Sd.Kfz. 222

[The ICM Sd.Kfz. 222 Kit in 1/72 scale.]

This is the second ICM kit that I have built. The other was an airplane, but both kits were very well engineered. The parts molding and detail are crisp, and the fit is fine. From my experience, the ICM kits are miles ahead of the typical Russian kit. The instructions are clear and easy to follow, and the decal sheet is good quality with options for several vehicles. There is even a very nice etched fret, which included the turret grenade screen, and the hull top grate. The biggest, and maybe only shortcoming of the kit is the total lack of any interior.

[The Goffy resin update replaces the entire upper & lower hull, and has a full interior.]

When I started building the kit, the lack of interior really didn't bother me, as I figured it wouldn't be visible anyway. Luckily however, not long into the build, I stumbled upon the Goffy update set for the 222 at the Kalamazoo show. This is a resin update with a very full interior, including parts to detail the gun and turret interior. Some exterior stowage is also provided, including a nice tarp. As the interior is cast into the hull upper and lower halves, a good portion of the original kit is replaced, but the kit parts meshed pretty well with the update set. The kit provides a nice under chassis, and it is clever the way it goes together, which is a plus, because that made installing the kit chassis parts to the update hull a snap. The only fit issue I had was the kit hull top mating to the upper half of the resin hull, but that was minor.

The Sd.Kfz. 222 entered production in 1936, and was a modification of the Sd.Kfz. 221 armored car, which was developed in 1934. The main difference was the enlarged turret designed to carry the 20mm automatic gun. Early models used a 3.5-liter engine, but in 1942 an improved chassis was introduced that featured hydraulic brakes and a 3.8-liter engine. The Sd.Kfz. 222 had a crew of three and weighed 4.8 tons. Top speed was 85 km/hr, and the vehicle could travel 300 km on a tank of fuel. Armament consisted of a 20mm KwK 30 or KwK 38 gun, and a 7.92mm MG 34, and it normally carried 180 20mm rounds and over 1000 rounds of 7.92mm.

These armored cars were issued to reconnaissance battalions, and were used to probe enemy defenses, and use their short-range radios to pass information to other vehicles with longer-range radios, which would convey the information to HQ. Around 1000 units were produced before production ended in 1943. The plan was to replace the units with the eight-wheeled armored cars, but the horribly muddy Russian roads led to the development of the Sd.Kfz. 250/9 halftracks, which ended up in the recon role. In spite of all that, the Sd.Kfz. 222 was still used on all fronts through the end of the war.

Obviously the full interior had to be painted and finished before the hull top and bottom pieces were cemented together. I used color pictures of the interior of Jacque Littlefield's restored example for color reference. It was painted with enamels, then clear coated with Tamiya clear, followed by a burnt umber wash, and then flat coated with Model Master Acryl.

[The resin hull halves mated up together pretty well.]

[I used the spare from the update set because the cover had a nicer texture than the kit part. ]

[The kit fenders and storage lockers fit well to the resin hull.]

The resin hull halves mated up together pretty well requiring just a small bit of filling and sanding. I scored the seam a bit with a file and knife blade to replicate the weld joint. The kit fenders fit well to the resin hull, followed by the storage lockers on the left side, and the spare tire on the right. I used the spare from the update set because the cover had a nicer texture than the kit part. The hull was finished off with all the kit details like the lights and the exhaust system.

[The update set adds the entire lower portion of the turret, including seats and center pylon.]

[The grenade screen for the turret came in the kit as one piece - I cut it in half to pose it in the open position.]

The update set required some minor surgery to the kit turret, and adds the entire lower portion of the turret, including seats and center pylon. The update instructions could have been a little better here, as part placement was unclear. Other than that, the update set was well worth the price I paid for it. The grenade screen for the turret came in the kit as one piece. I cut it in half to pose it in the open position.

[Tamiya acrylic clear coat was applied for decals and an oil wash.]

[It was then sealed with a Model Master Acryl flat coat and dry brushed out.]

After assembly, the hull was masked off, and it and the turret was primed and painted with Model Master enamels. This was followed by a Tamiya acrylic clear coat, and full oil wash, and then sealed with a Model Master Acryl flat coat. After this, I dry brushed it out with the base color lightened with increasing amounts of white oils, dull coated again, and then at this point did an extra pin wash to emphasize the details a little more. Most of the decals came from the kit, but the thin white German crosses came from another kit. To add some weathering, I made a wash from some light pigments and applied it to the under chassis, tires and wheels, and lower portions of the hull. I then used a clean brush to remove the excess amounts of pigment.

[I got the resin street section from a small vendor in London, Ontario called Astra Scale Models.]

After painting, I attached the wheels, turning the fronts slightly to the right. Another nice feature of the kit is that the wheel hubs are molded separate from the tires, making painting easier. The nice on vehicle tools came from the kit, and as said earlier, the large tarp was from the update set. The small tarp is Verlinden, and the helmets came from a Preiser figure set. I got the resin street section from a small vendor in London, Ontario called Astra Scale Models, and painted it using the same products and methods described above. Overall this was a pleasant build, with no major problems or issues. Both ICM and Goffy have produced quality products that work well together and can be used to yield a very nice finished product.

[A light pigments was was applied to the under chassis, then a clean brush was used to remove the excess amounts of pigment..]

[Both ICM and Goffy have produced quality products that work well together and can be used to yield a very nice finished product.]