Verlinden
8.8cm FLAK 37
Verlinden Productions 1/15th Scale
Model by Terry Ashley
Verlinden

Introduction:
The GOOD the BAD and the UGLY, is the best way to sum up this kit.
* The GOOD..........is the quality of the resin casting, with no air holes present and only a minimum of warping to be corrected. The amount of detail present on the resin parts is excellent and with quality etched copper pieces to enhance this detail, building the model straight from the box with no extra detail added will result in an impressive model.
* The BAD.........is the detail missing, which for mine should be there in a kit of this size and price. But mostly it is the instructions, which are vague to say the least. Over a third of the etched copper pieces do not even get a mention on the instruction sheet. Quality reference material is essential to put this kit together as the exploded view type instructions simple don’t indicate the precise location of many of the parts, and there are some tricky angles to negotiate.
* The UGLY.......is the major parts which are so inaccurate they require a complete scratchbuild or major surgery to correct. (Eg, the shield which is a thick lump of resin which if scaled up would be about 8” armour plate and when looking along the edges of the shield, the centre is about 3 times thicker than the edges. A total rebuild from plastic card is required. The barrel assembly which is 7mm too short, requiring extensive work to correct, more on this later.

SUMMARY OF DETAILS ADDED TO KIT

TRUNNION ASSEMBLY
  • 1. Added cast numbers to front electrical box from fuse wire.
  • 2. Added support chains to left and right sides, brackets from thin wire.
  • 3. Added safety chains to fuse setter,left side.
  • 4. Added safety chains to electrical panel, right side.
  • 5. Re-positioned junction connector on rear dial box, right side.
  • 6. Added wiring on left and right trunnion from various thickness of fuse wire.
  • 7. Added wire fasteners from lead sheet.
  • 8. Added four bolt heads to rear of rearmost hand wheel assembly.
    • BARREL ASSEMBLY
  • 9. Drilled out full length of barrel.
  • 10. Inserted 7mm plug into barrel cradle.(Kit part too short)
  • 11. Hollowed out rear of cradle and added inside detail.(due to previous cradle adjustment)
  • 12. Replaced recoil cylinder with brass rube 7mm longer than item supplied. (Kit part also too short)
  • 13. Added bolt heads on inside of rear cradle, plus four on outside of right side.
  • 14. Detailed automatic rammer piston on left side.
  • 15. Added split pins into elevation cylinder piston attachment points.
  • 16. Added small details around breach.
  • 17. Removed and repositioned end of breach block.(wrong way around on kit part)
  • 18. Scratchbuilt recoil cylinder support brackets from card.(Kit parts too small)
  • 19. Added small pins to recoil cylinder attachment point.
    • SHIELD
  • 20. Scratchbuilt shield from thin card. (Kit item way too thick)
    • CRUCIFORM BASE
  • 21. Added details to storage box.
  • 22. Added missing wheel bogey attachment detail to legs, including lifting hooks.
  • 23. Detailed electrical connector points with support chains and piping.
  • 24. Added details to outriggers, including boltheads on inside.
  • 25. Added safety chains to barrel travel lock attachment points.
  • 26. Added small detail to barrel travel lock.
  • 27. Added protection plate under hand wheels.
    • MATERIALS USED IN DETAILING
    Plastic card, Plastic rod, Brass tubing, Copper wire, Strip solder, Aluminium tube

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    Assembly and Model images:
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    References:
    Easy 1 Productions CD: T001 TM E9-369A German 88mm Flak

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