Dragon 1/35 3t 4x2 Truck w/2cm Flak 38 (2 in 1) Finished

Modeling Subjects Armor
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When Dragon announced there re-release of there 1/35 Opel Blitz cargo truck, I picked one up. It’s roughy $13.00 USD more than the Tamiya version. The kit contains 394 parts total. The box has 413, so 19 parts are not used. I bought it off of Dragon USA.com for $57.00 USD. This will be a work in progress build. Photographs are taken with a Canon EOS Rebel T3i, with Canon EF-S 18-55mm IS II & Canon EF-S 24mm STM.

I’ll start off with the box art,

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Next up is are the sprue layout’s,

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Before starting, you need to decide which version your going to build, either the Cargo Truck or the 2cm Flak 38. The only real difference is the wheels and the bed.

Step One is the wheel assembly, B1 and B2 are for the rear axle, A is for the front.

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Step Two is the engine, front tow hooks & radiator.

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Step Four is mounting the front wheel assembly, I’m going to leave the wheels off to make painting them easier.

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Step Five is the exhaust, drivetrain, rear axle assembly.

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Step Six is jerry can with holder, storage box and spare tire.

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Step Seven is Cab assembly, I’m going to leave the engine covers open so I’m going to paint them separate. The kit comes with nice photo-etch for the front emblem, Opel Blitz. Glue the cab assembly to the frame first then D32 fuel tank. Decals are provided for gauges.

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Next up will be cab painting and 38 Flak gun assembly. [H]

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Step Eight is final cab assembly, I airbrushed inside the engine area and cab Model Master Afrika Grunbraun 1941 #2099, then brushed painted the engine Model Master Acryl Steel 4679.

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Step Nine is assembly of the cab doors and roof. Before I glued them together I airbrushed the seat Model Master Leather 4674, in applied the decals to the dash, and installed the steering wheel.

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Step Ten & Eleven is cargo bed assembly. There are to different beds, one for the cargo bed, and the other for 2cm flak 38. I built the one for the cargo bed with the open slots at the top.

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Step Twelve has you attaching the bed to the frame, I decided to leave it off for easier airbrushing. Plus the rear window would be hard to mask. Looks like I don’t have any photos of the bed by it’s self. [:$]

Step Twelve through Eighteen is the 2cm Flak 38 gun assembly. There are a lot of small parts, all I can say is take your time. It builds up to a nicely detailed model of the Flak 38. I left off part number A40, so I could move the barrel up and down. The base will turn 360 degrees.

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The last step Nineteen is final parts and the rolling floor with front wheels for the Flak 38.

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Here’s what the final assembled model looks like. The bed we dry fitted on, tires held on with double sided tape for the photos.

Cab and frame

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With bed

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With 38 Flak

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With cargo

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There are eight decals options, I choose to go with a overall color of Model Master Afrika Grunbraun 1941 #2099, with Olive Green camouflage using Tamiya XF-58 Olive Green.

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Next up will be airbrushing, about nine different colors in all.

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Nice clean build so far. I’m curious why you chose to paint it with “Model Master Afrika Grunbraun 1941 #2099” as no Opel trucks were factory painted with that color.

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Thanks Bronto, I used the Model Master Afrika Grunbraun 1941 because the instructions called out that color. I do plan to post-shade it, to lighten it up. [:D]

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Nice progress. It looks like a great kit.

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Thanks AlanF, yeah the kit does together great. Only had a few fit issues.

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Good clean work. I dig your layout and assembly jigs!

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Really nice build going. I have the ICMversion, but this kit looks really sweet. Can’t wait to see what your camo pattern looks like. I personally like the squiggly lines myself like in Normandy.

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Thanks Sprueone: Yeah the jigs really help assembling the truck frame and bed.

Thanks Tigerman: Been thinking about picking up the Revell of Germany re-box of that kit. There are a few fit issues but for the most part, just glue and go.

Airbrushing went smoothly, the truck, bed, 2cm Flak 38, fuel drums, benches, jerry cans, head lights, wheel rims were airbrushed Model Master enamel Africa Grunbraun 2099. The kit comes with masks for the windows, they are stickers not tape masks. The windshield pealed off after first coat of 2099 went on, I used the sticker to cut a tape mask out of Tamiya tape.

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Other colors used were, Tamiya XF-85 Tire Black for the wheel

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XF-65 Field Grey for the fuel drums, XF-59 Desert Yellow for wooden boxes & ladder. The water jerry cans I first painted XF-2 Flat White then cut thin strips of Tamiya tape and wrapped them around forming a cross, then airbrushed Model Master 2094. The tarp and remaining jerry cans were painted XF-60 Dark Yellow.

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I tried to find a color to post-shade over Africa Grunbraun 2099 but was not able to, so I’m moving on to camouflage. There’s about eight pins that connect the bed to the frame, the dried paint allows me to put the bed on the frame and it says on, making it easier to airbrush the camouflage.

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Using my Badger 200G with a fine head, I free hand on Tamiya XF-58 Olive Green. Using eight to ten PSI and thinning down the paint more than usual, was able to free hand on any shape I wanted. I think it turned out great, not sure if the camouflage was applied to the inside of the bed so I skipped that.

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Applied some camouflage to the 2cm Flak 38 and it’s base.

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The next day I touched the edges of the XF-58 with Model Master 2099. And the 2cm Flak 38 & the base.

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Looking good so far. I’d be tempted to add more lines though.

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The Revell AG kit is the Italeri kit not the ICM kit

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Thanks Tigerman: Yeah I’m tempted to add more line’s to. [;)]

Bronto: Though Tigerman was referring to ICM’s Typ 2,5-32 (1,5 to) #35401, which Revell’s German Truck type 2,5-32 #03250 is a rebox of. It’s selling for $28.95 USD, can’t beat that. [:D]

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After cleaning up the over spray from the XF-58 with 2099, I assembled the reaming parts before a gloss coat went on. The only decals I used where for the license plate, the decal sheet provided plenty of numbers to use, but only a few letters. The photo’s I saw had two letters then a dash, then six numbers. It was very tricky getting them in line, must have taken close to 30 minutes. The pole rods holding up the engine covers where made from left over parts from a Dragon StuG III kit, two crow bars where used. A light to medium amount of XF-57 Buff was airbrushed on in a dusting. After that everything was given a flat coat. One mistake I did was gluing on the bed before removing the tape mask over the rear window.

Only ran into a few problems but I’m very happy with the final result. This project took 61 days to complete. With 394 parts, I recommend this kit for intermediate modelers. The figures in the last picture are from a Cyberhobby StuG. III Ausf. kit.

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That looks really nice Dan! Great job on the painting and the weathering on the tires.

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That looks really good. Great work!

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Oh, nice clean build- kudos!!!

Did you do a pin wash? A little bit around the details and recessed areas can make the detail pop but if you’re happy with her I wouldn’t worry about it.

And only other nitpick I’d have is maybe paint the tarp on the cab a different colour like green or brown to make it stand out a little more?

Anyway I’m just nitpicking- really nice work! [Y]

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Thanks Silentbob33.

Thanks WannabeFarmboy.

Thanks Gamera: I did not do a pin wash, just some dry brushing, should have done a pin wash. Yeah should have painted the tarp a brown color. That just hit me on that. When I build Tamiya’s US cargo truck again, I’m going to try and make a tarp to go over the bed. [H]