Take a look at what’s inside the box of this WWII German heavy anti-aircraft gun kit from Hobby Boss.

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Thanks!

This is such an impressive beast of an AA system and it's great to have in plastic to sit with an 8.8 and 10.5. My grandfather was a ball turret gunner on a B-17G and said you could always distinguish 88's from 105's and told me there was something "bigger" within Berlin but couldn't remember what. He was hit by a piece of flak that came through the turret hitting him in the back and throwing him so hard into his gun-sight that it knocked him unconscious. His thick canvas strap saved him and the piece was embedded within it, drawing no blood, he didn't receive the purple heart.

Interesting kit. I'm getting more and more interested in FLAK material.
Never build a Hobby Boss kit so I have no reference for quality.
Maybe it's worth to try.

Kind regards,

Robert Jan

Trumpeter/Hobby Boss seem to have an A and a B team working on projects. The problem is you don't find out which you got until after the box is opened. Due to this inconsistency, you have to wait for a review on a specific kit unless you are willing to be the guinea pig. Wait for someone else to take the plunge and talk about it unless you just have to have it ASAP. I personally find their more recent stuff better than the old and of decent quality--certainly not Tamiya or WNW--and often covering subjects no one else does. Also this: Hobby Boss tends to like fiddly bits in their kits and you can get through those sections but there may come the occasional moment where you eye the trash can once or twice. Go do something else for an hour and come back. Plastic can be a bit soft on some kits so cut with caution.

Or look at it this way: You want a 12.8cm Flak 40 with its trailers? Do you have other options at this scale? Do you think you likely will in your lifetime? I'm building their M35 Mittlere Panzerwagen ADGZ-Steyr kit now which I can get nowhere else except in resin (I believe) and it is a very nice kit except for it not having an interior and the engine cooling vents open onto very visible and empty space. Admittedly, there is very little photo evidence to reconstruct the interiors from but to not at least provide a block-off plate to conceal most of the void within the vehicle is maybe a little short-sighted? Or just not make the vents positionable in the first place? That one seems like Team A started the exterior but it was handed to Team B for the interior and they collapsed after designing door handles for the door interiors.

tl;dr version: Could be good but wait for a review or price drop at the very least.

Amusing Hobby has one with a FuG radar set.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on both parties. Well Bold Division did the Sd.AH's. for the Amusing Hobby kit I believe, resin and that's a challenge not everybody is willing to go for.

Kind regards,

Robert Jan

Alternative to HB, not better but they exist/existed:
https://www.scalemates.com/kits/amg-35504-adgz-fu--616556

/ Robin

... at first sight onto the parts, the only real letdown to me is that the gun barrel is in two halfs

There will probably be aftermarket barrels soon ..

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/aber-35l188-german-128mm-l-61-barrels-anti-aircraft-12-8-cm-flak-40-zwilling--994424

For Takoms Zwillingsflak ...

or from Schatton Modellbau:
https://www.modellbau-schatton.de/index.php/shop/german-12-8-cm-flak-barrel

MR Modellbau make an interior for the ADGZ should you be interested.
https://www.mrmodellbau.com/_shop/product_info.php?products_id=868&MODsid=8d7df56d27c86f77c461300f07c1b969

Personally I'm thrilled that HB is offering the 12.8 FLAK 40 at all, and that it is offered with its trailer is just a fantastic bonus! After having finished Takom's 12.8 Zwillingsflak kit I have been wondering about this and while I understood that Amusing Hobby might be offering one I can never seem to find a distributor that carries their kits. Same with my long wait for their Ferdinand with full interior. However, I agree that HB's kits seem to e a bit of hit and miss so I'll sit patiently and wait for a build review before plunking money down on one. Doesn't mean that I'm not eager though...

https://www.modellbau-koenig.de/Fahrzeuge/Militaer-1-35/Geschuetze/Flak/12-8cm-Flak40-with-FuMG-39D



no trailers!

Dang! Buying the trailer aftermarket would probably cost more than the kit.

Probably close to twice the price:
https://www.modellbau-koenig.de/Fahrzeuge/Militaer-1-35/Radfahrzeuge/Achse/Sd-Ah-220-Sonderanhaenger-fuer-12-8cm-Flak40

/ Robin