¹⁄35

Reloading - 1945

SdKfz 251
In certain literature one can find short hints to a SdKfz 251 with a cargo bed, but no pictures. It is not clear if such a vehicle ever existed. When I saw the drawings of such a vehicle in Modell-Fan ( a German modelling magazine ) I decided to built it and include it in a late war diorama as in this period everything which moved was moved and put into action on German side.

I used the old SdKfz 251/C from Tamiya as basis. I cut off the fighting compartment according to the drawings but also cut the whole body in 2 halves. Tamiya’s old Sdkfz 251 is 4,5mm too tall in wide and thus this difference needs to be filled up with plastic-sheet. It is also said, that the angles of the fighting compartment are wrong, but I did not verify that yet.

The only problem with the widening is in the area of the engine covers where a lot of sanding is necessary to make it look good again. As the steering gear did not fit to the widened body I had to scratch it according pictures. I used Modell Kasten tracks, but did use the inaccurately detailed drive sprockets from the kit. Meanwhile I have some extra sprues with the running gear from Tamiya’s later released 251’s which I could use on further projects based on the old SdKfz 251/C. The cargo bed has been made from a customized cargo bed of Italeri’s Maultier.