Background
The Demag 7's design was finalised in 1938 and, as the Sd.Kfz 10, the vehicle served throughout the war, being manufactured by Demag itself and a number of sub-contractors. Primarily a towing vehicle and personnel carrier, the vehicle also undertook more specialised roles such as chemical detection and decontamination, and later mounted a variety of weapons. The Sd.Kfz 10 was also used in limited numbers by Romania and Sweden, with Volvo being tasked with developing an unlicensed copy when Sweden was unable to purchase additional vehicles as the war progressed. Estimates for the number produced varies between sources, ranging from around 14,000 to 17,500 vehicles.
The Kit
Special Armour's Sd.Kfz 10 is a new boxing of the MK 72 kit and it arrives in a compact end-opening box. I have to admit this isn't my favourite way of packaging things, because I like to use the top and bottom of a conventional box as trays to keep parts in during assembly, but this box is nice and solid and protected the parts perfectly in transit. It also features colour illustrations of all the painting schemes on the rear, so you have a good idea of the options offered.
The kit itself is moulded in two colours - pale sand for the bulk of the parts, and a medium grey for an addition set of tracks and drive wheels. In total, the kit comprises 84 parts, plus 22 spare (including plenty of fuel cans for the spares box), along with decals for 4 colour schemes.
Rather than risk going over too much ground already covered in previous Armorama reviews, I'll direct readers to our existing coverage of the original MK72 release on the old site. (Do bear in mind that the urls may change in due course as part of the archiving process, so in future you might have to find the articles via the Reviews menu.)
Todd Michalak's (TRM5150) in-box review:
https://armorama.kitmaker.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=Reviews&file=index&req=showcontent&id=8400
Matthew Lenton's (FIRSTCIRCLE) full-build review:
https://armorama.kitmaker.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=Reviews&file=index&req=showcontent&id=8663
So, how does the kit look, the better part of 10 years later? The moulding and detail are still very good. Considering that MK 72's first release of the kit was back in 2011, everything's holding up beautifully, with just a faint wisp of flash here and there. I spotted a couple of shallow sink marks, but they're in places that will be hidden during assembly, so no problems on that count. However, there are a few light ejector pin marks which you might want to tackle, because they'll show on the inside walls of the rear compartment.
Just like the earlier reviewers, I'm really impressed by the crispness of the details in this small scale. The driver's compartment is very neatly fitted out, and a decal is provided for the dashboard dials and data plates. The front wheels boast very neat treads and hub details, while the drive and roadwheels also look good, with the roadwheels mostly moulded in groups to simplify assembly.
Looking at our reviews of the MK72 release, it's apparent that the extra set of tracks and drive wheels are a later addition (which may account for why they are a different colour). The new tracks are still moulded in styrene as single lengths for each side, and the instructions indicate that some excess links are provided which you'll need to remove. If you're not confident getting this right first time, it's quite handy that the kit still includes the old tracks with slightly different link patterns which you could use to practise with.
A moulded styrene windscreen would look very thick for 1:72, so the instructions include a template to cut one out of clear film (unlike the original boxing, not included), which will look much more true to scale.
Something else which you might want to add is some barbed wire for the reel at the rear of the vehicle. Thankfully, the designers didn't try to mould the barbed wire, because it would have probably ended up like a shapeless blob in this scale; you're far better off either making some from ultra-fine wire or buying a photo-etched set.
Instructions & Decals
The instructions are provided as a clearly illustrated 6-page booklet, printed in colour on glossy stock. Not surprisingly, the diagrams are reworked from the MK72 originals and they are well-sized and easy follow. Construction is broken down into 21 straightforward stages, and the sequence looks pretty logical - although I'd leave the tracks and wheels off until I'd painted the body.
Decals are provided for a quartet of Sd.Kfz 10s serving with unidentified units in colour schemes that span the whole of WWII - two sporting plain grey, while the others feature field-applied disruptive camouflage:
A. Russia, 1942
B. Poland, 1939
C. Yugoslavia, 1942
D. Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, 1945
Colour matches for Gunze Sangyo paints are given, and the vehicles are shown from 5 angles.
The small sheet of decals looks to be excellent quality, with pin-sharp registration. I've recently used Special Hobby's own-brand decals on their new-tool Bf 109E and they performed very well, snuggling down into the fine details perfectly.
Conclusion
Special Armour's little Sd.Kfz 10 is very neatly produced and has a level of detail that belies its small scale. If you missed the MK 72 original, this new boxing offers a welcome opportunity to pick up what looks set to be a really enjoyable build. The quality of the parts still looks as good as when the kit was first released, and a real plus is that Special Armour's version is actually cheaper than the original boxing, despite the passing years.
SA72021 is available from Special Hobby now - Price: 15.00 Euros
Many thanks to Special Hobby for kindly providing the review sample.
For anyone looking to add extra detail to the kit, an excellent place to start is this extensive walkaround: http://primeportal.net/transports/alan_ranger/demag-d7_sd.kfz.10/index.php?Page=1
Please remember, when contacting retailers or manufacturers, to mention that you saw their products highlighted here - on ARMORAMA