introduction
The Flak 37 was an improvement over the 36, mainly in terms of its fire control system. This small difference is reflected in the parts breakdown of this kit as opposed to the Flak 36 kit.
kit contents
Dragon list the 'special features' of this kit as follows:
Aluminium barrel for type 36/37 barrel (two separate parts)
Aluminium barrel for type 18 barrel
2 Wooden ammo boxes (in plastic)
Metal recuperator
Metal equiliberators
4 Wicker ammo boxes (in plastic)
Metal chains
6 88mm rounds (in plastic)
3 Metal rounds
2 Metal spent rounds
4 Photo etched frets
Decal sheet of Divisional markings
New Cartograf decal sheet
3 kinds of gun shield
Bulged tyres
New dials in clear plastic
When I opened the box, I expected basically the same kit as the Flak 36, and that's more or less what I saw. Until I looked more closely that is. The differences are small....but they make a
BIG difference!
To begin with the Small photo etched fret that carries the top and bottom of each stabilizer is still here, but now includes extra parts for refining the sight hole in the shield. There is an extra small photo etched fret representing the large gauge dial that indicates the inclination of the gun barrel. Two new 'spent' ammunition cases reproduced in aluminium are provided by Dragon.
Dragon now provide three new shields, produced by slide mould technology, which isn't new, but Dragon is being innovative in their use of it to provide parts, the finesse of which we haven't seen before in styrene kits.
Sprues A, B, D,E, H, and M are the same as in the Flak 36 kit. Sprue C is the same but missing the fire control elements which differ in this kit. The Flak 18 barrel in this kit has the outer section shortened, which makes it correct as opposed to that given in the Flak 36 kit. The two wheeled units for towing the gun are the same. Completely new however, are sprues G, and the wheels. The wheels in the Flak 36 were produced to look realistic by being made of many 'slices'. This was the only way the fine detail of the tread pattern could be reproduced. Dragon have dropped this in the Flak 37 kit, and somehow produced possibly the best tyres I have ever seen! They even have a very subtle 'bulge' on the bottom to represent the weight of the gun!
The dials on the sprue of clear plastic are the true innovation of this kit though. As you can see from the pictures, they are produced by sealing inside the plastic a representation of the dial. They'll need very careful masking to get the most from them....but I'll bet they'll look absolutely stunning once complete! One more small difference, but something that really shows Dragon is way ahead of the competition when thinking of the modeller....they now include a complete parts map on a separate sheet. Small but very, very considerate! They do listen! Another major difference of course, is that Dragon doesn't include a crew with this version? Let us hope this is because a Summer crew are on their way!
Conclusion
An original choice of subject, brilliant moulding, loads of extras, innovative inclusions. This kit has them all. It has to be another best seller for Dragon. It is most definitely NOT a kit for the beginner. It's a complicated, accurate miniature replica of the Flak 37. Brilliant!
My thanks to Dragon for the review sample
