1:72 Flakpanzer 3.7mm Flakvierling Auf Panther G341 Fahrgestell

The real subject

In the last years of the war German armored units could no longer defend themselves against Allied aircraft. The answer was to be anti-aircraft tanks, that is vehicles with a rapid-fire weapon in a turret on the chassis of a combat machine, able to keep pace with a column while giving the crew armored protection. Compared with earlier solutions on lighter chassis, the Panther chassis promised better mobility as well as better protection, and a four-barrel set of 3.7 cm guns was planned as the armament.

What came of it

In this form the machine remained a project and never reached combat units. For a modeler that is one more reason to reach for it: it combines a familiar chassis with a turret you will not meet on an ordinary build, and in a collection of late-period German vehicles it makes a striking addition.

Building and painting tips

The 1:72 scale means small and fine parts, above all on the barrels and the turret elements. Work with a sharp blade and a new, still unblunted edge, take the parts off a little way from the mating surface and sand the remainder carefully. Dry-fit the assembly, above all the seating of the turret on the hull. Wash and degrease the model before painting. Three-tone schemes over a dark yellow base are typical of late-period German vehicles, and on them the shadows between the road wheels and a light dusting of the running gear show to advantage.

• scale 1:72, a plastic kit
• subject: a German anti-aircraft tank on the Panther chassis
• the armament of the real machine: a four-barrel set of 3.7 cm guns
• a project that never reached the units
• small parts, suited to modelers with experience of the small scale

Terms of supply

Paints, glue, filler and decals beyond the contents of the box are not included in the delivery, unless stated otherwise.