Tamiya 35017 - 1:35 German 88mm Gun Flak 36/37

Plastic model kit of the German 8.8 cm Flak 36/37 gun in 1:35 scale

The 88 mm anti-aircraft gun went down in history above all as the terror of Allied tanks. Tamiya 35017 presents it as a complete field set: the gun ready to fire from its cruciform mount, the full transport bogies, a liaison motorcycle and a large crew.

The kit comes from a 1972 mould and contains more than 300 parts. The instructions allow the gun to be built as either a Flak 36 or a Flak 37 - the two differed mainly in the equipment used to receive data from the fire control centre. The barrel elevates and traverses once assembled, and both Sd.Ah.202 bogies with their rubber tyres are removable, so the gun can be displayed either in travelling or in firing configuration.

What is in the box:

• Plastic parts for the 8.8 cm gun and its cruciform mount
• Parts to build either the Flak 36 or the Flak 37
• Sd.Ah.202 transport bogies - both trailers, rubber tyres, removable
• Zündapp KS750 motorcycle
• 9 gun crew figures
• Accessories: shells, spent cases, ammunition boxes, rifles
• Illustrated assembly instructions

Model specifications:

• Scale: 1:35
• Item number: 35017
• Manufacturer: Tamiya
• Part count: over 300
• Gun length when built: approx. 165 mm
• Skill level: beginner/intermediate

Please note: glue, paints and modelling tools are not included. This is a kit for self-assembly.

Building the model:

This is one of the more extensive Tamiya classics - the part count is high, but the assembly sequence is logical and no work with photo-etched parts is involved. It is worth deciding between the Flak 36 and the Flak 37 before starting, as the two differ in details fitted early in the build. Dry fitting the moving assemblies, elevation and traverse, before cementing is a sensible precaution.

German grey (e.g. Tamiya XF-63 German Grey) suits guns of the earlier war years, while dark yellow (e.g. Tamiya XF-60 Dark Yellow) fits positions from 1943-1945. The crew figures, motorcycle and ammunition boxes invite a diorama setting, and a wash together with pigments will bring out the detail of the mount and the transport bogies.

Tools you will need:

• Modelling side cutters for removing parts from the sprues
• Hobby knife or scalpel
• Files and sanding paper for cleaning up gate marks
• Plastic cement (e.g. Tamiya Extra Thin Cement)
• Brushes in various sizes, including fine ones for the figures
• Model paints (acrylic or enamel)
• Wash to bring out details and recesses
• Optional: pigments for dust and mud effects

About the gun - 8.8 cm Flak 36/37:

The family of 88 mm anti-aircraft guns grew out of designs developed around the turn of the 1920s and 1930s. The gun sat on a distinctive cruciform mount carried on two single-axle Sonderanhänger 202 bogies, usually towed by half-track artillery tractors.

Although designed against aircraft, the 88 earned its true fame in the anti-tank role. High muzzle velocity and a flat trajectory allowed it to destroy Allied tanks at ranges from which their own guns were powerless - first in Spain and France, later in North Africa, where these guns halted British Matildas.

The Flak 36 was simplified for production and had a sectional barrel that made replacing worn sections easier. The Flak 37 differed mainly in its improved indicator system for data received from the fire control centre; ballistically the two guns were identical. Experience with the 88 led to the KwK 36 and KwK 43 tank guns fitted to the Tiger.

Original specifications (8.8 cm Flak 36):

• Calibre: 88 mm
• Gun length: approx. 5.79 m (L/56 barrel, approx. 4.94 m)
• Weight in firing position: approx. 5 t
• Crew: approx. 10
• Muzzle velocity: approx. 820 m/s (armour-piercing round)
• Practical rate of fire: approx. 15-20 rounds per minute
• Maximum horizontal range: approx. 14,800 m
• Effective ceiling: approx. 8,000 m
• Transport: two single-axle Sonderanhänger 202 bogies
• Production: from the 1930s to the end of the war; the Flak 18/36/37 family ran to tens of thousands of guns

About the manufacturer - Tamiya:

Tamiya Corporation is a Japanese model company founded in 1946 in Shizuoka, a city regarded as the heart of the Japanese model industry. It began as a timber business and released its first plastic model kit in 1960. Two years later came the 1:35 scale tank that established this scale as the worldwide standard for military modelling. The brand is known for precise injection moulds, well thought out kit engineering and excellent parts fit, which is why its kits are chosen by beginners and experienced modellers alike. The Military Miniature Series, to which this kit belongs, runs to hundreds of items covering vehicles, guns and figures from the Second World War and the modern era. Alongside kits, Tamiya offers a full range of modelling accessories: paints, glues, tools and brushes. The company is present in dozens of countries and remains one of the most recognisable names in the hobby.