Author Topic: SdKfz 250 Alte Light Armoured Halftrack - Rommel 161014  (Read 83411 times)

Rubicon Models

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SdKfz 250 Alte Light Armoured Halftrack - Rommel 161014
« on: September 19, 2015, 12:55:17 pm »
Here is the SdKfz 250/1 Alte on the Drawing Board...




Objective as follow:

- to create a two sprue plastic kit
- two headlight options
- fully detailed interior
- basic driver included


Some Historical Facts:

The SdKfz 250 was a light armoured halftrack, very similar in appearance to the larger Hanomag-designed SdKfz 251, and built by DEMAG, for use by Germany in World War II.  Most variants were open-topped and had a single access door in the rear.  The SdKfz 250 was adopted in 1939 to supplement the standard halftrack.  Production delays meant that the first 250 did not appear until mid-1941.

The vehicle was used in a wide variety of roles throughout World War II.  The basic troop carrier version was used as an armored personnel carrier for reconnaissance units, carrying scout sections.  This basic variant usually mounted one or two MG34 machine guns.  Later variants carried 20 mm, 37 mm, and even 75 mm guns to support the more lightly armed versions.

Several special-purpose variants were seen early in the war.  The 250/3 and 250/5 were command variants, with fewer seats but equipped with long-range radio equipment.  These were used by battalion and higher commanders as personal command vehicles, most famously the 250/3 used by Erwin Rommel in the North African campaign.  Early versions had large 'bed frame' antennas, which were easy to spot at long range, making them more vulnerable to artillery fire.  Later variants dispensed with this and used a whip antenna instead.

The SdKfz 253 variant was fully enclosed, and was used by artillery forward observers to accompany tank and mechanized infantry units.

The initial design had an armoured body made of multi-faceted plates, which gave good protection against small arms fire, but made this design both expensive to manufacture and quite cramped.  Production of this early version stopped in October 1943 with some 4,200 built, and a second version (neue Art or "new version"), greatly simplified to speed up manufacture, began replacing it.  In both variants, the armour was useful only for stopping small-arms fire and small artillery fragments.  Heavy machine gun fire, anti-tank gun fire, or almost any tank gun could penetrate the SdKfz 250 at long range.


Intended Variants to Produce:

SdKfz 250/1 - The standard troop carrier.

SdKfz 250/3 - Command variant, equipped with radio equipment and a "bedstead" aerial frame.

SdKfz 250/5 - Command variant with additional radio equipment.

SdKfz 250/7 - mounted an 81 mm mortar.

SdKfz 250/8 - armed with a 7.5cm KwK 37 L/24 gun and an MG 34.

SdKfz 250/9 - Reconnaissance variant with a 2 cm KwK 38 autocannon and a coaxial MG (MG 34 or MG 42) in a low, open-topped turret identical to the SdKfz 222 armoured car.

SdKfz 250/10 - Reconnaissance platoon leader's variant with 3.7 cm PaK 35/36.
 
SdKfz 250/11 - With a 2.8 cm sPzB 41 (schwere Panzerbüchse 41) heavy anti-tank rifle and an MG 34.

SdKfz 253 - Artillery forward observer vehicle, with fully enclosed armoured body and artillery radios.


Comments?
« Last Edit: October 14, 2016, 05:28:08 pm by Rubicon Models »

Rubicon Models

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Re: SdKfz 250 Light Armoured Halftrack
« Reply #1 on: September 19, 2015, 01:52:45 pm »
More 3D view of the SdKfz 250/1 interior details...







Enjoy!

moiterei_1984

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Re: SdKfz 250 Light Armoured Halftrack
« Reply #2 on: September 19, 2015, 02:01:51 pm »
Looks great so far. I'd like to see a Sdkfz 252 Munitionstransportwagen or 250/6 variant as well. Unfortunately I don't think it would be very popular  :-\

Rubicon Models

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Re: SdKfz 250 Light Armoured Halftrack
« Reply #3 on: September 19, 2015, 02:14:46 pm »
I'd like to see a Sdkfz 252 Munitionstransportwagen or 250/6 variant as well. Unfortunately I don't think it would be very popular  :-\
The SdKfz 252 will require a new chassis which need additional drawing time, plus extra spaces on the sprue.  Would rather customers to kit bash the rear chassis, which should not be too difficult.  As for the 250/6, we do not have blueprints regarding the interior layout, so can't do much...

