Introduction

With the introduction to all the sWS kits released from Great Wall Hobby, it’s certainly inevitable for them to release separate upgrade sets for them as well. You can purchase these individually, or in the USA you can purchase different combo packs, depending on your desire and the size of your wallet. They are not cheap, but for the price, you do get high quality kits and parts.

The sWS Flak 43, Reviewed Here on Armorama, is no different. Out of the box it can build into a beautiful model. But for the aftermarket junkies, why not add the kitchen sink? For this reason, Great Wall Hobby has produced this complete photo etch set, which covers not only the halftrack, but includes numerous details for the mounted Flak 43.

Contents

The contents are packed in the usual plastic sleeve with a cardboard backer. In this set you get:
• One double sided instruction sheet
• Three frets of photo etch
• Two brass width indicators
• Two sizes of styrene rod
• One length of copper wire

The Set

The base kit, even as good as it is, can benefit from photo etch parts. Some are a must, like tool clasps, while others are simply a matter of choice. Here are the areas this set will deal with:

• Tow point & bracing on front
• All tool clasps including jack brackets
• Mounting bracket for the MP-40 (inside cab)
• Radio rack & radio face
• Stamped placards for the dash board
• New floor panels in the cab
• Foot pedal replacements
• Workable doors for ammo locker on rear (replaces on two)
• New armor doors for cab side
• New interior details for cab doors & vision port covers
• Locks for engine hatches (missing on kit parts)
• Parts for tail lamp
• Parts to replace entire shield assembly on Flak 43
• Replacements for the shell ejector chute

The gun shield is the most extensive area this set covers. It replaces not only the shield, but all the brackets involved in mounting it to the gun assembly. Details are very accurate on the shield, with inset screws just as the real thing. There are also tie down loops not present with the plastic offering. These were used to attach a tarp cover or even camo wire to the gun shield.

Conclusion

This isn’t a wasteful set by any means. The photo etch provided isn’t intended just as replacement parts, but an improvement over their plastic versions. For example, the radio rack, in no way does the plastic part stand up to its photo etch replacement. If you like using photo etch, then I would highly recommend this set as a nice improvement to the base kit. However, the complexity of the gun shield assembly might prove to be a daunting task for the photo etched newcomer.