This is indeed a one of a kind armored vehicle. I think that only a single prototype was ever built. After some successful tests of Grille artillery in the Italian Front a decision was made to test a Flak 37 on a heavily modified Panther chassis. I think it even reached the prototype stage.

When you open the box you will find more plastic than for the average model, as all the parts for the Flak 37 are provided by Dragon Models and the chassis, armored sides and running gear is provided by Bronco. There are over 60 sprues and two small photo-etch frets.

Instructions are very clear, probably CAD line drawings generated from the actual CAD design for the molds. The overall surface detail is outstanding, as the accompanying pictures show. Detail is not limited to the armored vehicle as you also get tarps, bags, helmets and rifles but not figures are provided.

Ray Rimell’s follow up to ‘Hawa’! Volume 1 dives deeper into the Hannover CL. II and its variants. The cover features a Stan Stokes painting of a Hannover in action over the front lines. Ronny Bar contributes nine color side profiles, all up to his normal high standards. Mick Davis grabs the pullout centerfold with general arrangement line drawings of the Hannover CL.IIIa and the Hannover CL. III (Merc.). For those of you that still dabble in that odd 1/72 scale, Mick Davis also provides you with drawings of the same two aircraft. I counted seven color photos of the 180-hp Opel (Argus) motor located at the Science Museum in London. There are also an additional 54 black and white photos and over 150 drawings of the airplane components. Ian Stair provides a 1/48 general arrangement drawing of the Hannover CL. V along with fuselage sections and a few detail drawings.

Background

The F-15 emerged from a design study started in the early 1960s called the FX program. When the missile centered American designs of the late 1940s and 50s proved vulnerable to seemingly less advanced Soviet Migs over Vietnam, and after the unveiling of the Mig 25, the U.S. started a concentrated effort to build the next generation of fighters. Centered around the energy maneuverability theory the new designs would have very high thrust to weight ratios. That’s what the F-15 (and F-14, F-16 and F-18) would eventually achieve. Built around two Pratt and Whitney F-100 engines that allow the aircraft to accelerate in the vertical, the F-15 and associated new generation U.S. fighters outclassed any opposition at the time. In 1976 a specially prepared F-15 called the Streak Eagle broke eight time to climb records previously held by the Mig 25. A year prior the Japanese Self Defense Force came looking for a replacement for their F-104 and F-4s.