Review 20150423 - Right On! Replicas

Right On Replicas, LLC Step-by-Step Review 20150423*
KettenKraftrad with Infantry Cart & Goliath Demolition Vehicle 1:48 Scale Tamiya Model Kit #32502 Review
Review and Photos by James Yeager
The Kettenkraftrad was designed in 1939 and was originally for the German Airborne to use as a small
towing vehicle that also had multiple purposes. The Kettenkraftrad became very popular throughout the
German Army and soon it was doing anything from taxiing jets to the runway to hauling equipment and
even hauling artillery. The Kettenkraftrad had a 4 cylinder 1478cc Opel Olympia engine that could get up to
36HP. It had three forward gears and one reverse gear and could handle very well on off road situations.
The Kettenkraftrad could pull close to 4 tons of weight. The first place the Kettenkraftrad was used was
during the invasion of Crete in 1941 from there it served all through Europe, in North Africa and on the
Eastern Front. The Infantry Cart was designed to replace the older wooden cart which was much heavier.
The replacement was a much lighter model that not only could be towed by the Kettenkraftrad, a
motorcycle, a horse but by two soldiers as well. The Goliath, Sd.Kfz.302: While occupying France the
German Army found plans by a French manufacturer Keggresse about a little device that transported
explosives. The Borgward Company created the Goliath off of the research the Germans did of that
manufacturer. The Goliath had two electric motors and carried 60kg of explosives and weighed 370kg. The
remote control was done with an 800m long cable. The Goliath was introduced at Sebastapol in Southern
Russia in 1942 however until 1943 it was not formally used during combat, after that it was used for
attacking defensive positions or clearing mines from the roads. There were 2650 of these devices built by
January 1944
For the modeler: This is the Skill Level 2 Tamiya kit #32502 in 1: 48 scale. The pieces are molded in tan
with water slide decals. There are 88 pieces to this kit and very well laid out instructions. The dimensions
are; 2 5/8 L X 7/8 W X 1 3/8 H just the Kettenkraftrad and the German Driver, 3 15/16L X 7/8W X 1 3/8 H
with the cart and German Driver, 5 1/8 L X 7/8W X 1 3/8H with the Goliath and the German Driver, 2 5/8 L
X 17/8w X 1 H just the Kettenkraftrad no driver, and 2 5/8 L X 7/8W x 1 5/16H just the Kettenkraftrad and
the Mauser Kar 98K’s with no driver.
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Follow the manufacturer’s safety recommendations for any product mentioned here.
Figure 000b The box art for this model. This was released in
2004 as a new tool. This is one of six variations that Tamiya
had out that dealt with the Kettenkraftrad in the 1:48th scale.
The other versions that are out there are; Focke Wulf Ta183A
“Huckebein” with Kettenkraftrad (89586), Dornier Do335A Pfeil
with Kettenkraftrad (89598), German Power Supply Unit with
Luftwafffe crew and Kettenkraftrad (89768), Messerschmitt
Me262A-2a with Kettenkraftrad (61082) and German Power
Supply Unit with Kettenkraftrad (32533). The Kettenkraftrad,
Sd.kfz2. kit. Unless stated differently Testors Model Cement in
the tube and Testors Enamel paint in the bottle was used for the construction of this model kit.
Figure 3201 and Figure 3202 The left (X17) and right (X18) side hulls are glued to the hull floor (X19). This
assembly is then painted Model Master Engine Gray. The right track assembly (X14) and the left track
assembly (X7) are painted; Model Master Engine Gray (Wheels), Model Master Graphite Metallic (Track),
and detailed with Model Master Flat Black (Wheels). The inside outer road wheels (X6) and outside outer
road wheels (X13) are painted Model Master Engine Gray and detailed with Model Master Flat Black. Two
of the outside outer road wheels are attached to the exterior side of the track assemblies. Two of the inside
outer road wheels are attached to the inside portion of the track assemblies.
Figure 3203 Here is the Left Track assembly (X7) after it is assembled to give a better idea of how it looks.
The two outside outer road wheels are visible in this Figure.
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Follow the manufacturer’s safety recommendations for any product mentioned here.
Figure 3204 and Figure 3205 The tail light (X10) is attached to the tail light bezel (X9) and then the tail light
bezel assembly is glued to the rear hull section (X8). The rear hull assembly is attached to the hull
assembly. The left mud flap (X2) and the right mud flap (X3) are attached to the hull assembly. The trailer
hitch on the hull assembly is carefully removed and a lower trailer hitch (W22) is installed so the cart can be
pulled. The front hull section (X5) is glued to the hull assembly and then the top hull section (X15) is
secured to the hull assembly. The bench seat top (X23) is attached to the top hull section. In Figure 3205
the parts were not painted so they are more visible for this review. The left and right track assemblies are
attached to the hull assembly. The following parts are painted Model Master Engine Gray; tail light, tail light
bezel, left mud flap, right mud flap, rear hull section, trailer hitch, top hull section, and the bench seat top’s
frame. The left mud flap has detail that is painted Testors Red. The bench seat top is detailed with Tamiya
XF 64 Red Brown. The top hull section is detailed with Tamiya X2 White (gauges) Testors Semi Gloss
Black (gauge rings, front seat) and Tamiya XF 64 Red Brown (rear bench seat).
