1:35 88mm FlaK 36 auf Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.H Carson 776829 500776829

Antiaircraft defense became very important with the advent of powerful air forces in WWII. As the war progressed, the German side was frantic for weapons to oppose Allied aircraft on both fronts, and so they tried mounting weapons, including the famous 8.8cm cannon, on any functioning chassis. One such makeshift solution placed a FlaK 36 gun on the chassis of a Panzer IV Ausf.H tank chassis. Mounted high atop the hull and without any stabilizer jacks, this was clearly an ad hoc solution that was not destined to enter production. Furthermore, there was no protection whatsoever for the crew.

As would be expected for this hybrid kit, Dragon’s technical team has taken the company’s exemplary 1/35 kits of both the Panzer IV H and FlaK 36 cannon and masterfully combined them into a single stunning representation. Of course, the tank hull has been suitably modified in the process to echo the original engineers’ plans. The 8.8cm gun itself is a work of art. There are photo-etched parts to depict components such as the gun travel lock. The 8.8cm FlaK 36 auf Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.H was not a regular weapon that entered production for the Wehrmacht, but modelers will have ample fun producing their own version of this unusual German antiaircraft weapon.