:(

Yaquir

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Re: SdKfz 250 Light Armoured Halftrack
« Reply #4 on: September 19, 2015, 04:11:42 pm »
Looks very good. Excellent. I'm waiting for it  :)

Laffe

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Re: SdKfz 250 Light Armoured Halftrack
« Reply #5 on: September 19, 2015, 08:06:53 pm »
Looks good!

Will there be a Neue art later?

Pinky

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Re: SdKfz 250 Light Armoured Halftrack
« Reply #6 on: September 19, 2015, 10:44:34 pm »
Looks really good.  Especially the interior.

As I've said before, other than a couple of prototypes, the 7.5cm gun wasn't fitted to the Alte version.  It really doesn't make sense to include it as an Alte variant - it should be a Neu variant.

Please consider including a jerrycan rack, as they seem to have been fairly common (especially on vehicles used in the desert).  It also fills up that space next to the rear door rather nicely.
« Last Edit: September 20, 2015, 08:27:58 am by Pinky »

Suetonius Paullinus

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Re: SdKfz 250 Light Armoured Halftrack
« Reply #7 on: September 21, 2015, 12:06:38 am »
Not of immediate interest to me but it looks great and I'm certainly grab one for my planned Afrikakorps.

Cheers

SP

Laffe

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Re: SdKfz 250 Light Armoured Halftrack
« Reply #8 on: September 21, 2015, 03:57:26 am »
Please consider including a jerrycan rack, as they seem to have been fairly common (especially on vehicles used in the desert).  It also fills up that space next to the rear door rather nicely.

This.

DerHarlrquin

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Re: SdKfz 250 Light Armoured Halftrack
« Reply #9 on: September 22, 2015, 03:19:32 am »
There are a couple of 28mm Sd.Kfz. 250 neue  Ausf. out there, but hardly any good mini of the alte Ausf.
I would really appreciate this plastic kit, since it would be easy to make conversion.

I'm totally gonna buy this!

Rubicon Models

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Re: SdKfz 250 Light Armoured Halftrack
« Reply #10 on: September 22, 2015, 03:05:04 pm »
More 3D drawings of the 250... now with 253 Leichte Gepanzerte Beobachtungskraftwagen!!












Enjoy!

Shark in Exile

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Re: SdKfz 250 Light Armoured Halftrack
« Reply #11 on: September 22, 2015, 03:47:03 pm »
Great news especially on the Sd.253 variant.
I ll been purchasing a few to covert carrying the Hotckiss 25mm anti tank gun as used by the DAK.

Pinky

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Re: SdKfz 250 Light Armoured Halftrack
« Reply #12 on: September 22, 2015, 04:50:22 pm »
Agreed - this would be a fun variant to have.

Any idea yet how you'll handle all the variants?  A basic SdKfz 250 kit and a 'deluxe' version with multiple variants?

Rubicon Models

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Re: SdKfz 250 Light Armoured Halftrack
« Reply #13 on: September 22, 2015, 05:11:47 pm »
Any idea yet how you'll handle all the variants?  A basic SdKfz 250 kit and a 'deluxe' version with multiple variants?

We have yet to finish all the drawings first.  Our initial thoughts will be releasing the basic SdKfz 250/1 Alte with the SdKfz 253 as a single kit, then one or two expansion kit(s) depending on the number of parts need to complete all the variants.  This is a "tie-in" project with the SdKfz 251, so we also need to look at that as well.

BTW, we will definitely not doing a SdKfz 250/8 (with the 7.5cm KwK 37 L/24 gun) on an Alte variant!

;)


Galland77

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Re: SdKfz 250 Light Armoured Halftrack
« Reply #14 on: September 23, 2015, 01:17:39 am »
The 250/9 would be a nice option in the upgrade pack..