Jan Etal presents us with a build review of Dragon''s 1/72nd Flakpanzer 341 mounting four 20mm guns.

Link to Item


If you have comments or questions please post them here.

Thanks!

Darren,

My thanks to you and whoever else was involved for getting the review of this rather unique "Paper Panzer" posted.

Cheers,
Jan

what happened to Dragon? They used to make GOOD 1/72 kits

Jan,

Thanks for this review and as the other person commented, it's rather disappointing. It looks like an interesting kit but why cutting their standards. I will admit that the turret looks cool but...It's reviews like this that make this site great.

Regards,
AJB

Another admirably thorough review from you Jan.

The name "341" - I wonder if that is correct for this particular design concept, as I see that same tag is applied to another design of Flak Panther in the Jentz / Doyle Osprey book Panther Variants? I must admit however that the accounting for the various names is a little bit confusing. They seem to refer to what now seems to be widely known as Coelian, as 341, while the name Coelian doesn't arise at all in that book.

Have you decided which scheme you will be going for yet? My vote is for "Nuremberg, 1945"...

Unsurprisingly, your observations are remarkably similar to the kit I am currently preparing the review for, the 5.5cm Flak, and which will be quite hot on the heels of this one... I will however try hard to say something other than what you have covered here!

@Sgt_Pickle and weathering_one,

Thanks for having a look and commenting. The purpose of these reviews is hopefully to help you make an informed purchasing decision.

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@firstcircle - Matthew,

In my research the naming of the different versions of these Flak vehicles definitely proved confusing. For the sake of continuity I've referred to these vehicles by Dragon's box top name. One reference suggests that all these vehicles were candidates for a production vehicle that was to be initially referred to as Flakpanzer 341. Another, that these vehicles were part of a competition and the "winner" would have been referred to as Coelian. However, most Internet sources refer to the Coelian as the 37 mm gunned version. Similarly, it is suggested on a few sites that Flakpanzer V was the "unofficial" name for the 37 mm version. Go figure!

As for the painting scheme, I am at this point undecided. However, this paint issue caused me to re-examine the instructions and in particular the colour references and it appears that I made a mistake. While the first two paint references have always been for the GSI Mr. Color range and the third for Model Master, with this particular kit the third reference is for Italeri Paint No.? Now it gets even better! The reference numbers for the most part are for Model Master paints as the Italeri numbers are in the 4000+ range and also have a letter or two appended after them. For the "Nuremberg, 1945" scheme the base colour (the reddish brown) is called "Russet" with a number of 2063. After a quick search the only 2063 paint out there is a Model Master and it is "RAF Trainer Yellow Gloss"! The Dragon instruction inaccuracies strike again!

Pertaining to your review of the 5.5 cm version, as with the paint issue, I'm sure there is something that I might have missed in my previous Flakpanzer reviews. I will be curious to read and see how the turret compares with the other two and whatever else you and the Jentz/Doyle book may unmask.

Cheers,
Jan

Jan
For the sake of continuity I've referred to these vehicles by Dragon's box top name.
Quite right, and I wasn't suggesting anything else

Another, that these vehicles were part of a competition and the "winner" would have been referred to as Coelian.
Seems a bit odd as I thought all of these designs were coming out of Rheinmetall or a subsidiary.

Similarly, it is suggested on a few sites that Flakpanzer V was the "unofficial" name for the 37 mm version.
It sounds like a generic name - presumably V referring to the fact that it is based on the PzKpfw V.
Nevertheless this is really just a quite enjoyable diversion into speculation, since none of them were built even as prototypes.
I was trying to work out what Coelian means - apparently it is one of the seven hills of Rome, which used to house an imperial garrison as well as important residences and temples. I guess that figures, they did have a bit of a "thing" for ancient Rome.

Italeri Paint No.?
I wonder why they have started to quote Italeri paint... not that I have ever seen their brand of paint anywhere. So, I think you should definitely go for a finish of "RAF Trainer Yellow Gloss"!!

Pertaining to your review of the 5.5 cm version, as with the paint issue, I'm sure there is something that I might have missed in my previous Flakpanzer reviews.
Well, maybe... I'll try, even if it is merely the result of another one of my construction errors...

Matthew, I believe that the key word with this topic is speculation and then it gets cloudier as one attempts to "interpret" the limited information about these projects. Perhaps the most solid fact is that there were Wehrmacht requirements for a more modern antiaircraft system but they weren't all that detailed. My guess is that Rheinmetall-Borsig designs were trying to give several options "and run them up the flagpole and see which would elicit a salute!"

At for the question of any being built, there are images of a Coelian prototype on the Internet. From what I can tell it is based on a Panther D hull and the turret was made of wood.




I wasn't even aware that Italeri had their own brand of paint but it appears that it might have been introduced earlier this year. As with the Flakpanzers, there is quite a bit of speculation about who actually is making the paint.

As for the colour, if I chose the scheme that you prefer I'd probably end up trying to mix my own. While the colour is referred to as Russet, a Google search showed that it can be anywhere from a pinkish-red to a darkish red-brown. on the instruction sheet it is quite different from the red-brown used for the second vehicle. My first impression was that it might be a primer often seen used for engine compartments on German vehicles.

Cheers,
Jan