1:35 L4500A mit 5cm Flak 41 I

L4500A with the 5 cm Flak 41 (1:35, Trumpeter)

This injection-molded plastic kit captures the German heavy truck L4500A with a 5 cm Flak 41 anti-aircraft gun on the bed. It is a self-propelled anti-aircraft solution in which the gun was mounted on the load bed of a truck. The model from Trumpeter offers rich detail, photo-etched parts and a fully buildable gun with adjustable elevation. The combination of a civilian-derived chassis and a powerful weapon makes the model an unusual and striking subject.

The real subject

The L4500A was a German heavy truck with all-wheel drive, used by the Wehrmacht in a number of roles. The 5 cm Flak 41 was an automatic medium-caliber anti-aircraft gun intended against low-flying targets. Mounting it on a truck chassis made it possible to move and deploy firepower quickly wherever it was needed. The vehicle belongs among the less usual improvised anti-aircraft solutions of the late war.

Building and painting tips

First assemble the chassis, the frame and the cab; build the gun and its mounting as a separate unit and place it on the bed at the end. Glue the plastic with thin modeling cement and the photo-etched parts with cyanoacrylate. Apply a primer and spray with an airbrush; dark yellow with camouflage patches suits a late-war machine. Bring out the panel lines and the mechanism of the gun with a wash and the edges with a dry brush. Dust and mud on the chassis and the tires are built up with pigments.

Who the model is for

• For collectors of German anti-aircraft and transport vehicles.
• For modelers looking for an unusual self-propelled solution.
• For builders of dioramas on late-war themes.
• For intermediate and advanced builders.

The model is supplied unassembled and unpainted. Glue, paints and accessories are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.