West Wind Productions
United Kingdom
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| Cost: | £14.00. |
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| Stated Scale: | 1:60th. |
| Mixes best with: | Several of the ranges out there... |
| Long Review: | The subject of this review is the riveted version of the SdKfz 251 Ausf C halftrack, always a useful addition to any German force (and, quite oddly, also for some units of late-war Russians, who used many captured German vehicles to alleviate material shortages). The choice of vehicles is good- the "C" model was introduced in 1940, and officially phased out in 1943, but many soldiered on to the end of the war. This particular model is cast entirely in white metal, consisting of a left and right hull, the MG shield and two MGs. While I applaud the method of sculpting, I must say that I'm more than a little puzzled by the position of the joint line- it runs dead centre from the front to the back, splitting the model into near-mirror-image left and right halves. This means that there is an ugly (and VERY hard-to-fill) joint line on several flat plates with details cast on them. When seen in conjunction with some slight deformation of the metal, the joints are really a problem. The fact that the metal around these joins is rather thick, though, means that bending it straight is not really an option, as the parts will probably be damaged quite badly in the process. I, personally, would have tried to hide the join along a natural join line. That aside, the model is actually very good. The detail on the wheels and tracks is brilliant, and the metal is quite thin where required.The other (minor) quibble is that the magazines on the MGs are on the wrong side. |
| Commentary: | A great little kit for the mid-war Germans. |
| Historical Accuracy: |  Very Good. |
| Scale: |  Width-wise it scales out at 1:58, length at 1:60, which I'd say are pretty close to spot on. |
| Sculpting: | Good. |
| Casting: | Good. |
| Sources: | Purchased to complement my figure collection. |
| Sculptors: | Andy Rawlings |
| Other reviews for this company: | See the reviews: |
Assorted additional images of the vehicle
These shots show the two halves again, and the picture on the right shows the really nasty join on the engine deck and front plate. Due to the rivet detail and smal access plates this will really be a pain to fill.