4D DUKW & Sd.Kfz. 7/2 with 3.7cm Flak 37

I just received two of the latest offerings from 4D Models. The first model is a GMC DUKW 353 ("鸭子" 两栖作战车; "Duck" amphibious combat vehicle).

There are two different versions of the DUKW model made in ABS plastic.

The No. 1 version is supplied with a canvas tilt.

The No. 2 version comes with a sprue of supports for a canvas tilt.

The upper and lower hulls come attached to each other, but prying them apart will make the assembly process easier. The models go together very quickly, and look as good as diecast DUKWs.

Altaya vs 4D

The Altaya model uses the same mold as the Russian Tank Collection model.

Amercom vs 4D

The rudder is attached through a clipping mechanism that allows it to rotate.

The rope boat fenders are not textured in any way, but the models are still very nice, and ready for a load of cargo.

Comparison of the 4D DUKW with Altaya, Russian Tank Collection, and Amercom DUKWs.

I will probably try to get a few more of these to make versions with the machine gun mount, 105mm howitzer, etc.

The second model is a 3.7cm Flak 37 Sd.Kfz. 7/2 (八吨半履带防空裝甲车; 8-ton half-tracked armored anti-aircraft vehicle). I ended up with a model in tan plastic, but there is also one molded in gray plastic.

The undercarriage and front wheels are made of ABS plastic, but I think the rest of the sprues are polystyrene.

The seller included a handwritten note indicating that the parts on the sprue were fragile, but I didn't find that to be the case. Some of the parts on the A sprue are definitely small, but they are thick and robust.

I believe that polystyrene is weaker than ABS, so there is more of a possibility of breakage if force is applied when attaching the parts, but my recommendation is that if a part does not fit, file down the attachment pin until it fits, then glue it in place.

Assembly is not particularly complicated, but there is definitely an order that needs to be followed to make things easy.

Assembly of the undercarriage and wheels is essentially the same as for their earlier Sd.Kfz. 7.

The interior of the cab should be assembled first. The instructions are a bit messed up because it shows part C5 being installed upside down.

The armored cabin should be added next, hiding all of the interior detail that was just assembled.

The bonnet should be attached last, but the fit is not too good, and a significant gap is left between the cabin and the bonnet.

Parts of the Flak 37 are painted gray, but will need touch-up after being cut from the sprue. The parts also have a lot of awful ejector pin marks, but I didn't bother removing most of them because of the toy-like nature of this model.

Attach the Flak 37 to the base only after the upper and lower hulls are put together. The gun doesn't fit very tightly, but I don't think it's a major issue.

The side panels of the bed are molded in an upright position, so the Flak 37 is not really able to pivot, but the barrel can be raised and lowered.

The model is very similar to the previous 4D Sd.Kfz. 7, but it has separate lights and bumper guides, which (despite their chunky appearance) improve the look of the model.

Two other new 4D models that I didn't get are the 9A52-2 Smerch-M and the Sd.Kfz. 251/1 Ausf. C Wurfrahmen 40.

Pictures of the sprues for the Smerch-M can be found at moxing.net and bilibili, but I didn't really find anything on the Wurfrahmen 40.

Stalin's Sledgehammer

Another subject that has not been produced by plastic model companies in 1/72 scale is the 203 mm howitzer M1931 (B-4). A resin version of the howitzer was produced at one time by AER, but the kit looks like it would be a bear to prepare and assemble.

Once again though, Altaya comes to the rescue with a model of this sadly neglected subject.

The barrel can elevate to to about 45°, but the limber is glued in place so it cannot be displayed in firing mode.

The same model is also sold by War Master, except with a different color scheme and some weathering.

Since both howitzers are in travel mode, I've pre-ordered a couple of Trumpeter Komintern Artillery Tractors to tow them (maybe Trumpeter will make a 1/72 version of the howizter as well).

The following images are some interesting photos of the howitzer that I found on the web.

Little Bulldog

The M41 Walker Bulldog is an American tank that has not been represented in 1/72 scale by the plastic model companies despite its widespread use by many nations.

I have three types of diecast models of this tank. The first picture shows the War Master M41A3, and the Amercom M41A3. I believe that the Amercom model is identical to the original Altaya version, so that is how I will refer to it from this point forward.

The War Master and Altaya models are similar, but despite the superior finish on the War Master model, there are certain aspects that are better with the Altaya model. I believe that the hull of the War Master M41 is a copy of the Altaya model, but some of the surface details seem much softer.

The turret of the War Master M41 does not have the softness of the hull, and seems to be a new tool with a more accurate commander's cupola.

