| Date of Review |
October 2006 |
| Manufacturer |
DML (cyber-hobby.com) |
| Subject |
Upgrade and Conversion Kit for Sd.Kfz.234/2
Puma |
| Scale |
1/35 |
| Kit Number |
3835 |
| Primary Media |
(58 etched brass, 10 in grey styrene, 8
pre-bent wire) |
| Pros |
Factory-made custom parts are a "drop-fit" onto
any Sd.Kfz.234 kit; upgrade the fine details and the steering
gear as well as allow for a late-production vehicle; finally
provide for open stowage bins! |
| Cons |
Competes with after-market products; some
question as to why parts were not provided in base kit |
| Skill Level |
Intermediate |
| MSRP (USD) |
$13 |
DML's boutique hobby affiliate cyber-hobby.com has now released "The
Other Show" for their nice new Puma kit, but this one may
prove just as popular for the other variants as well. The set provides
the late model fenders (four bins) for the Sd.Kfz.234/2 kit, but
this time they come with the option to open the hatches; it also
provides for working steering for the kit.
The kit comes in a "blister" pack and not a box, with
the directions placed in a folding cardboard stiffener used as
the backing. "Directions" is something of an overstatement,
as they are again basically "stick here" drawings and
do not cover where or when to insert the new parts when building
the kit.
The new parts include eight new driveshafts and eight new tie
rod heads for the steering gear. They also provide eight lengths
of bent wire which appear to be brake or air lines (I am not sure
which, but they are in the position to be one or the other based
on the system the vehicle used.)
The etched brass is minimal, but provides for eight hatches for
the eight fender bins and a very detailed door lock mechanism for
each one, as well as a key lock and safety chain assembly. However,
there is nothing inside the bins, so the modeler will have to improvise!
The kit also provides two sections of mesh grillework for the
engine air intake and exhaust vents on the engine deck.
Three new color profiles and markings for five different vehicles
are provided along with a new "targeted" set of Cartograf
decals; as is a common failing with the directions for these add-on
kits, there is no identification given to unit or location. I am
not sure if the original directions cover these vehicles or not,
but it is a bit of a disservice to the kit and the upgrade set
not to provide such information.
Overall, this is a more useful upgrade set than some of the others
and at least finally provides separate bin lids.
Thanks to Freddie Leung of DML for the review sample.
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