Orange Hobby
37mm Flak 36
Inbox review of Orange Hobby Flak 36 in 1/72 scale, kit no. G72-201.
Smallish end-opening box features nice CAD artwork of the 37mm Flak 36 on the front and the colour/decal guide in a 2-view illustration on the back. Note! Finer print on the box front indicates the kit contains all plastic parts, instruction, PE, and decals. This is incorrect as there is no PE included.
Inside, a single bagged sprue is stapled to a zip bag containing the small decal sheet.
The single sprue counts 26 parts in medium grey plastic.
Overall, moulding looks to be crisp and full of fine detail. Machining marks are present on some surfaces, though I expect most of these will disappear once built up.
The sprue exhibits the slightest amount of mould slip in both the x and y axis, and some smaller parts have a whisper of flash. A number of parts are somewhat delicate, and care will need to be taken removing them from the sprue and performing any clean up.
While no multi-media parts are supplied, Orange Hobby do produce both a photo etch set and a turned barrel for the kit.
The single folded instruction sheet breaks the assembly into 5 well-illustrated steps. Step 2 presents the only option for the builder, the position of the gun — low or high elevation — and the later, the position of the travel lock. Out of the box, this looks like a great one-day build.
The only colour callout provided is to paint the entire unit Germany Grey (sic). While I’m not a German armour modeller, even I know it’s not as simple as that, so do your homework.
Decals
Only two decals are provided, being the white bands on the barrel, which it appears they’ve provided in two halves(!). Easier just to paint these, if you ask me.
Final Thoughts
Orange Hobby have produced a tidy little kit that I look forward to building once I get my hands on the complementary etch set.
In addition, Orange Hobby produce a standalone Flak 38, as well as kits that mount each gun on a Sd.kfz. 7 halftrack. The mounted option sounds like a great way to add the 38 to my collection, while avoiding too much repetition.
