THE KIT

Here is another of those obscure vehicles that makes its way into Cyber-Hobby Boxes. It is basically a combination of the standard SdKfz 138 (t) Grille M with the Flak 38/103 Jaboschreck. This is one of their limited release kits and like many of them, provides not only new parts, but a passle of extras as they have used many sprues previously found in kits of the gun and the AFV that have been done earlier.  

This is a Smart Kit which means a lot of parts and nicely done photo etch as well. Rather than have me stumble through the features, here is what Dragon has to say about it:

- Brand new mounted version of 3cm Flak 103/380.
- Detailed ammo box and photo-etched brackets.
- Fully detailed 3cm Flak 103/38 assembly.
- Slide-molded gun barrel with hollow muzzle end.
- Flash suppressor and muzzle brake reproduced in plastic and photo-etched parts.
- 3cm ammunition clip and spare rounds have subtle detail.
- Detailed ammo box and photo-etched brackets.
- Delicately detailed gun sight.
- New gun pedestal for 3cm Flak 103/38.
- Newly designed 3cm Flak 103/38 gun cradle.
- Driver's compartment with interior detail-transmission and engine.
- Fighting compartment with full interior detail.
- Ultra-slim injection-molded armor plates.
- Spent-shell case frame and preformed photo-etched mess included.
- Fine detail on gunner's seat.
- Accurately reproduced hard rail has two options.
- Fully detailed upper hull with driver's hatch.
- Sharply detailed hand wheels have optional photo-etched parts.
- Fine detail on gunner's seat.
- Nut and bolt detail on armor plates realistically rendered.
- Slide-molded one-piece chassis with delicate detail.
- Crisp detail on sprockets and idler wheels.
- Accurately reproduced handrail has two options.
- Photo-etched rain guard for radio.
- Delicate detail on Fu5-Gerate 10W.S.h. transmitter and UkwEh receiver with transformer.
- Magic tracks with casting-number detail etched on every link.
- Rear armor plate can be assembled open-closed.
- Weather tarp supports finely reproduced.
- Firing-data board, cartridge storage, rifle rack and tool storage with carefully defined detail.
- Cartridge storage has full detail.
- 98k rifle rack accurately represented by photo-etched parts.

Of course, the instructions are superbly done with the usual Gunze and Model Master paint references. There are no specialized decals with this one, only a set of standard crosses. These are not shown as used as the kit is based on photos of a single vehicle used during the Prague Uprising of 1945. This is in standard Panzer Yellow with Brown variegated camouflage edged in green. Should be fun to paint.

The box touts hours of modeling enjoyment and that is a certainty thanks to the good engineering and hundreds of parts that will go into this one. For sure, it will be an interesting variant to those who are into collecting models of this particular AFV.