a staple bound booklet of 12 pages in 7 ½” x 10 ½” page format.
Page 1 begins with a black and white side view illustration of the weapons-carrier in the box art scheme, over READ BEFORE ASSEMBLY instructions, international assembly symbol explanations and decal application instructions in English and Chinese.
Page 2 is the parts -trees illustrations.
Page 3 through to page 12 shows 12 assembly steps.
The second-instructions consists of a single-sheet, printed in color on one-side of slick-coated paper. It is the painting guide. Mr. Color brand of paints are suggested.
It shows a 5 view profile illustration in color of the box art scheme.
Tan letter A tree holds: the turret parts etc. (15 parts) 4 parts are blacked out in the parts trees illustrations. Meaning they are excess and not needed to complete the kit. These parts are the two fenders, a hull roof panel with doors in it and a large round part.
The kit holds 13 tan parts trees and a tan hull tub part. A whopping 144 dark-green trees. Two brass PE frets, a metal gun barrel and a brass tube.
Twenty four of the dark-green trees are in 4 sealed clear cello bags that hold 6 trees each.
One hundred and twenty dark green trees, that are 2 parts per tree are in another sealed clear cello bag.
The brass PE frets are in another sealed cello bag, with a stiff card to keep them from bending.
The decal sheet is in another sealed cello bag.
The hull tub part, decal sheet, brass tube, metal gun barrel and the PE frets are all packaged in a small cardboard tray at one end of the box.
The tan parts trees are not cello bagged.
There are 2 instructions.
The main instructions consist of a staple bound booklet of 12 pages in 7 ½” x 10 ½” page format.
Page 1 begins with a black and white side view illustration of the weapons-carrier in the box art scheme, over READ BEFORE ASSEMBLY instructions, international assembly symbol explanations and decal application instructions in English and Chinese.
Page 2 is the parts -trees illustrations.
Page 3 through to page 12 shows 12 assembly steps.
The second-instructions consists of a single-sheet, printed in color on one-side of slick-coated paper. It is the painting guide. Mr. Color brand of paints are suggested.
It shows a 5 view profile illustration in color of the box art scheme.
Tan letter A tree holds: the turret parts etc. (15 parts) 4 parts are blacked out in the parts trees illustrations. Meaning they are excess and not needed to complete the kit. These parts are the two fenders, a hull roof panel with doors in it and a large round part.
Tan letter B tree holds: the hull top front panel, radio, storage box , dashboard etc. (26 parts)
There are 2 identical tan letter C trees that hold: road wheels, drive sprockets, idler wheels, leaf springs etc. (28 parts ea.)
Tan letter D tree holds engine housings etc. (15 parts)
Tan letter E tree holds: the gun barrel and many small fittings (51 parts)
Tan letter F tree holds:2 wood ammo storage boxes with lids, a cross bar (7 parts)
Lettering jumps to the tan letter N and 2 letter P trees that are co-joined. They hold: tools, jack, canteens, 2 MP40’s, shovel, tow hooks, notek lamp, tow cable ends etc. (51 parts together)
Lettering jumps again to the 2 dark-green trees that are both lettered as T.
One are identical trees that hold ammo rounds, packed 6 each to 4 clear sealed cello bags.
One are identical trees that hold ammo rounds, packed 6 each to 4 clear sealed cello bags.
The other letter T trees are individual track links. That are 2 parts per trees for a grand total of 120 parts, packed in a clear cello bag.
Next is the alternate to the plastic one metal gun barrel. The brass tube, decal sheet and 2 brass PE frets.
Detail is excellent.
There are no crew figures included, and for an open-topped vehicle like this Trumpeter should have included some.
Otherwise highly recommended.
There are no crew figures included, and for an open-topped vehicle like this Trumpeter should have included some.
Otherwise highly recommended.