1:700 Set of 16 pcs 3,7 cm Flak 42 gun barrels for German war ships

3.7 cm Flak 42 barrels for German ships 1:700 — Aber

A set of sixteen turned metal barrels in 1:700 scale from the Polish maker Aber. It is a detail accessory, not a kit: the turned barrels will replace the plastic parts of the anti-aircraft guns of 37 mm caliber on models of German warships. The result is a sharp thin barrel with the correct cross section, which injection-molded plastic cannot imitate in this scale.

The real subject

The naval anti-aircraft gun of 37 mm caliber designated Flak 42, or M42, was a fully automatic weapon that in the second half of the war replaced the older semi-automatic pattern. A higher rate of fire was to answer the growing air threat to surface ships. It was mounted on destroyers, cruisers and auxiliary vessels, usually in single mountings spread over the superstructures.

Fitting and painting tips

Cut the plastic barrel off as close to the mounting as possible with a sharp scalpel and level the surface with a file. Drill the hole for the pin of the metal barrel with a micro drill gradually, in small steps, so that the thin plastic does not tear. Glue with cyanoacrylate glue in a really small amount, as any excess shows at once in this scale. Degrease the metal before painting and lay down a base coat intended for metals, otherwise neither acrylic nor enamel will hold. Fit the barrels only once the superstructures have been painted, so that they do not get bent while the model is handled.

Who the set is for

• Builders of Kriegsmarine models in 1:700 scale
• Modelers building ships in a late-war armament configuration
• More experienced modelers used to working with small metal parts
• Collectors of Second World War surface ships

This is a detail accessory, not a complete kit of a ship. Glue, paints and the base model are not included in the package.