The most objectionable part of the War Master model however, has to be the road wheels, which are all connected to each other by plastic strips. I guess these make the model easier to manufacture on the assembly line, but they look horrible. I'm going to see if I can cut them off without damaging the model at some point in the future.

The next comparison is of a Hobby Master M41A3 (of which there are now 10 different versions) and the Altaya M41A3.

The finish of the Hobby Master model is excellent, and details like the headlight guards are not overly chunky like on the Altaya and War Master models. The downside of the Hobby Master tanks however, is that they are very expensive.

Finally, a comparison of all three tanks.

The overall dimensions are pretty much identical for length, width, and height.

4D Puzzle Models

There are a number of companies that are producing military vehicles under the category of "4D puzzle model". I believe that the first of these may have been the 1/90 scale 4D Master tanks produced by Fame Master out of Hong Kong. The kits were also repackaged by Academy, but sold at a much higher price.

These models are like typical 3D puzzle figures, consisting of blocky pieces that fit together to make the model. They seem to look okay on the box art, but they're obviously toy-like, and the wrong scale.

Another line of "1/72" scale tanks that claim to fall into the 4D puzzle category are reviewed over at Men In Boxes. These models appear in a number of different packages, with the most common bearing a logo imitating that of World of Tanks.

These tanks are very toy-like and not to scale, but I couldn't help but buy the M-42 Duster, because nobody seems to be interested in making a model of it in 1/72.

The packaging for the model I bought did not have the bland-name logo, but it has the same image of the 1/35 Tamiya M-42 on the box top, the same product number, and the exact same contents.

The pieces are all made out of different types of plastic. The turret and side panels are PVC, the upper hull is polystyrene, or maybe ABS, and the lower hull and wheels seem to be made of polyethylene or polypropylene.

The problems with the wheels and tracks are obvious. The lower hull, which is shared by all of the tanks in this series is too long for the M-42 (though not by much), making the tank scale out to perhaps 1/70 to 1/68 scale.

The model goes together easily without any need for glue, though some clean-up of flash is required to make all the parts sit flush.

4D Duster vs Altaya Duster

Overall, the 4D M-42 is not very good. I don't recommend bothering with any of the models in this series. Maybe one day Hobby Master will come out with a diecast M-42, since they already make an M-41.

One final manufacturer that uses the 4D puzzle model designation is a Chinese company which I believe is called 4 Paragraph. They have produced a series of vehicles with the MAZ-7910 chassis, that are part of the С-300ПМУ (S-300PMU; SA-10 Grumble) missile system.

The series consists of two color variants of the 30N6E2 fire control/illumination and guidance radar vehicle – one in gray plastic with black and light gray camouflage markings, and one in olive plastic with apple green and tan camouflage markings.

There are also two different mobile TELs – a 5P85S in gray plastic with black and light gray camouflage markings, and a 5P85D in olive plastic with apple green and tan camouflage markings. Each mobile TEL has parts (and instructions) to assemble the S or D type, so both are actually available in each color.

These "puzzle models" are actually simplified quick-build models based off of the 1/72 scale PST S-300 models. I bought all four for less than what I paid for a single PST model. They are made of ABS, so you cannot use regular plastic cement for them, but I found that for the most part, glue is not necessary to build these models.

I used images from Air Power Australia as references for assembly, but the instructions included with the models were sufficient for the most part.

For the 5P85S/D models, when performing step 16, insert the pegs starting from the rear so that the sides are flush with the truck bed. For step 17, I installed the arm so that the irregularity at the sprue attachment point will be hidden from view when the launch tubes are raised.

Sprue attachment point.

Once the arm is installed, it will be difficult to remove, so double check before attaching the part if seeing the attachment point matters to you.

For step 33, I installed the piston so that the irregularity at the sprue attachment point will be hidden from view when the launch tubes are raised.

Piston and launch tube attachment points.

For steps 35 and 36, make sure the parts are connected so that the openings for attaching the launch tubes face up.

I didn't bother with putting the missiles into the launch tubes, and left them empty.

5P85D and 30N6E2 in travel mode

5P85S in launch position, 30N6E2 with raised antenna

The datalink antenna on the radar vehicle is not very accurate. I'm not sure what the PST version looks like, but it can't be worse.

4D 5P85S vs Russian Tank Collection 9A52

30N6E2, 5P85S, 5P85D, 9A52

The dimensions and wheelbase of the MAZ-7910 and MAZ-543M chassis match up fairly well between the 4D model and the diecast Russian Tank Collection model. There are some differences in the shape of the cab, and the Russian Tank Collection model has larger wheels, but I can't say which is more accurate.

I will probably get a couple more of these kits so that I can create a complete fire unit (although I'll repaint the new ones with more accurate PLA camouflage).