This is the 8.8cm Flak 36/43 which was the standard 8.8cm Flak 36 but mounting the L/71 barrel from the 8.8cm Flak 41. I received duplicate one in error from Cromwell models who makes the Flak 41. I machined off the retaining strap and replaced it with styrene sheet. Besides this, I added bits from the Lionroar Flak 36 PE set, the upper recuperator armored housing from the DML Flak 37 kit (the only known picture of the Flak 36/43 shows this item), and I added wiring, bits and pieces as I saw fit. Almost ready for paint. Still a few items to install but mostly done. Some parts aren’t in their final position (like the recuperator cylinders) but I need to be flexible to paint the complex assemblies.
Interresting looking build there. I’ve never seen that variant before. Do you have the pic in a book, or did you find it on the web? Since the barrel is really longer and add a bit of weight to the muzzle end, I suppose that the equilibrators should be modified and a bit longer than the other versions. Beside that, you have a solid buid there! Keep posting pics of it as it is a really odd looking one. [tup]
Nice work. Looks like a great kit. Not knowing that much about 88’s, I assume that long barrel would be for AAA, (bombers and such). I look forward to more.
Hi Matthew: Yes the Flak guns were all anti-aircraft guns (Fleugzeug-Abwehr-Kanone). The fact is that they also were found to be useful against ground targets such as Allied armor. All the WW2 era 8.8cm Flak guns were equipped to attack ground targets as well as their conventional anti-aircraft duties (some sources erroneously state that the Flak 37 was ONLY used against air targets – that’s baloney since it had a gun sight for ground targets and was issued AP ammo. Photos exist of Flak 37s ready in anti-tank positions too)
Gun Tech: I got my inspiration for this kit from a photo in Ian Hogg’s “German Artillery of WW2” where he pictures one on page 169. No textual information is included (this is not the Flak 37/41, the mating of the Flak 37 with several Flak 41 components).
From what I can gather, it was just the mating of the gun tube to the Flak 36 carriage since the photo even shows a typical Flak 36 gun breech and not the Flak 41 gun breech.
The extra long barrel was duly noted, along with the nice detail work you have goin’ on here! It looks great, lookin’ forward to the paintin’ and weatherin’! [:D]
I’m gearing up for to build a Flak 36 myself and I’m wondering what you used for references? I have Schiffer’s; The Heavy Flak Guns, German Flak in World War II, The German 88 in Combat, The 88mm Flak and Osprey’s; 88mm Flak 18/36/37/41 and PaK 43 1936-45. What other books can you recommend?
Well, the ones you have are good except for one. W Trojca’s book on the Flak guns has great line drawings, although admittedly, I’ve worked from many pictures of surviving Flak 36s.
The Osprey book (88mm Flak 18/36/37/41) is almost a complete pile of garbage – I highly doubt that the author (John Norris) EVER even saw one in real life. His mistakes are so completely egregious that I am seriously wondering whether to THROW AWAY my copy rather than to give it away as some show’s raffle. It’s THAT bad.
Contact me offsite and I’ll forward to you the text to an article that’s being published in the November Boresight magazine. roy.chow@aya.yale.edu
I’m planning on a standard three tone camo scheme with a dominant dark green
I just got the Osprey book and haven’t had a chance to look through it closely, now I think I’ll just return it instead…[|(]
Oddly enough, I thought the same thing of Ivan Hogg’s; German Artillery of WW II. I was surprised by several blatant errors, I ended up returning it too. I expected better from someone who is supposed to be a leading authority on artillery.
Thanks for the comments folks. I’m going to paint it in a standard 3 tone German pattern but I plan on having heavy, vertical dark green streaks as the dominating feature.
I hope to put on the last few bits this week and get a basecoat on soon. RC
