Eduard 1/35 Flakpanzer 38t Gepard Interior (Italeri) #36047
By Don Barry
36047 Flakpanzer 38t Gepard Interior
This set consists of 2 frets, one 5 ½" x 3", with 128 parts, and one 5 1/2 " x 3 ½", with 166 parts, making 294 parts in all. There is also a clear film piece with 3 dial faces for the driver's panel. The instructions are on 2 sheets (3 ½ pages) of black and white line drawings showing what goes where, how to fold, and what kit parts to alter or replace.
One fret is primarily parts for the 20 mm gun and it's mount, including parts to make the spent shell catcher, the various gun shields, the flash hider, magazine tray, and base plate details. The shell catcher netting shows fine woven texture, and there is a row of beautiful wing nuts (which need to be folded and twisted!) Pieces are also included to detail the gun sight and the elevation and traverse hand wheels. The other fret is primarily for the vehicle itself, with spare barrel case, transmission details and linkage pieces, firewall details, radio faceplates and frames, and assorted latches, brackets, straps and fasteners. The outer frames of both frets have the customary hex-shaped holes to make bolt heads with. The transmission linkages are a bit of a challenge, using bits of plastic rod along with the etched pieces to make the distinctive Skoda style shifting mechanism, but it turns out very nice. The same goes for the driver's panel, hidden under the armored housing of the front hatch. Nice, but hard to see on the model. But we know it's in there, right?
Conclusion