Pz Kpfw 38(t) Ausf C

UM, 1/72 scale

Reviewed by Glenn Porter

UM's 1/72 scale Pz.Kpfw. 38(t) Ausf. C is available online from Squadron.com

We braille scale armour modellers are some what spoiled at the moment. First and foremost we have Revell, the yardstick by which all other 1/72 scale armour kits are judged. Then we have Italeri re-releasing many of the old Esci kits, some of them not done by anyone else and almost as good as Revell’s. Along comes Trumpeter and Mirage, also threatening Revell. And then there is UM.

So far, UM of the Ukraine, have only produced Russian armour, but it is excellent. All they need to do, to compete with Revell, is to produce kits with a wider appeal. If that means German W.W.II, so be it. Hopefully this is the first - the little Czech Pz Kpfw 38[t].

Click the thumbnails below to view larger images:

A few years ago Esci did the 38[t] but along with the M4A3, Fiat 13/40, Wespe and others, these moulds were lost or destroyed or some thing and so we are not likely to see them again from Italeri. Hopefully, UM will follow this kit up with others, which use the same chassis and tracks/suspension such as the Grille and Hetzer.

A departure from UM’s normal dark green plastic, this kit comes with light grey. On the instruction sheet parts plan, several parts are shown as not for use. I assume this means there are more 38[t]s, in different marks, to come. All the parts are highly detailed and relatively flash free and this should be a good and easy build.

Eight of the nine parts on the photo-etched fret are guard supports but the ninth is a very interesting looking perforated equipment box. I’ve never seen this before on a 1/72-scale kit and should be a good test for my new Hold and Fold set.

The decals, nicely printed by UM, have some extra markings, which are not mentioned in the instructions. Unfortunately, there is no indication if they are German or Hungarian. After viewing these decals under my magnifier, I must say there is a slight register problem, though not enough to cause me to want to replace them.

My only criticism of this kit is that the hatches are moulded closed although this will not be a problem to the more adventurous modeller.

Overall, I think this is an exciting development from one of the “up and coming” 1/72-armour manufactures.

Highly Recommended.

Thanks to Squadron for the review sample.

Review and Images Copyright © 2004 by Glen Porter
Page Created 30 December, 2004
Last updated 30 December, 2004

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