Tatra T-57 K KubelwÄgen
Manufacturer: ATTack Hobby Kits (Kit #72812)
by Faustnik
Contents:
- 37 Parts moulded in light grey plastic
- 1 21x21 mm clear plastic for windscreen
- Decals with options for 2 vehicles from: a Dunkelgelb 10.SS.Pz.Div "Frundsberg" in the Normandy Front 1944 and a Panzergrau «bear in a shield» using unit (probably 3.Pz.Div. or 293.Inf.Div) in Bohemia (Czechoslovakia) 1945
- Packed in strong card box.
- Assembly instructions with painting information
Evaluation:
From the written sources about 6000 were produced from 1941 till 1943 (in the late 40s the production was resumed for the Czech Army). Even so, the information about this vehicle is very scarce, as I only know 2 photos (I hope anyone has some more to share):
# Page 57 in Bart VANDERVEEN, Historic Military Vehicles Directory, After the Battle Pub., 1989 (also present in page 49 of Robert SAWICKI, Samochody osobowe Wehrmachtu, Ledwoch Militaria [polish text]).
Both photos present a different type of vehicle. IMHO I think that the retouched photo in VANDERVEEN and SAWICKI is the prototype or a very early vehicle, while the photo from FRANK book present a 1942 production. The main different seems to be in the interior - simplified in the late one - and the presence of a small flap on the side bonnet.
In reality my best source of info about this little vehicle, and their interior, comes from a Plus Model advertisement for the same vehicle in 1:35, in WWP nº9 (Steyr 1500A - excellent source if you have the AL.BY, but this is another story).
About the Attack Kit, I didn't yet build mine, but a friend, have done it straight from the box, and allowed me to take a snapshot, before fill in some spots with putty and applying the painting scheme, which photo I present here (thanks Artur).
My first impression, confirmed by others which had already build this small car, is that the kit is good, but a lot of care is need to correctly glue the parts, as some of them have some flash or their sitting is not the most adequate.
Overall:
The lack of photographic information limits the choice of painting schemes. But as this vehicle was used from late 1941 till the end, you could finish it in most of the camouflage schemes in use in that period. Another interesting part of the story is that a very important part of the production ended in the hands of Waffen-SS units.
As far as scale is concern, using the available data the overall dimensions are exactly at 1:72.
Recommended
Jose_ventura(at)portugalmail.pt
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