I’ll post the same comments here that I posted yesterday on Tracklink. I’ve just finished doing a lot of research on Kubelwagens for a new Peko book I’m working on and unfortunately the mix of features shown in these drawings means you will only be able to build a very limited production Kubelwagen:
- The Modelling News has more preview photos and Meng is also providing the bracket to mount the horn in the early position in front of the driver’s door as an option. This makes it much more viable as a North African vehicle, since the horn placement at the front fender/in front of headlight was not instituted until roughly vehicle 13,000, which entered production in about August 1942. Thus, they would not have arrived in North Africa until the fall of 1942. I looked at about 25 photos of Kubels in North Africa and found a picture of only one in Tunisia with the horn in that position.
However, Meng’s kit still has the wide motor skid/protection plate that was introduced around April 1942 at vehicle 9000, so you will still be limited to modelling one built between April and about August 42, given the steering wheel and early fuel cap - see below. (vehicles between ~9000 and ~14000 body numbers). So realistically one of these would not have got to North Africa until around May 1942. - The CAD drawings show the early fuel cap. This was used until about vehicle 14,000.
- The spare tire mount is the early type that was replaced with a different style with shorter “Spokes” at about vehicle number 15,000/end of 1942.
- The steering wheel appears to be the early style with broad spokes. This was replaced with a steering wheel with very thin spokes in mid-1942.
- Missing is the external electrical lead for the windshield wipers. This was present up to body 25000/the middle of 1943, so would be on all North Africa vehicles. Easy to add I suppose, but it’s not just a wire, it has a unusual shaped fitting on the “hood” where it enters the body.
- The windshield brackets have the late flat, rubber stopper which was not instituted until 1944; early vehicles had much larger cone shaped rubber stoppers.
On the plus side, you get one of the more unique patterns of balloon tires - there were three different patterns and only recently have I seen some 3D print ones with this pattern.
It would have been far better for Meng to do an early Kubel, rather then re-hash what’s been done by Tamiya, Dragon, Hero, etc. I’ve only seen one early conversion, and that was just recently, a 3D printed conversion from Japan (unfortunately out of stock or I would buy it). Short rear fenders, narrow engine skid plate, straight exhaust pipes, early door handles, etc.