Andrew's 88mm Flak 37 (The Hunters and the Hunted)

[adt70hk]

Morning all

So having finished the Corsair a couple of weeks ago, I was deciding what to do next when my gaze fell on this. As it was sitting on my modelling table, quite simply because there was no room left in/on the model cupboard or indeed under my table, I decided this would be my next victim - if only to get it off the table!

This is also a return to my collection of 1/72 kits and reference material in some way shape or form connected to the British WW2 bomber offensive, with the title being as above - 'The Hunters and the Hunted'. If you want to know more, the below links take you to the the collection and completed builds thread.

Now this gun, in it's various guises (Flak 18/36/37) aka the 88, needs no introduction and to my mind is the most well known AA/AT gun of the war, and rightly so given it's pedigree. In the context of Bomber Command's offensive and therefore my collection on the topic, it is of course my much in the 'hunter' category.

At the moment, I also plan to do it on a small base something along the lines of the below pics, not something I have done before and so will be something new. If I do go down that route I also need to source a crew for it because the kit doesn't come with one.

As I've been off work this past week, I've also managed to make quite bit of progress - pics to follow later.

ACW as usual.

ATB

Andrew


Link to the collection of kits and reference material: https://www.scalemodelling.co.uk/for...material/page2

Link to the completed builds to far: https://www.scalemodelling.co.uk/for...mpleted-builds



------------------------------------------------------------------


The obligatory box art, desctructions and sprue shots....



























Ideas for a possible vignette

[adt70hk]

Ok chaps, so quite a bit of progress in the past week or so. It certainly helps that, unlike planes, there is no cockpit do before the main build process.

Summary of my initial thoughts so far:

Pros

- A lot of nice detail, including elevation cylinder pistons that can move in and out as you change the gun elevation
- Minimal flash (other than some horrendous flash on the sprue frame that had me worried)
- Generally very good fit
- Good instructions
- A lot of kit for your money...effectively five-ish kits in one - the gun, the two wheel bogies, the rangefinder and the trailer for the rangefinder.


Cons

- I don't like the plastic....not quite how to put it but feels a bit soft and soapy...but does hold the detail well nonetheless
- Quite a lot of seams lines, pretty fine on the whole but obviously still need to be dealt with
- Bad sink marks on the rangefinder tube in the worst possible places......the top and highly visible rear
- The way the barrel goes together makes it hard to get it straight and deal with seam lined and join seams


Build and painting strategy.

- As this is going to be in a fixed AA position rather than being out in the field possibly facing the enemy I will forego the shield, as per the above pics.
- As the gun is quite a complex shape, I will spray it in sub assemblies as I don't want to risk flooding the kit with paint in trying to reach a hard to get to crevice.


Oh and the figures I got, look very good on initial inspection. There is some tidy up needed but nothing major upon first inspection. The only real issue, is that they're clearly geared up like troops out in the field but as they're the only one around I will have to make it work.


ACW as usual.

ATB

Andrew


--------------------------------------------


I had a heard attack when I saw this flash......but fortunately it only on the sprue frame.







The way the end half of the barrel goes in makes it hard to get straight but I think I have managed it.







Figures look ok.











Progress shots of the gun going together. The shots of the assembled gun are with it just dry fritted.






















Rangefinder...sink marks and all....plus trailer