Flakpanzers,

Ostwind, Wirbelwind and some experiments.

During the last years of the Second World War the Germans developed a large variety of Anti Aircraft vehicles to protect their army from the Allied fighter bombers. Most of these designs remained on the drawing board and of those which were built only a few could be called succesful.

"Hasegawa's Ost and Wirbelwind, in front of them a couple of Goliaths made by ALBY.
The most succesful flakpanzers were the Ost and Wirbelwind on a PzKpfw IV chassis.
By now every small scale modeller will know the Hasegawa models. A surprise was the improved roadwheels supplied with this kit. I plan to fit them also on the PzKpf IV F & G as these still have the same wheels as the Karl Munitions panzer.
Converting these vehicles to Mobelwagens is not difficult. The flak guns are a lot better than the ones on Hasegawa's SdKfz 7 variants. Together with the PART etchings and brass gun barrels I saw for sale it must be possible to make the perfect SdKfz 7/2

Rheinmetall proposal for Flakpanzer with turret mounted 2 cm flakvierling on Panther chassis.
When the Panther became the new standard tank Rheinmetall came with this proposal to fit four 20mm MG 151/20 guns in a turret on a Panther chassis.
This design remained on the drawing board as it was soon clear that all Panther production capacity was needed for combat tanks and no chassis were available for Flakpanzers.
This 1/76 model is made by FCM, it is a resin kit with brass barrels. The turret and hull are very nice, but I doubt if the tube on the rear containing the cleaning rods for the Panthers 75mm gun would be fitted on this vehicle. The tracks are rather simple.

Flakpanzer Coelian, only a mock-up was manufactured
Flakpanzer Cölian had twin 37mm guns fitted in a turret on a Panther chassis. Although one wooden mock-up of the turret was made and put on a Panther D hull it was not put into production.
This is a 1/72 TOM model turret on a ESCI Panther A chassis converted to Ausf. D. I do not think this model is available from TOM now but some other manufacturers make the same model.

Versuchsflakwagen 1941 model with 88mm Flak 36/37, 1/76 FCM model.
One prototype of this vehicle was built in 1941. It consisted of an 88mm gun on a specially constructed chassis. Originally an 88mm Flak 37 was fitted, this was exchanged for an 88mm Flak 41 in 1944 It looks to me that when this vehicle was put in production it had suffered from the same disadvantages as the Pz IV Möbelwagen.
FCM makes this model, the version with the 88mm Flak 41 will be one of the next models. It is a resin model and the 88mm gun has an aluminium barrel. The outer wheels and drive sprockets are separate castings this makes a much more detailed running gear than their Rheinmetall Flakpanzer above.

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