Possibly no other vehicle in WW2 other than the American Jeep is as familiar and ubiquitous as Germany's version of the Jeep, the Kübelwagen. Developed by Hitler's favorite mad genius, Ferdinand Porsche, as part of a vague promise to provide a Volkswagen or "people's car," the lightweight 2-wheel drive car was soon diverted to military necessity. Powered by an air-cooled engine that was less vulnerable to bullets and shrapnel (no radiator to leak), and possessing a flat bottom that would glide over snow, mud and sand, the Kübelwagen was a popular staff car because it could perform. Over 50,000 were cranked off the assembly line by the end of the war.
Kübelwagen kits by various makers have been around for decades with Tamiya's a staple for modelers of German armor. Plenty of resin and PE upgrades have been released to improve on the kit's basics, but one area where the kit has need major help is the canvas top. The "top down" version looks like militarized bread, while the "top up" version is simply not acceptable. The super-detailers have resorted to building their own canvas tops from tissue paper and glue, but now DEF Model has come to our rescue with a resin kit for the extended canvas top.
what you get
Inside DEF Model's usual pasteboard box is a single piece of greenish resin.
the review
The Tamiya Kübelwagen kit can be greatly enhanced with one of several PE upgrades. But these sets usually leave models stuck with the "bread" shaped top. The skill level needed to create a convincing canvas top is considerable, and involves combining PE, plastic rods and tissue stretched across the supports.
No, thanks.
This DEF Model resin add-on is just the trick for the majority of us out there who want a Kübelwagen with the top UP.
There's not much to say about the "kit." It looks realistic, it's designed for the Tamiya model, and the only thing you need to do is CAREFULLY cut it away from the pour block with a sharp hobby knife or a razor saw.
conclusion
This is a very satisfying addition to any Kübelwagen build, and I can only imagine a masochist wanting to build a canvas top from scratch.
Thanks to DEF Model for providing this review sample. Be sure to mention you saw this item reviewed on Armorama when ordering yours.
SUMMARY
Highs: Crisply-molded with details only resin can render realistically.Lows: Will require care when removing from the pour block.Verdict: Highly-recommended, especially for the ubiquitous older Tamiya kits with their wretched styrene blobs supposed to be canvas tops.
Our Thanks to DEF Model! This item was provided by them for the purpose of having it reviewed on this KitMaker Network site. If you would like your kit, book, or product reviewed, please contact us.
Mercedes, Opel, and Tatra also built Kübelwagens. It's short for kübelsitzwagen, which means "bucket-seat car" basically.
The original VW prototype was the Type 62, which was renamed for production. There were almost three dozen variants tried on that chassis.
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