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Images: DML's Latest Flak 37
jimbrae
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Provincia de Lugo, Spain / Espaņa
Joined: April 23, 2003
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Posted: Tuesday, April 28, 2009 - 03:58 AM UTC
Dragon Models have just sent us images of their latest 88mm variant: 6523 - 88mm Flak 37 mit Behelfslafette. Images of this imminent release, can be seen:

Link to Item

If you have comments or questions please post them here.

Thanks!

ericadeane
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Michigan, United States
Joined: October 28, 2002
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Posted: Tuesday, April 28, 2009 - 05:12 AM UTC
The kit looks nice. For people's curiosity, the 8.8cm Flak 37 in this form was a very late war ersatz configuration. You see these pictured in Zaloga's "Panzers in the Gunsights 2".

I'd say for builders that it would be highly unlikely that this late 8.8cm Flak 37 would have had the auto shell loader rack. These had been omitted mid-war.
marcb
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Overijssel, Netherlands
Joined: March 25, 2006
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Posted: Tuesday, April 28, 2009 - 05:26 AM UTC
So this is basicaly a Flak with a cruciform base that couldn't be folded for travel?
Then how was it moved?
bill_c
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MODEL SHIPWRIGHTS
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New Jersey, United States
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Posted: Tuesday, April 28, 2009 - 05:33 AM UTC

Quoted Text

So this is basicaly a Flak with a cruciform base that couldn't be folded for travel?

The short answer is: yes.

By the end of the war, the Germans didn't need to move 'em much because they didn't have much ground to defend.

You also see a tremendous amount of simplification in the production process, with the Sd.Kfz.7, for example, going from gracious curved fenders to a simple angled bend. Trying to build tanks, softskins, etc. in the woods means compromising on engineering elegance.
Tarok
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Victoria, Australia
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Posted: Tuesday, April 28, 2009 - 02:38 PM UTC
Out of curiosity (for give the naive question) but if the base was designed to be static, i.e. no travel, why did it have a travel lock?

Rudi
DamonW
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Ohio, United States
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Posted: Wednesday, April 29, 2009 - 03:01 AM UTC
If I am correct, the two outrigger sections are removeable for travel. They were easier/cheaper to manufacture than the original hinged outriggers. I am looking through references for a definitive answer.
bill_c
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Posted: Wednesday, April 29, 2009 - 03:50 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Out of curiosity (for give the naive question) but if the base was designed to be static, i.e. no travel, why did it have a travel lock?

That's a good question, Rudi, not naive at all.

The German war machine was on life-support by the LW thanks mostly to Allied bombing (they were not totally crippled, as aircraft production actually peaked in early 1944). Manpower was a problem in the factories, too (slave labor can be soooo annoying for meeting production deadlines). So overall you see a lot of simplification in design and production. This particular base has hooks at the front and back for mounting on a carriage, and the side arms could be removed as has been pointed out. So you'd want the barrel secured for any movement, hence the travel lock.

But this wasn't the highly-mobile version of the FLAK 37 that could be fired limbered or unlimbered.

Now, given the odds, someone will undoubtedly post a photo of this version being fired from the limbered position! LOL
Tarok
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Victoria, Australia
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Posted: Wednesday, April 29, 2009 - 11:05 AM UTC
Hi Damon & Bill,

Thanks for the great info. So this gun with base would be perfect for a flak tower then?

Rudi
newfish
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England - West Midlands, United Kingdom
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Posted: Wednesday, April 29, 2009 - 11:07 AM UTC
Not another one

bill_c
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Posted: Wednesday, April 29, 2009 - 11:09 AM UTC

Quoted Text

So this gun with base would be perfect for a flak tower then?

I think that would be an excellent use of it.
endrju007
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Wojewodztwo Podkarpackie, Poland
Joined: December 05, 2007
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Posted: Wednesday, April 29, 2009 - 08:09 PM UTC
I want it all, yeah, I want it all! I want it all, and I want it now!...(sorry Freddie).
Too many 18/36/37 for my pocket/shelf surface/time...

A.
SGTJKJ
#041
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Kobenhavn, Denmark
Joined: July 20, 2006
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Posted: Wednesday, April 29, 2009 - 08:54 PM UTC
Another winner from Dragon. I will need a bigger house for my stash......

Thanks for the update.
jimbrae
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Provincia de Lugo, Spain / Espaņa
Joined: April 23, 2003
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Posted: Wednesday, April 29, 2009 - 09:18 PM UTC
Damn, double damn and damn again. I've just realized that a couple of years ago, when I was in Berlin on vacation, one of the museums I visited was the Museum of German History. Now, in the section on WWII, they have a Flak 37 and being the smart-ass that I am, I decided NOT to take a series of walkround pics of it. Yes, the cruciform WAS indeed the LATE version as done in THIS model. If the notes on the example in the museum were correct (and i've no reason to doubt them) it was one of the most photographed - abandoned in front of the Reichstag.

One of the 'reasons' being that here in Spain, I can get photos of Flak 37s (and 18s) in several locations both original Krupp constructions as well as those built under licence.

