T-Model TK72019 - 1:72 Upgrade PE Set for German Flak 36 Shell

T-Model photo-etched set – gun shield for the 8.8 cm Flak 36 in 1:72

T-Model TK72019 is a photo-etched set reproducing the gun shield of the German 8.8 cm Flak 36 anti-aircraft gun in 1:72. The fret carries the parts of the shield — the protective plate placed in front of the crew position — produced from thin metal.

The set is intended for 1:72 kits of the 8.8 cm Flak 36 by T-Model, including the versions mounted on the Ssys flatcar. The shield is one of the most prominent features of the gun silhouette, so its thickness has a real effect on how the assembled model looks.

What is in the box:

• Photo-etched fret with the gun shield parts

Product specifications:

• Scale: 1:72
• Catalogue number: TK72019
• Manufacturer: T-Model
• Intended kits: 1:72 8.8 cm Flak 36 by T-Model, including versions on the Ssys flatcar
• Type: photo-etched upgrade set
• Material: photo-etched metal fret

Photo-etched parts – thin, delicate detailing elements

A gun shield is a flat, thin element covering a large area — exactly the kind of part where an injection-moulded version usually has a noticeably over-thick edge. Mould limitations impose a minimum wall thickness, so in 1:72 a plate a few millimetres thick on the original turns into a visibly oversized slab. Thin chemically etched metal keeps the proportions right, and the edge of the shield stays crisp even when viewed from the side.

Parts are cut from the fret with a modelling knife on a hard surface and attached with cyanoacrylate glue. When folding, it is worth working slowly and supporting the part with a steel rule or a bending tool — a large flat surface picks up unwanted distortion easily, and once introduced it is hard to remove. Degreasing the fret and applying a primer before painting is worth the extra step.

About the gun – 8.8 cm Flak 36:

The 8.8 cm Flak 36 was a German dual-purpose anti-aircraft gun introduced in 1936 as a development of the earlier Flak 18. The key change was a sectional barrel, which allowed worn sections to be replaced rather than the whole tube, along with the improved Sonderanhänger 202 transport carriage.

The gun was of 88 mm calibre, weighed around 7.4 t in firing position, reached a vertical range of about 8000 m and fired at some 15 to 20 rounds per minute, served by a crew of roughly ten. It became famous above all for its effectiveness in the anti-tank role — in North Africa and on the Eastern Front it penetrated the armour of tanks against which German anti-tank artillery was then powerless.

The Flak 36 was also used on railway mountings and flatcars, protecting transports against air attack. That configuration is particularly interesting from a modelling point of view, since it combines an artillery subject with railway rolling stock.

Original specifications (8.8 cm Flak 36):

• Calibre: 88 mm
• Introduced: 1936
• Weight in firing position: approx. 7.4 t
• Vertical range: approx. 8000 m
• Rate of fire: approx. 15–20 rounds per minute
• Crew: approx. 10
• Transport carriage: Sonderanhänger 202
• Design feature: sectional barrel allowing worn sections to be replaced
• Use: anti-aircraft and anti-tank, also on railway mountings and flatcars

About the manufacturer – T-Model:

T-Model is a Chinese producer of scale models and modelling accessories based in Beijing. The brand is best known for 1:72 and 1:35 kits and accessories covering modern American vehicles and German World War II railway rolling stock. The range includes plastic model kits as well as photo-etched sets, wooden decks, turned metal details, masks and decals. As a result, many kits can be completed with accessories from the same manufacturer, designed around a specific base kit.