1:35 WWII German FlaKPanzer V COELIAN (For DRAGON 9022)

Flakpanzer V Coelian 1:35 — photo-etched set from Voyager Model

This is an aftermarket detail set from the Chinese manufacturer Voyager Model in 1:35 scale. The set is cut for the Dragon 9022 plastic kit and serves to refine it; on its own it does not make up a model. The basis is photo-etched brass sheet from which the parts replacing the plastic originals are cut out and bent. The exact scope of the set and the number of parts can be found from the contents of the package.

The real subject

The Flakpanzer V Coelian was a German project for an anti-aircraft vehicle built on the chassis of the Panther tank. The design called for a closed rotating turret with a pair of 3.7 cm automatic cannons, which were to cover armored units against low-flying aircraft. The project never reached series production; what actually came into being was limited to a wooden mock-up of the turret mounted on a chassis. For the modeler it is therefore a build from design documentation, not from a machine used in action.

Why photo-etched parts instead of plastic

The main benefit of photo-etched parts is thickness. An injection mold cannot produce sheet thinner than roughly half a millimeter, so plastic grilles, covers and sheet-metal rims look unnaturally heavy in scale. Photo-etched brass is tenths of a millimeter thick and, once painted, comes across as real sheet metal. Before bending, it pays to anneal the brass briefly over a flame and let it cool; the material softens, the bend is crisp and the part does not crack. Bend in a bending tool or between two blades, never in your fingers.

Who the set is for

• Modelers who already have the matching kit and want to take it beyond the contents of the box
• Builders of German armor with an interest in prototypes and project vehicles
• Those who work with tweezers, a bending tool and cyanoacrylate
• Competition builds, where fidelity to scale in thin parts is judged

The set is an accessory for a plastic kit and is not a standalone model. The kit, glue, paints and tools are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.