Dragon Models Ltd.

1/72 SdKfz 251/2 Ausf.D mit Wurfrahmen 40

Kit Number: 7310 Armor Pro kit

First Look by  Dennis Tennant, IPMS# 41582

MSRP: $13.95 Dragon's newest 1/72 scale SdKfz 251/2 Ausf. D halftrack is sure to give its share of challenges for all you small scale AFV lovers out there. My first impression when opening this kit was "my, this one's gonna be fiddly!" The box comes packed with seven gray plastic sprues filled with some of the smallest parts I've ever seen in a model kit. So packed that, if you didn't know better, you'd think you were looking at a 1/35 scale kit. The sprues are crisp with no flash or other imperfections visible. I was impressed at the fine seams on the parts - those that are visible will need just a light swipe with a hobby knife to eliminate any trace of a line. That alone should speed assembly and help you build a contest contender right out of the box. In addition to the styrene parts, the tracks are molded in one piece from DS plastic (meaning you'll be able to use regular liquid cement to join the ends and to attach them to the road wheels later). Two pieces of photo etch are also included for the machine gun shield and the rocket aiming panels (these panels are especially fiddly bits so take care!). Rounding out the kit are two sheets of Cartograf decals for standard WWII German markings and vehicle number plates. The machine guns and other crew weapons are exquisitely done and the rocket brackets in particular are so finely molded that careful removal from their sprues will be just as important to the assembly process as their final placement on the model. The 206 plastic pieces in this kit is supposed to build the SkKfz 251/2 Ausf. D version of this rocket-launching halftrack. That's not quite right according to my Squadron Signal 251 In Action references. The 251/2 variant, you see, was a mortar carrier, not a rocket launcher. After a little bit of research, I believe this to be a 251/1 Ausf. D version that has been misidentified by Dragon. This doesn't affect the quality of the kit in my eyes one bit -- just be aware of this tidbit if you plan to enter it in a contest or make a nameplate for the finished model. The road wheels are molded as easily-assembled sub-units -- making alignment and assembly much easier than trying to add and line up 13 individual road wheels on each side! Slide molding was also used in forming the wooden crates that hold the rockets. The crates are molded in two-pieces with just enough wood grain detail to provide, with light drybrushing, a believable wooden appearance in the finished model. The kit has painting instructions and markings for three different Eastern Front halftracks. I can't wait till I have time to start building this little beauty. As 1/72 scale kits go, this one stands out from the crowd for its fine detail and the uniqueness of this particular 251 variant. With all the small bits and pieces and the kit's complex assembly, I'd recommend it to experienced modelers with steady hands. Secure the "carpet monster" before starting on this one! Thanks to the folks at Dragon Models Ltd. for providing IPMS with a review copy of this model.

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