Zvezda 1:100 Sd.Kfz. 251/1 Stuka Zu Fuss

A closer look at the 1:100 Sonderkraftfahrzeug 251/1 Ausführung B modelkit made by the Russian producer Zvezda for its "Art Of Tactic" wargame range. My mate Olli suggested to make a custom unit card for (future "TANKS" games) for this model, and I agreed. When he ordered this thing I took the opportunity to review it. You may excuse some missing bits, it was some weeks ago when I had this kit in my hand, but I try my best.

Without any words left, let us take a look at the kit which is included in this game expansion:

The kit comes in two grey plastic sprues which are just a little bit softer than the green plastic which is used for Soviet "Art of Tactic" models, maybe it even is the same stuff in grey color, since this plastic is harder than some of the grey plastic I already knew. And do not let me start with the Allied kits for the game. Since their tanks are not included in the current batch of reviews, you may expect to get a closer look at them at the end of the year.

The quality of the cast is great without any sinkholes or ejectormarks which would be seen, when this kit is built. There is minimal amount of flash and moldlines to remove, but this should take no big efford.

As all other Zvezda wargaming kits, this halftrack can be build without the use of glue, but the plastic takes normal modelglue very well and binds pretty fast.

This overall impression for this kit is good, also it is pretty low priced. The overall grade of detail is good compared to its scale. Even the tracks are not bad but they are still kept simplified. I guess that the newer "Art Of Tactic" expansion kits contain better designed tracks. While there are some more Zvezda kit reviews in the pipeline, in some of the next minireviews we will see some of the less detailed tracksets.

I give this kit my thumbs up, and since this was not my kit which is shown in this post, sooner or later this kit will find its way to my workbench.

My mate Olli built the kit and had no issues except for the launcher parts, these things are pretty small and he had to redrill the holes of the rockets to make them fit together properly.

The last picture shows the Zvezda Sd.Kfz. 251 Ausführung B model compared to two (w.i.p.) Plastic Soldier Company Sd.Kfz. 251D (the modernized version of this halftrack), both equipped with some infrared parts made by Heer46.

On a first look the proportions of the models seem almost equal even when they are different versions of this halftracked vehicle. They could be used side by side in any German army. I think, that the rocket launchers could be used on any manufacturers 251 with some little modifications.

When Olli has finished the paintjob, I will take a picture of this and create another custom unit for "TANKS". The inofficial KV-2 expansion for "TANKS" hopefully will be finished on Monday, before it will go online, I will have to get to my local copyshop for a testprint of the new cards.
At the moment I have further 2 (3) Soviet tanks on my desk, if I manage to finish them this weekend, they will get their custom cards too (including some equipment and doctrines), as well as the Maus will.

But before that happens, the next post will take us back to Sassnitz again.