Flammpanzer 38(t)

While waiting for some figures to come in for my FSV build, I decided to convert a Fujimi Jagdpanzer 38(t) into a Flammpanzer 38. I'm not quite sure what they were thinking when they designed the UM Flammpanzer 38, but there are a couple of easily corrected problems with it. From what I have seen, Flammpanzer 38s were late model vehicles, while the instructions for the UM kit would have you build it as an early model. The instructions also say not to include the machinegun in front of the loader's hatch, but from what I have read, it should be there. Finally, the gun mounting needs to be modified. But enough of the UM kit, what I built was the Fujimi kit with some UM parts. The Fujimi kit was built pretty much as directed in the instructions.


I added a bit of sprue to allow the UM barrel to be attached, and used a piece of plastic card with a hole drilled in it to wall off the area behind the mantlet. I also used some plastic strip to make the rail over the periscope. It should be curved, rather than angled like the one from the Fujimi kit.


I fixed up the barrel by drilling out the center, and then gluing a bit of plastic rod (also with the center drilled out) inside of it. Some scrap plastic was used as the small protrusion at the end of the barrel. The barrel was kind of flopping around, so I had to add a wad of UHU Tac around the ball joint to firm it up. As mentioned before, the hull of the UM model is longer and wider than the Fujimi jagdpanzer by 2 mm in each dimension.