SDV Model

Kit Number 87034

Sd. Kfz. 138 Ausf. H “Marder” III

1/87 scale “Limited Series”

Reviewed By James Kelley, #42106

Available through Fidelis Models

SDV Model, a family run business in the Czech Republic since 1989, has produced a line of HO scale (1/87) AFVs in a limited run (1000 copies each) fashion. Specializing in HO scale models aimed at the gaming and Model Railroad enthusiasts, their inventory ranges from numerous military to civilian vehicles to structures. The focus of this article will be the Marder III.

The box this kit arrived in was a fairly standard lid-type box, not Trumpeter-sturdy, but not flimsy either. Upon opening it, I saw that the kit was loosely packaged in a single, clear plastic bag which was free to slide around the box during transport. The kit consists of 62 pieces on 7 sprues of dark green plastic, and my sample had 3 loose pieces. As is often common with limited run kits, there will be some cleanup involved with this project, as there is a generous amount of flash on most pieces, including some of the very small ones. The flash is pretty thin, but again, there is a fair amount of it present. A few of the pieces, such as the main weapon’s shield, seem a bit thick for scale, and most of the rivets seem a bit large. On that note, however, I will add that for such a small model, the level of detail presented is very nice. The inside of the fighting compartment has several molded-in details, and there are numerous, separate hooks/handles/etc. Separate tools are included, too.

The instructions are printed on 8.5 x 11” paper, folded and stapled into an A4-sized pamphlet. They appear to be copies of an original sheet, and assembly diagrams are black and white sketches of the model in logical progression order. They are also vague in several areas with regards to exact location of numerous pieces. 3 black & white photos of a Marder III are included, as well as 9 artistic profiles of the Marder in each of the camouflage schemes/decal options available. Overall, the instructions diagrams have a few areas which apparently did not copy well, adding to the potential ambiguity of the process. A brief historical profile on the front page is written in Czech. A table of construction symbols is presented in 4 languages (Czech, Deutsch, English, & French). The decal sheet contains options for 9 AFVs, and appears to be in very nice register.

All in all, with a bit of work this kit will build into a nice representation of the Marder III. Overall accuracy seems to be retained in comparison with photos, and the level of detail is acceptable. Considering the price, I can recommend this kit to small-armor enthusiasts with some experience working with limited run kits.

My thanks to John Noack, 1st VP IPMS/USA, and SDV Model for the review sample!

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