History

The Sonderkraftfahrzeng 8 was a German half-track that saw wide spread use during World War II. Its prime purpose was to tow heavy guns. Approximately 4,000 units were built between 1938 and 1945. It fought in many campaigns, mainly Eastern Front, North Africa, Normandy, and many more.

Construction

Initially I started with the chassis buildup, assembling as well as pre-painting the side frame, bogies, and axles. Next came the assembly of the engine, transmission, and drive shaft, together with the bogie wheels and main drive wheels. At this time, I mounted these units (after pre-painting) to the chassis. The idler wheel assembly was a little tricky as the center wheels were trapped between the outer wheels, therefore, no gluing was necessary. Assembly of the front wheels and hubs was next. Assembly of the lower body was completed, adding interior details. I then assembled the upper body (pre-painting both units, as well). The lower body was attached to the chassis first, as the firewall and steering column had to go together at this time. NOTE: In order to get the body past the engine and steering mechanism, some modification was made, namely removing material from the under portion of the body shell. At this time, I added the upper portion of the body to the lower portion. I left the hatch assemblies until last. NOTE: These hatches were left open so that some of the interior detail could be viewed.

Paint

Acrylics by Tamiya. Lacquer by Floquil and Model Master. Paint went on well. After a few days of drying time, I added the decals. Three decals (the crosses) were added that were not in this kit. The entire model was over-coated with Testor’s dullcote. NOTE: I weathered the undercarriage and body with Micro Mark rust and dust.

Conclusion

The kit went together well. There were many tiny parts. The kit is for the more experienced modeler.

I wish to thank Trumpeter (Stevens International) and IPMS for allowing me to review this kit.