Chieftain Models
United Kingdom
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| Cost: | £18.00. |
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| Stated Scale: | 1:56th. |
| Mixes best with: | Several of the ranges out there..., but made in conjunction with Artizan (crews by Arizan) |
| Long Review: | Designed with all wheel drive and steering, the chassis was extremely advanced for its time and gave the vehicle excellent cross country performance. The first vehicle in the series was the SdKfz 231 (8-rad). Introduced in 1937, by late 1940 it had all but replaced its predecessor, the SdKfz 231 (6-rad). Improvements over the earlier series included a new superstructure, which was of all welded construction and following combat experience the armor thickness was also increased to 30mm. In addition the vehicle was also fitted with a radio, where its predecessor had not. This 'big' gem is (as is the Chieftain style), an all-metal kit of the standard early-war German armoured car. The parts all fit together extremely well, some even being almost friction-fit. The degree of craftsmanship is evident in every part, from the hull to the smallest detail fitting. The sheer number of small extras can appear somewhat overwhelming when first looking at the kit, but the way the hull and mudguards are broken down actually makes a lot of sense, as it allows the complex shape to be easily and accurately reproduced. The many extra bits also allow a fair degree of customisation, which is so very typical of the way vehicles were used in the desert. The bits include stowage and a half-figure commander. There are no instructions included in the kit, but they are available for download from the Chieftain Models website. They take the form of what appears to be about a page of clear drawings and instructions. |
| Commentary: | This is another cracker by Chieftain, part of the rapidly-expanding desert war range. |
| Historical Accuracy: |  Very Good. |
| Scale: |  |
| Sculpting: |  Excellent. |
| Casting: | Very Good. |
| Sources: | Part-Purchased for own collection. |
| Sculptors: | Ian Crouch. |
| Other reviews for this company: | See the reviews: |
Assorted additional images of the vehicle:
Pro-painted images of the vehicle
Image courtesy of House-of-Queeg
Image courtesy of House-of-Queeg
Image courtesy of House-of-Queeg
Image courtesy of House-of-Queeg