New 1/35 kit of a German 10.5cm Flak39
This is partial text from the full article (usually with photos) at https://armorama.com/news/modelcollect-10-5cm-flak39
This is partial text from the full article (usually with photos) at https://armorama.com/news/modelcollect-10-5cm-flak39
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If someone is first to take the build review plunge, and their opinions pretty much matches the build review of a different vehicle in 1/72, then I just might take the dive and add this one to the stash.
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Very interested. The 10.5cm Flak guns have been pretty rare in the 1:35 world and I’ve always wanted one.
At the risk of going a bit off topic here, I do have big interest in this gun.
My grandfather was wounded by what they think was a 10.5cm flak over Mulheim Germany in March 1945. The mission was to bomb a large barracks there.
He was the ball turret gunner on B-17G 298008 “American Beauty”, a pretty famous aircraft.
Callsign “DEEPSEAT”.
A 10.5cm flak round exploded about 15ft below the aircraft, sending a piece of flak through the ball turret hitting my gramps in the back. The turret and his thick parachute straps (which they absolutely wore) saved him. The piece was lodged into the thick canvas strap.
The force was so powerful that it through him forward knocking him out on the turrets gunsight.
No blood, no purple heart, but it was a hell of a hit.
I’ve always had a complicated respect for the 8.8cm and 10.5cm flak guns.
My grandfather always talked about 88’s but spoke in great detail about how terrified the crew was of the 10.5cm (“One-O-Fives”), as he would call them. He said their explosions were distinct from the “88’s”.
I’m very interested in this offering and hope someone does a thorough review, but I’ll likely buy one regardless.
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Gramps is first row (kneeling) second from the right. He’s always been my hero.
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Thanks for sharing the story… Those guys had some gut to go up and face both enemy fighters and the withering barrage the FLAK send up, while not being able to do anything about it!
BTW: Did someone ever tell you that your gramps looked like Elvis?
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He was lucky that it wasn’t a 12.8! Ball turret gunner has to be the least desirable job in a bomber crew.
I’m very happy about this release! It’s been on my wishlist for years.
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Your gramps is one lucky customer those were some of the deadliest seats in aviation im amazed he didn’t send the plane out of the sky with his balls of steel absolute legend 
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In this guise, with the big vertical finned motor it’s the earlier Flak38 version. This one ne’er saw service, superseded by the 39. I have informed Jiang, owner of Modelcollect, sent him 60photos and he says he will rethink the kit, perhaps offer two versions and will send me a review sample. He’s joined the Flak in Scale page in Facebook.
Mark Stevens The Flak Collection
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