ESCI – 8359 – 8002 – Hanomag Sd. Kfz. 251/1

Description:

Hanomag Sd. Kfz. 251/1

Unassembled plastic model kit in 1/72 scale of a German WWII armoured half-track Sd.Kfz.251/1, the standard troop carrier variant, C variant (Ausf. C).

ESCI Originally tooled this kit in 1974. Later over the years it served as base up to 5 more specialized variants of the Sd.Kfz.251. To be exact, of the Ausf.C variant, which is what the kit more closely depicts, though ESCI or any of the other brands who reboxed this kit added it to the kit title till the last Italeri reissue, when the specific variant was added in the title Italeri – 7009 – Sd.Kfz. 251/1 Ausf. C.

The kit is correct in shape and size, detail is not bad but interior detail is pretty spartan and simplified. There is another main problem with the kit, not an unknown problem on ESCI kit, they are the wheels and the tracks. For sure the early vinyl tracks are just to forget, whatever you attempt with this kit must be with the ESCI-Ertl or Italeri link-and-length tracks, unless you plan to totally replace them, but this doesn’t fix the problem of the wheels, they not only are not very accurate, but they are moulded as a single piece doubled width rather than two parts withs space in the middle.

Again we find and ESCI kit that was an advance when it was released but which have been surpassed in almost every aspect by newer releases, specially Dragon releases for the same topic, which almost cover also all the later ESCI specific variants releases, with two exceptions, ESCI is the only one who tooled an ambulance variant. For this variants we can only recommend kit bashing and scratch build. Revell own releases for the Sd.Kfz.251 Ausf. C are also superior to this ESCI, and the Italeri reissues, kits.

As the ESCI kit is correct in terms of shape and size and external detail is possible to use aftermarket products to enhance the weak points and it’s still a valid kit despite the age, if it sits in your stash look for this enhancements and give it an opportunity.