Bronco CB35042 – 3.7cm FlaK 36 mit Sd.Ah.52
Until recently German FlaK guns were poorly served when it came to 1/35 scale kits. For a long time the old Tamiya 2cm FlaK 38 and Flakveirling 38 were the main players with a few also rans from Italeri and CMK ( the less said about their 3.7cm FlaK 37 the better ). Tristar chimed in recently with a beautiful FlaK 38 and DML have had their version around for a while too. But it was the sudden influx of FlaK bearing Sd.Kfz.7s that seems to have sparked a sudden rash, with AFV Club, Trumpeter, DML and finally Bronco all throwing their hat into the ring with new Flakveirling 38s and FlaK 36/37/43s. Not to mention Tamiya’s belated 3.7cm FlaK 37 also appearing. So which one is the one to buy ( to save you skipping to the end I’ll tell you now, my pick is this one ).
This kit comes in a large tray and lid style box ( surprisingly large when you’re used to the old Tamiya FlaK guns ) on eight dark yellow sprues, two of which are the same, and one of which is just a small one. There is also a small photo etched fret, a small length of chain, three seperate flash hiders, a sheet of decals, and the instructions printed on heavy glossy paper.
The mould quality is excellent with almost completely clean parts and almost non existant mould seams, very sharp detail and some particularly fine and delicate detailing. I did say almost, as you will still need to remove the mould seams even though they are very faint. For what is essentially a simple piece of equipment and, not a huge kit when complete, there is definitely plenty of parts to this one. Construction is very simple and the instructions are easy to follow being the clear line diagram style with well thought out breakdowns of the assembly sequence.
The Gun is beautifully detailed, and while I did refer to this as a relatively small kit do keep in mind that the completed gun is similar in size to a Pz.Kpfw.I tank. The barrel is a single piece with a slightly hollowed out end which could easily be deepened. It has a very nicely done seperate flash hider which is the best representation of one of these that I’ve seen in plastic. This is one of the few kits I feel doesn’t really need an AM metal barrel.
The gun mount is also very well done, though there are a few minor injector pin marks to compete with. The sheilds are a multiple part assembly and all the parts require the removal of faint ejector pin marks. They are also a little thick, but about as thin as feasible in this medium, scaling out at around 20mm thick. They would be difficult to thin down while preserving the delicate bolt detail so the truely bloody minded will have to resort to PE I’m afraid.
As for ammo there are six ammo strips, each holding six shells. These are very nicely done though they do lack the very delicate folding metal frame that held each shell in place, not that this is really notcieable. There is also a spare ammo can and a shell case holding two more ammo strips that can be modelled open or closed. The shells are moulded to each half however, personally for an open look I would have prefered an empty case and two more seperate ammo strips to add in if so desired.
Also included is a spare barrel case with two spare barrels and two more flash hiders. You have the option of storing the barrels and flash hiders inside the case in transport mode, or with the flash hiders attached and the barrels on blocks in a ready mode. And fianlly in a nice little touch a stowage bx for the flakvieser sight is included as well as a very nice R36 range finder complete with the shoulder frame and a storage box with
The Sd.Ah.52 Carriage is a mainly on one large sprue with the wheels and smaller fittings on two smaller ones ( two of the same sprue ). The main frame is moulded in two halves – top and bottom – which allows for maximum detail and minimal seams. The correct brake lever is included though you’ll need to add your own cable, and the mudguards even come with mudflaps. This of course can be modelled with the gun mounted for transit or with the gun deployed.
The decals included are generic kill markings, made up of barrel rings and shield markings including two tank and two aircraft sillouettes.
All in all this is a damn nice kit that builds up into an impressive looking piece. Bronco for me have set the standard in adding all the little extra details that just make a kit so much more value for money, even the seemingly inocuous pieces. So for me if you want a 3.7cm FlaK gun and you’re not fussed if it’s a 36, a 37 or a 43 then this is the one to get.
Click images to enlarge
