In this review I'll go over the building and painting of SKYTREX's Sdkfz. 250/1 and 250/9.
Synopsis:
These kits are from a company that has been around for sometime. Skytrex is from the U.K. and has been involved in making 6mm, 15mm, and 20mm WWII and modern armor as well as ships and planes in various wargaming scales.
These kits represent the last production models of the Sdkfz. 250 reconnaissance half tracks The 250/1 was the general purpose model designed as a section carrier for recce units as well as, with the addition of radios (Sdkfz 250/4 and 5) command vehicles. The Sdkfz. 250/9 was built to replace the Sdkfz. 222 Armored Car due to its limited cross-country performance. The Sdkfz. 250/1 was equipped with two HMGs one mounted in the front protected by a gun shield and the other as an AA weapon in the rear hull. The Sdkfz. 250/9 had a 20mm Auto cannon and co-ax HMG (usually an MG-34) and was capable of AA fire. The Sdkfz. 250 series started production in mid 1941 and terminated in 1944 when it was determined the Sdkfz. 251 was better suited for all roles.
Assembly:
The models were very nice to put together. The front wheels and tracks came cast onto the hull and offered fair detail. There were some hard casting lines but some filing work and patience took care of the matter. Detail on the three models were nice and crisp though not as detailed as those offered by Battlefront.
The barrels on both the 20mm AC and HMG for the 250/9 variants needed to be glues in place. The HMG barrels were a little large for the slot on the turret so some filing and fitting is required. Not a big deal.
Painting:
Once the models were completed, they were washed in hot soapy water and left to dry for a few hours. I airbrushed them with several light coats of Vallejo Black Primer and then “misted” them with some Vallejo Grey Primer. Then left to dry overnight.
The base coat of Vallejo Air Dark Yellow was applied in several light coats. Once this was dry Vallejo Air Dark Green was airbrushed for camouflage. This was left to dry for several hours. Once dry, tools, tires tracks, accessories and road wheels where painted using various Vallejo paints.
The models were left to dry overnight and them given a coat of Vallejo Gloss to seal the paints. Once the varnish was dry, decals from I-94, Skytrex and Battlefront were applied to the models and sealed with Micro Set. They were then given a 4:1:1 wash and left to dry for several hours. Once everything was set, I applied 3 successively lighter coats of Vallejo Middletone using Flat Flesh as my lightening color.
Weathering:
Very little weathering was done on these models as I wanted them to represent fairly “fresh” units in the field. Some Vallejo pigments were used to model dust and some mud splatter on the lower hull and track areas.
Completion:
The models were left to dry then sealed with Vallejo Matt Varnish. Antennas were made from 8 Lbs. Fishing line cut ti 15mm length and painted Vallejo Flat Black. The gunner on the 250/1 is from Battlefront as well as the stowage on the hull.
OVERALL:
I'm happy with the way these models turned out. Skytrex offers nice models for a reasonable price (roughly $8.00US each kit). The scale is equal to those of Battlefront's and would mix well on the battlefield.
Hope you enjoyed the review.
\4 out of 5 Panzerfausts
