Monday, March 25

1/35th scale Opel Blitz 3t truck "military service" from MiniArt.

We have been waiting or this to surface, MiniArt's first in a new series of trucks of Opel Blitz 3t trucks coming our way - the first a military version. We look at the art & CAD images in our preview....

1/35th scale Opel Blitz 3t truck "military service" from MiniArt.

German 3T cargo truck 3.6-36S pritsche normal type military service
From MiniArt
1/35th scale
Kit No#35442
Six marking choices included in the box.
The Subject: Opel Blitz 3.6-36s
From 1939, the Blitz 3.6 three-tonne version was used in large numbers by the German armed forces (Wehrmacht) throughout World War II. Variants included an elongated version and the four-wheel drive Blitz A. To cope with the bad road conditions and the rasputitsa mud seasons on the Eastern Front, a half-tracked Maultier ("mule") Sd.Kfz. 3 version was built using tracks and suspension based on the British Universal Carrier. Among others, these were used as service vehicles for the Messerschmitt Me 323 military transport aircraft.
Military personnel 5th SS Viking divisions (5 SS-Panzer-Division "Wiking") repair the wheels of the Opel Blitz 3.6-36S truck
The light basic model was manufactured as Blitz 2.5 in Rüsselsheim until 1942 and again from 1946, equipped with the 55 hp (41 kW) Opel Super 6 engine. On 6 August 1944, the Opelwerk Brandenburg was devastated by an RAF air raid. Until the end of the war, about 2,500 Blitz 3.6 trucks were built by order of Minister of Armaments Albert Speer at the Mannheim plant of the rival Daimler-Benz company, while production of its own Mercedes-Benz L3000 model had to be discontinued. 

Opel Blitz 3t. 4x2 truck. Deutsches Afrika Korps - Benghazi January - 1942.
After the war, the facilities in Brandenburg were completely dismantled at the behest of the Soviet Military Administration, while Daimler-Benz in Mannheim resumed building the Blitz 3.6 under the designation L 701 until 1949. The last 467 medium trucks were again assembled by Opel in Rüsselsheim until production finally discontinued in 1954 without a successor.

The Kit:
We have some nice CADs of this kit providing some details of the makeup of the model. A walk around of the whole
There you have the full engine and chassis without the cab and tray. Fuel tank, thick tyres, radiator all look great here. Just add some wiring to the engine and you are good.
The naked tray with spare wheel and spare Jerry can is shown here. This will be for the fist of MANY trays attached to this truck we are sure of it.
MiniArt has given us the whole engine and bay with bonnet (hood) able to be removed if that is your wish.
The wooden tray with metal carriage work looks like you can use the plastic or photo-etch tie-ons...
Some tie on latches are replaced by etch (as an option shown here), along with some other last minute addition details. Leave them until last guys!
I was surprised by the restraint of photo-etch used in this it. Only the thinnest parts of he model would need to be supplanted with etch.
The full open tray will be no-doubt packed full of stowage and gear on most people's kits

This kit from MiniArt will soon be available - Until then, keep an eye on the MiniArt's website or just look in here for more info on MiniArt’s new stuff.