Figure 3206 and Figure 3207 The following parts are painted Model Master Engine Gray; right fork
assembly (X21), left fork assembly (X22), center fork assembly (X20), front tire (X4), headlight (X12), and
the handle bars (X1). The front tire is detailed with Model Master Flat Black (tire) and Tamiya X2 White
(fender plate). The handle bars are detailed with Model Master Flat Black. The right fork assembly is
attached to the front tire. The center fork assembly is attached to the right fork assembly. The left fork
assembly is attached to the center fork assembly and the front tire. The fork assembly is attached o the hull
assembly. The handle bars and the headlight are installed into the fork assembly. The canvas cover is
painted Tamiya XF 57 Buff and attached to the hull assembly.
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Follow the manufacturer’s safety recommendations for any product mentioned here.
Figure 3208 and Figure 3209 The left cart wall (W8), right cart wall (W7), front cart wall (W2), and rear cart
wall (W1) are glued to the cart floor (W20). The cart tongue (W12) is glued to the cart floor. The cart shocks
(W23) are attached to the left and right cart walls. The cart tie down ring (W16) is glued to the cart
assembly. The cart assembly and both cart tires (W15) are painted Model Master Engine Gray. The cart
tires are detailed with Model Master Flat Black before they are attached to the cart assembly.
Figure 3210 and Figure 3211 The torso (V7) is glued to the legs (Y2). The left arm (V6) and right arm (V5)
are glued to the torso. The head (V4) is glued to the torso. The German Soldier is painted Model Master
Gunship Grey (Uniform), Model Master Acryl Skin Tone Warm Tint (face and hands), and Model Master
Flat Black (boots and belt). The German Soldier is installed into the Kettenkraftrad. The ball on the trailer
hitch will have to be removed in order to use the cart.
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Follow the manufacturer’s safety recommendations for any product mentioned here.
Figure 3212 and Figure 3213 The Goliath bottom (V8) is attached to the Goliath top (V13). The Goliath
assembly, right Goliath tracks (V12), left Goliath tracks (V9), Goliath bumper (V10), right leaf spring (V1),
left leaf spring (V2), both trolley tires (V3), and the trolley (V11) are painted Model Master Engine Gray. The
right Goliath tracks and left Goliath tracks are detailed with Model Master Graphite Metallic before they are
attached to the Goliath assembly. The trolley tires are detailed with Model Master Flat Black. The left and
right trolley leaf springs are attached to the trolley. The trolley tires are attached to the trolley.
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Follow the manufacturer’s safety recommendations for any product mentioned here.
Figure 3214 Here is what the Goliath would look like being pulled by the Kettenkraftrad. It is just placed into
the trolley on two locking pins and no glue was used to secure it in place.
Figure 3215 Assemble the parts for the accessory items.
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Follow the manufacturer’s safety recommendations for any product mentioned here.
Figure 3216 The Mauser Kar 98K’s (W9) are painted Tamiya XF 64 Red Brown and detailed with Model
Master Gun metal. The jerry cans are assembled; W13, W10, and W11then the completed assemblies (3)
are painted Model Master Engine Gray. The hand grenade carrying case is assembled; W17 and W18 and
is painted Model Master Gunship Grey. The fuel drum is assembled; W4 (top), W5 (Side A), W6 (Side B),
and W3 (bottom). The fuel drum and ammunition boxes (4 each) are painted Model Master Engine Gray.
Both the Panzerfaust 60 and both Panzerfaust 30 Klein are painted Model Master Wood. To follow the box
art on the cart the ammunition boxes, hand grenade carrying case, and the three jerry cans are installed
into the cart. Both of the Panzerfaust 60 and both Panzerfaust 30 Klein are placed on top of the items. The
Mauser Kar 98’s are installed into the rifle racks on the Kettenkraftrad.
Figure 3217 and Figure 3218 There are 7 possible markings for this kit however one marking just states
unknown and two
others do not give a
unit designation. The
other 4 units are; 7th
Machinegun Battalion
7th FD Air Division, the
4th Mountain Division,
the 55th Kradschutzen
(Motorcycle) Battalion
5th Panzer Division
and a captured
Kettenkraftrad now
used by the military
police. I chose the 55th
Kradschutzen
markings; decals 3,
3,13,19,19, and 9. The
Goliath gets decals as
well and they are decal
22 and 23.
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Follow the manufacturer’s safety recommendations for any product mentioned here.
Figure 3219 There are spare parts that give the ability to build at least one more soldier. If there were legs
for the other body parts then there would be two extra soldiers for the build. There is also the airplane tow
bar that is used to haul planes to the runway. It appears that the incomplete soldier uses the same legs as
the German Driver that was built in Figure 3210 and Figure 3211.
Figure 3220 Here is another 1:48 scale version of the Kettenkraftrad by Tamiya and this is the German
Aircraft Power Supply Unit and Kettenkraftrad by Tamiya kit number 32533. This shows how versatile this
little guy actually was.
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Follow the manufacturer’s safety recommendations for any product mentioned here.
Conclusion: In my opinion this is a “must have” for any military builder and history collector. Shown here
with a couple extra barrels from another kit it is a great start to a WWII
diorama. It was really interesting to learn the history of the Kettenkraftrad.
The only thing I would want to change is for Tamiya to use part descriptions
as well as the part numbers. I am now searching for the other versions of
this kit so that I can have them in my collection as well.
Right On Replicas, LLC ©2015 All rights reserved. *All registered trademarks are the property of their respective brands.
Follow the manufacturer’s safety recommendations for any product mentioned here.