Wednesday 25 January 2017

Zvezda 1/72 20mm Flak38 AA Gun - Part 2

I feel a little mean just posting this meagre piece up, but it does emphasise just how quick it is to build this kit...


Ta-da! And it was done. The little Zvezda Flak 38 went together in minutes, and there weren't any issues. Well, unless you count my inability to handle tiny parts without breaking them that is!

If I have any criticism (and this is sort of similar to my niggle about their Bofors model) it is that you cannot elevate or depress the gun, it's in a fixed position. Other than that though, a nice little kit with a reasonable amount of detail.

One thing, though, in future I may start priming intricate little kits like this on the sprue before I put them together. Priming the model now it's together will be a little challenging, with all its nooks and crannies.

Flak 38 in Transportation Mode
As with my Bofors AA gun, under the Rapid Fire war game rules, I should really make a version of this model to represent the gun in its transportation mode (towed configuration). As mentioned in the first part of this project journal, the Zvezda kit does not come with the wheeled carriage to represent it 'mobile', so I had to source this. Luckily, I already had this model as part of a separate purchase I had made...


The above photo shows the Altaya Flak 38 that came with their Steyr 1500 light truck, a happy coincidence (I bought the Steyr for use as a command vehicle). The model is a wee bit rough round the edges but should clean up well enough for my use.

One noticeable difference between the Altaya and my Zvezda Flak 38 is the inclusion of a gunners shield just in front of the reflector sight. This may be a because the Altaya model is based on a later variant of the AA gun, in any case, it's easy enough to remove.

Next: Modelling the crew and priming the guns.

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