There is very little online about the Henschel 33D1 Kfz. 72. I did find a few black and white pictures, but my own library added nothing.

The kit comprises 7 sprues in yellow plastic, one of clear plastic, a small decal sheet, and a 13 page instruction sheet. The instruction sheet has a two-paragraph background, a color chart (Model Master), a parts map (showing unused parts), 34 steps of construction, and color and marking profiles for two trucks. The instructions are very well drawn and mostly clear, with some painting call outs.

Construction begins with the engine, which is very nicely done, and then progresses to the frame and suspension. This is where the problems started for me. The plastic used is a bit on the brittle side. Some of the sprue attachment points are very heavy, sometimes intruding onto the part its self. Most suspension parts (and there are a lot of them) are very small and fragile. As careful as I was, getting the parts off the sprues was a challenge.

Attachment points were sometimes nonexistent and many times so small that there is little chance of the glue holding. The wheels, for instance, are glued to a very short stub and several couldn’t hold. The braces for the running boards are hard to get off the sprue and clean up, and are also too fragile to hold the weight. I spent a lot of time reinforcing, repairing, and replacing parts. Each front fender is attached to the frame with a single tab, but the slot is too small, or the tab is too large, and when you get to this point in the instructions doing either is a pain.

The cab has peddles, levers, steering wheel, emergency brake, heater, and door handles. Very nice. The doors are separate. The fit is good too. The grill shell is empty inside, so you have no radiator if you decide to open the hood. To open the hood, you will have to do some cutting. There is a stowage rack for the cab roof. There are clear lenses for the headlights and running lights. All the clear parts a very clear. In the review pictures, you will notice I cleverly dullcoated the cab without masking the windows. I left the “glass” out of the doors to show the interior.

The house body just falls together. Before it does, be sure to open the holes in parts C1-15 and C2-16. It’s a real pain to do after the glue has dried. The side and back door are separate. I left the roof unglued because this puppy needs an interior. There is a large stowage rack for the roof of the house body. The whole thing sits perfectly on the truck frame.

The small decal sheet has markings for two trucks circa 1939. It includes number plates, fender markings, and faces for the dashboard. I tried to place 3 decals (all of which fell apart) and then gave up. I cut out the remaining number plates and glued them in place.

It worked, I win.

This kit has some excellent detail and is a great subject. But the brittle plastic, poor attachment points, and disintegrating decals are all a problem. It sure looks great when you finish it, but if it hadn’t been a review kit, I may not have finished it. I can recommend this kit only to experienced builders with good tools and a large spares box.

I would like to thank MMD-Squadron and IPMS USA for the review sample.