Plastic 8.8cm Flak 37
Warlord Games (with Italeri) has released an 8.8cm Flak 37 AA gun in 1/56, the classic early war dual purpose gun which saw service until 1945.
The kit comes as two plastic sprues with a metal gun crew. The crew are one piece castings (no separate heads). Transfers are included (for kill rings) and a Bolt Action stats card for the gun.
As you can see, it is very well detailed. Assembly took approximately half an hour at a leisurely pace. All the parts fit together very well.
The gun elevates, so it can be built in 'flak' mode. I suspect when undercoat and paint is applied, it might be easier to glue the gun into a set position than risk flaking paint off.
There was a minor mistake in the numbering of the instructions and a few mould lines required cleaning up. No limber carriage is provided. Plastic has several advantages over a metal. The plastic '88 has better detail, fits together much better than the metal one and weighs much less.
The kit has an optional gunshield (loosely fitted here) and four spare shells with four shell cylinders. These spares can be used to decorate the base or for miniature conversions. Seven crew are provided in the box (one seated and six standing). The crew are 27mm 'foot to eye' or 30mm tall.
Overall this is a welcome addition to the Bolt Action range for German commanders, whether fighting in France, Russia, North Africa or for Normandy. Price £25.
