Sd.Kfz.7/1 2cm Flakvierling 38 auf Selbstfahrlafette
1:35 kit comparison
kit #6525 - 
kit #01523Part 5: Cab
Cab parts
Starting with the floor plates, the treadplate is rendered finer on the Cyberhobby/Dragon floor and there are different arrangments for the floor panel latches with images showing the latch and panel layouts as seen in both kits so both are okay in that regard.
The main difference is with the three gear levers with the Cyberhobby/Dragon kit having them just glued onto the floor while the Trumpeter levers are actually attached to the gearbox. While it is a little tricky to slip the levers through the floor holes while assembling the Trumpeter cab the final effect is better as you actually have gaps around the hand brake and gear levers like the real vehicle while those in the Cyberhobby/Dragon don't. This in most noticable on the hand brake with the larger slot for the brake lever, the hand brake lever in the Trumpeter kit also has better defined detail but both really need the release wire attached on the right hand side to finish off.
Moving to the foot pedels, the Cyberhobby/Dragon kit only has the brake and clutch pedal but not the accelerator pedel (piston) only a small dot on the floor where it should go. On the Trumpeter you get the complete accelerator pedal and housing that sits below the floor for a very good depiction of the Sd.Kfz.7 accelerator pedel (piston).
Detail on the brake and clutch pedals is really non existant on the Cyberhobby/Dragon pedals as there is a sprue attachment on the top of the pedals and after cleaning this off you are left with smooth pedal faces, they should in fact have non slip tread plate if depicting the plain metal pedals. Those on the Trumpeter kit feature the large hard rubber pads with embossed "K" and "B" which was typical of early production Sd.Kfz.7s. There is one thing to watch when fitting the Trumpeter pedals is there is a small L notch at the end of the pedal shaft designed to fit into the hole in the floor but this goes the wrong way and if fitted as designed the K and B will be upside down. You need to cut off the small notch and just glue the pedals the right way up ensuring the get them in the correct position with the K for the clutch and B for the middle brake pedal.
While the Trumpeter foot pedals have far better detail than those in the Cyberhobby/Dragon kit there is an issue in that the pedals and accelerator are in the wrong positions in relation to each other, they are in the correct position on the Cyberhobby/Dragon floor and you can see the relivant positions in the image below. Basically the Trumpeter brake and clutch should be moved a little further up to the top of the floor plate and the accelerator moved down a little which means filling the hole for the accelerator and drilling another in the correct position.
Note; there is no accelerator pedal in the Dragon kit and the gears in the Trumpeter kit are
attached to the gearbox and fed through the floor holes.
Foot dedal detail, note "K", "B" embossing on Trumpeter pedals and plain Dragon pedals
Note the incorrect positions of the Trumpeter pedals on the floor while they are
correctly positioned on the Dragon floor.
The steering wheels in both kits have the full shaft leading to the steering box and the wheel is again more finely moulded on the Cyberhobby/Dragon kit with a little flash also present on the 4 inner spokes of the Trumpeter wheel in my kit. The mounting bracket part way up the shaft is a solid moulding on the Cyberhobby/Dragon kit requiring the holes to be drilled out while provided as two etched brackets on the Trumpeter kit for a finer appearance.
The Cyberhobby/Dragon steering shaft is designed to be attached by the support bracket to the firewall while the Trumpeter shaft actually attaches to the chassis steering box like the real thing and you slip this into the slot in the floor during the cab assembly. Basically different ways to end up with the same result as the Cyberhobby/Dragon shaft also sits though the slot in the floor after assembly.
Moving to the seats and rear bullheads, the texturing of the seat fabric on the Trumpeter seats as noted in the initial review is way overdone with very little creasing or texturing seen on the actual leather seat material and the seats in the Cyberhobby/Dragon kit portray this effect far better.
Also note the different seat segments on the two kit seats, as this area is rearly shown on period photos of Sd.Kfz.7s and most surviving examples have been partially rebuilt it is difficult to detemine the correct arrangement.
There are three adjustment brackets between the rear seat segments that allow adjustment of the seat back on the real vehicle but only two of these are included on the Cyberhobby/Dragon seats with the one on the right missing and this will need to be added, the two present are correctly aligned with each other.
The brackets on the Trumpeter kit are supplied as separate etched brackets but unfortunately these are positioned at three different levels on the seat bulkhead meaning they don't line up as they should. The one on the right is positioned correctly on the bulkhead while the middle one is just added between the seats and sticks way too far out while the left side bracket is on the raised bulkhead section and again is slightly too far forward and you will need to trim the brackets to align these evenly.
On the Cyberhobby/Dragon kit there is a single covered battery that locates on the left hand side of the seat while there are two uncovered batteries included in the Trumpeter kit. The Trumpeter batteries have the correct terminal layout for WWII German batteries but as the Sd.Kfz.7 used a 12 volt system (according the Spielberger) it is likely there should only be the one battery and they would have a top protective cover fitted in any case.
The rear seat bulkheads and the rear crew bench seat arrangment is again quite different on the two kits and both arrangments can be seen in photographs of the Sd.Kfz.7/1. The Cyberhobby/Dragon setup appears to be more common on the earlier vehicles while that of the Trumpeter kit with the raised top headrest and smaller bench seats appears to be more applicable to late Sd.Kfz.7/1 and the Sd.Kfz.7/2.
The two shortened cab side panels on the Trumpeter kit are only about half as thick as on the first kit and look better for that but the Cyberhobby/Dragon side panels are slightly thinner again with more refined rivet and other details. Both have the open hand holds applicable to the early Sd.Kfz.7 (later types had solid panels and grab handles).
The Cyberhobby/Dragon panels also include inside rib and other details while the Trumpeter panels are devoid of any internal detail and look rather plain as a result, both are thankfully clear of any pin marks.
One thing to watch on the Trumpeter panels is the side traffic indicators are just open holes without the actual indicator and you really should blank off the opening and add the indicator from thin card. The indicator is nicely moulded inside its bracket on the Cyberhobby/Dragon kit and needs no further adjustments.
Cab side panels
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