The VsKfz 617 Minenraumer is the first entry in Meng’s Stegosaurus series.

The VsKfz 617 never got out of the prototype phase. The first one was completed in 1942, jointly designed by Alkett, Krupp, and Daimler-Benz. Only the vehicle captured by the Russians survives today.

The model comes in a sturdy box with all sprues individually bagged. The hull top and bottom are in a separate compartment, as is the turret. The track parts are in two plastic trays, keeping everything neat.

The instructions comprise a 14 page booklet with a color drawing of a minenraumer on the front. The first page has a discussion of the unclear history of the vehicle. Page 3 through 12 contain the 19 step instructions, all very clearly drawn, with no step being too busy or confusing. Page 13 is a nicely done parts map, and page 14 has 3-color drawings showing possible camouflage schemes.

Construction is very straightforward, beginning with the hull. All hatches are separate; however, there is no interior detail. The track pads have metal plates molded inside of them to give a feeling of weight. The tracks are simple to build and fit around the wheels easily. You will need to drill 2 holes in the lower hull for the steering chains provided in the kit.

The final part of the build is the Panzer 1 turret. A separate hatch has some interior detail, but there is no other detail in the turret. There are no figures in the kit but, if you want to place one in the turret, you will need to build a support for him to stand on, as it’s a long scale drop to the bottom of the hull. You might also want to drill out the two machine gun barrels.

When it comes to painting the model, no one is sure of the proper color. This leaves the modeler open to use his/her imagination. I had considered antirust red, but settled on German Grey. Looking back, I wish I had gone with the red. Maybe next time.

I finished building this model in one sitting (about 6 hours) and painted it the next day. There are no decals with the kit.

This is a great kit! Different, fun to build, and big! I can recommend it to any modeler, although younger folks may need a little help with the tracks and a few smaller pieces.

I would like to thank Stevens International and Meng Models for the review kit and IPMS/USA for the opportunity to review it