Plus Model 1/35 Skoda Type 903 Staff Car
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Background
Many modelers may not be aware of the Skoda Works of Czechoslovakia
or its contributions into the war efforts, and many of their staff and
liaison vehicles may appear familiar but not significant. To put the record
into perspective, the Skoda Works was one of Czechoslovakia's prime producers
of military vehicles, including the LT-35 and LT-38 tanks.
When the Germans seized the Czech territories in the late 1930s, its
industries were pressed into Nazi service. In the case of the Skoda Works,
the LT-35 and LT-38 tanks would become the more familiar PzKpfw 35(t)
and PzKpfw 38(t) (respectively) and serve as the chassis for such vehicles
as the Marder and Hetzer.
In the early 1940s, the Skoda Works developed the Type 903 Staff Car
for use by Army. Adapted from its civilian automotive designs, the Type
903 was conscripted into Wehrmacht service and was well suited to moving
staff officers around areas that had little in the way of reliable roads.
The Kit
The
folks at Plus Model continue to amaze me with their craftsmanship. This
latest offering, the Skoda Type 903, is the closest thing I've seen to
an injection-molded plastic kit that is still resin-based. The one-piece
body, complete with windshield frame, is something I'm used to seeing
in a plastic kit but I've never seen this done in resin before. The molding
and detailing are as crisp and finely scribed as ever.
The same is true with the other resin parts in this kit. There is a
load of detail under the hood, including a six-cylinder engine nicely
cast in resin with a photo-etched radiator fan. The radiator and grille
assembly is also a beautiful combination of resin and photo-etch.
Construction of the kit is very straightforward, with only a minimum
of cutting and sanding to remove the resin parts from their mold-sprues.
Despite the natural tendency to think this is a plastic kit, assembly
will require the exclusive use of cyno-based adhesives.
The completed staff car can be posed with the convertible top up or
down. In the down position, there is a resin part that represents the
stowed top. In the up position, a vacuformed top is provided to accurately
portray the thickness and look of the fabric top.
Markings are also provided for some of the detail under the hood, the
instrument cluster on the dash board and for marking the vehicle in service.
Two sets of Wehrmacht markings are provided, one of which was in an overall
yellow finish and the other in an overall panzer gray finish.
Conclusion
This is an amazing bit of resin-cast engineering. The modeler interested
in the German WW2 era will want to take a closer look at this kit as there
are no other kits of these staff cars in existence.
As
a sidebar to this review, Plus Model packages their kits very nicely and
I've yet to see one arrive here in damaged condition, even though it is
shipped via standard mail from the Czech Republic. The problem is that
once you've removed the kit from the original box, you'll never get it
back in there the same way again. I've solved the problem through recycling!
I take an empty cigar box, transfer the contents of the kit (including
the bubble wrap packaging) into the box, and tape the kit label from the
original box onto the lid of the cigar box for future identification.
I do this with other delicate kits and this method gives me a safe, robust
and stackable storage solution.
If you're wanting some unique subjects to build or you're wanting an
authentic command car to park next to your Hetzer, then this is the kit
for you. This kit is recommended!
My sincere thanks to Plus Model
for this review sample!
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