Dragon 6342

Dragon: Flakpanzer IV Ausf. G “Wirbelwind” Reviews

Dragon has produced a fantastic 1/35 scale plastic kit of the Flakpanzer IV Wirbelwind. The kit depicts an Early Production version of the antiaircraft platform based on a Panzer IV Ausf.G chassis.

All associated detail of the open-topped turret, hull and running gear is accurately represented in true-to-scale miniature. The kit utilizes Dragon’s highly acclaimed kit of the 2cm Flakvierling 38 weapon system, a finely detailed replica of the original four-barreled gun. Inside the box, modelers will find many slide-molded plastic components, as well as the convenience of Magic Tracks, plus some photo-etched parts such as the cage for spent shell cases. This latest kit from Dragon allows modelers to easily create any specific vehicle from the Flakpanzer IV Wirbelwind family.

The flakvierling is recent tooling with crisp features such as the gun cradle, hand wheels, gun sight and ammunition clips and feeders. The gunner’s seat is attached to the flak via an arm which has the option of PE or plastic parts. One crew seat is attached to the turret shell as are two racks of ammunition clips (clips included). The 20mm barrels are single piece slide-moldings with hollow muzzle opening that have the flash suppressors on the side are represented by indentations. While I expect that some modelers will replace these with metal ones, they are crisper than several one-piece metal flak barrels that I’ve seen….

- Neville Lord

The turret is a DML gem in that they split it vertically at the joint between the front five panels and the elongated rear three panels. The upper sections are respectively thin – DML’s “Razor Edge” moldings – and the joint here is easier to hide than the old horizontal splits used by Monogram and Tamiya. The turret race fitting for the upper race is molded as part of the front section, a truly unique design. The 2 cm Flakvierling 38 has new guns with slide molded barrels and flash hiders. As with previous DML antiaircraft gun offerings, there are different sight articulation bars provided for setting the guns at either 0 or 60 degrees elevation, but the guns will not move if the bars are used. A number of magazines and ammo racks for the installation…

- Cookie Sewell

Moving on….sprue E(1) contains the parts for the superstructure and is from an earlier Pz.IV kit, but not the one supplied in 6540. Sprue D holds the parts for the turret race, and fighting compartment floor and interior, and is identical to that supplied in 6540. E(2) is the left-hand half of the sprue E that was supplied in 6540, therefore omitting some superstructure elements plus parts intended for a turreted Pz.IV. H. Sprue G(1) follows the same pattern, in that it represents the left-hand side of a complete sprue that was supplied in 6540. Nearly all of its parts are marked as ‘Not for use’, just a few tiny parts being used for the vision ports and kugelblende….

- Vinnie Branigan

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