Three New Sd.Kfz.9

¹⁄35

Monday, January 28, 2019 - 03:55 AM UTC

Trumpeter will "see" Tamiya's one Sd.Kfz.9 "FAMO" and "raise" it two more with a series of three future releases of Germany's largest half-track platform.

The Sd.Kfz.9 (inaccurately referred to by modelers as the FAMO after the principal manufacturer) was Germany's largest half-track, rated at a load capacity of 18 tons. Primarily used as a tank-recovery vehicle, it also did duty as an artillery prime mover. In addition, it repaired heavy tanks, both mounting a 6 ton Billstein crane and pulling around the 16 ton Strabokran used to repair Panthers and Tigers. It was even mounted with an 88mm PAK/FlaK gun like the Sd.Kfz.8 Bunkerknacker Trumpeter has already released.

In all, three separate kits of the Sd.Kf.z.9 18ton half-track are slated for release:

1.) Artillery version with seats
2.) Sd.Kfz.9/1 mounted with a 6ton Billstein crane
3.) "Bunker Buster" version sporting an 88mm gun

They will be the first full kits of Germany's largest halftack since the now ancient Tamiya kit first released in 1999-2000.

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Comments

RobinNilsson

I would also like to read the reviews first. Trumpeter made some mistakes with their Sd.Kfz. 7 and Sd.Kfz. 6 so I am slightly cautious ... / Robin

JAN 29, 2019 - 12:29 AM

Mongo13

I thought they only did one of the artillery version and decided it would be a waste of what this vehicle was designed for.

JAN 29, 2019 - 12:48 AM

bill_c

I can't comment on their Sd.Kfz.6, but my first review on Armorama 10 years ago was their Sd.Kfz.7. Since then I have built the Dragon version as well, and can say that both are fine. Unless you have a copy of a Panzer Tracts with line drawings to compare it to, the Trumpeter version builds up nicely and actually has more interior detail than the Dragon version. I have asked Trumpeter to provide review copies to Armorama, but can't guarantee that they will. I look forward to the Bilstein version especially, and perhaps the artillery model to pull around the massive 21cm "mortar" Trumpeter released some time ago. While Dave Shick's review is a mixed one, I would still be interested in building the gun, as I'm a closet red-leg.

JAN 29, 2019 - 04:47 AM

Taeuss

It only stands to reason that AFTER I do the TMD Bilstein conversion AND the Artillery conversion (at the expense of three Tamiya kits for the benches) that someone would offer everyone else these hard-won variants. Good for them. Groan. And I still believe that the Tamiya kit is arguably the best engineered kits ever offered by anyone and with few modifications builds into an amazing kit all on its own. Trumpeter has some mighty big shoes to fill and I look forward to an indepth build review. I could be convinced to do so by Armourama's management team...

JAN 29, 2019 - 06:40 AM

Taeuss

No, not at all as towing artillery was its first task for which the 17 and 21cm guns from Trumpeter are a great match-up. The latter is what I teamed mine up with. Tank recovery was almost beyond this mighty beast's capability as it took three of them merely to recover a Tiger and there were never enough of them to go around.

JAN 29, 2019 - 06:44 AM

teh111

I can´t get my Hands on the 8,8 Version of any manufacturer so I will see what Trumpeter do to this one .I hope that one will be a good one. Tamiya is still 30 years old kit .I hope they do all the new technics to theire molds .I wonder why they don´t do an F3 late Version as well

FEB 07, 2019 - 03:47 AM

165thspc

It has been my experience that Tamiya doesn't "DO" kit updates and/or produce series vehicles. Sadly, Tamiya seems to be a "one and done - then move on" sort of company. Even though they already have 90% of the tooling complete! They could easily and at a lower cost do a Late Famo** or the Artillery bodied Famo, OR EVEN a short wheelbase and/or enclosed cab Deuce and a Half. I have asked the same questions of Tamiya elsewhere on this site in the past: "Waiting for a new Famo" (Started Feb. 2013) LINK and "Waiting for a new Deuce and a Half" (Started Feb. 2013) LINK ** The Artillery Body Famo and the Late Famo would be, by far the easiest variants to offer and require the least amount of manufacturing effort, but NO! Well Excuse . . . . . ME!

FEB 14, 2019 - 10:58 AM

165thspc

I guess Tamiya felt that if they produced an artillery body Famo some of their competitors just might sell a big canon or two for the Famo to pull. Now we couldn't have that now could we?

FEB 14, 2019 - 01:44 PM

LonCray1

I agree - Tamiya has most of the molds in place to do a whole series of Famos - that first one had to be a pretty good seller and I've always wondered why they left the other versions to the aftermarket.

FEB 15, 2019 - 07:05 AM

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