D'oh!
jimbrae
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Provincia de Lugo, Spain / Espaņa
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Posted: Wednesday, April 29, 2009 - 09:33 PM UTC

Quoted Text

Not another one



Equally, one could say 'Not another uniformed comment?'

Just to put the record straight, DML has done a superb job bringing out models of a very-widely used artillery piece which was ignored for nearly 30 years. It's a release which fills another gap and makes good use of existing mouldings. So rather than being dismissive, look at the interest it's generated - in two days, almost 2000 people have been sufficiently interested to look at the News Report...
C_JACQUEMONT
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Loire-Atlantique, France
Joined: October 09, 2004
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Posted: Saturday, May 02, 2009 - 10:56 PM UTC

Quoted Text


Quoted Text

So this gun with base would be perfect for a flak tower then?

I think that would be an excellent use of it.


Do you realise how big and tall a Flakturm would be in 1/35!!!!

I'm not an expert on those but the large Flakturme in Hamburg, Berlin and Vienna had 128mm Flak 40 and 128mm Flak 40 Flakzwilling guns I believe.

See Wikipedia article here : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flak_tower

Cheers,

Christophe
martyncrowther
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England - West Midlands, United Kingdom
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Posted: Sunday, May 03, 2009 - 12:29 AM UTC
Great news.I don't care if this is an expensive kit but I am going to get it.

I also found this:

martyncrowther
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England - West Midlands, United Kingdom
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Posted: Sunday, May 03, 2009 - 12:35 AM UTC
FOund this one as well:

Tarok
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Victoria, Australia
Joined: July 28, 2004
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Posted: Sunday, May 03, 2009 - 12:38 AM UTC

Quoted Text


Quoted Text


Quoted Text

So this gun with base would be perfect for a flak tower then?

I think that would be an excellent use of it.


Do you realise how big and tall a Flakturm would be in 1/35!!!!

I'm not an expert on those but the large Flakturme in Hamburg, Berlin and Vienna had 128mm Flak 40 and 128mm Flak 40 Flakzwilling guns I believe.

See Wikipedia article here : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flak_tower

Cheers,

Christophe


I don't mean to construct the whole tower, my friend

(Although it would be amazing to see in 1/35 scale )
Self-Propelled
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Bayern, Germany
Joined: April 01, 2009
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Posted: Sunday, May 03, 2009 - 01:21 AM UTC

Quoted Text

I don't mean to construct the whole tower, my friend

(Although it would be amazing to see in 1/35 scale )


Yes, could someone please forward the idea to Claude Joachim then?

Sebastian
H_Ackermans
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Gelderland, Netherlands
Joined: July 11, 2006
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Posted: Sunday, May 03, 2009 - 06:05 AM UTC
Anyone played MOH:Airborne? Last mission, running around in the FlakTower? That is HUGE, immensely huge.

Even doing just a section where a Flak 88mm would be stationed would be vast in size.

Anyway, I've got the earlier Flak 37 kit coming over from HLJ, so looks like it's a nice comparison to have the two next to each other.

Would there be limbers in this one?
Tarok
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Victoria, Australia
Joined: July 28, 2004
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Posted: Sunday, May 03, 2009 - 11:18 AM UTC

Quoted Text

That is HUGE, immensely huge.

Even doing just a section where a Flak 88mm would be stationed would be vast in size.


Yup, we know. That's what makes it fun
newfish
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England - West Midlands, United Kingdom
Joined: June 23, 2008
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Posted: Sunday, May 03, 2009 - 12:18 PM UTC

Quoted Text


Quoted Text

Not another one



Equally, one could say 'Not another uniformed comment?'

Just to put the record straight, DML has done a superb job bringing out models of a very-widely used artillery piece which was ignored for nearly 30 years. It's a release which fills another gap and makes good use of existing mouldings. So rather than being dismissive, look at the interest it's generated - in two days, almost 2000 people have been sufficiently interested to look at the News Report...


Yo Jimbo it was a joke none the less it would be nice to see something different than a half track varient, another Sherman varient and another Panzer varient regardless of the 2000 views in two days. It would just be nice to see some different on the market

Do what you want with the comment it was my opion and im allowed to state it regardless of you thinking its another uniformed comment
captnenglish
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California, United States
Joined: May 20, 2008
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Posted: Thursday, May 07, 2009 - 06:29 AM UTC
Another gun to add to the stash
ericadeane
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Michigan, United States
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Posted: Thursday, May 07, 2009 - 07:38 AM UTC
Martyn: you first photo shows a typical production 8.8cm Flak 37. It's cruciform mount is the one depicted in the earlier kit, not the one in the upcoming release. The second pic you posted does have the simplified cruciform mount.

As to the Flaks in the Berlin Flak towers, I wouldn' t expect any of them to have the full cruciform mounts. If a gun was to be completely static, just the base could be mounted to the roof and secured. No need for a fully mobile version (production or simplified mount)
H_Ackermans
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Gelderland, Netherlands
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Posted: Thursday, May 07, 2009 - 08:52 AM UTC
That is true:



Flakvierling as well:

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