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ATENÇÃO:
A publicação de qualquer imagem ou informação referentes ao nazismo, fascismo ou quaisquer outros regimes totalitários deve ser entendida como reprodução do rigor histórico e não como apologia a estes regimes, líderes ou símbolos.

3 cm Flakpanzer IV Kugelblitz - 1/35 - case report

Tankers!!
      Let´s build the 3 cm Flakpanzer IV Kugelblitz German AA tank.

      But first of all, let's know a little more about this handsome vehicle...

History:
     The 3 cm Flakpanzer IV Kugelblitz ("ball lightning") was a German self-propelled anti-aircraft gun developed during World War II. By the end of the war, only a pilot production of five units had been completed.
Kugelblitz mockup

      Unlike earlier self-propelled anti-aircraft guns, it had a fully enclosed, rotating turret.
    The need for a specialised self-propelled anti-aircraft gun, capable of keeping up with the armoured divisions, had become increasingly urgent for the German Armed Forces, as from 1943 on the German Air Force was less and less able to protect against enemy fighter bombers.
Kugelblitz in evening action.
font: Devianart

     Therefore a multitude of improvised and specially designed self-propelled anti-aircraft guns were built, many on the Panzer IV chassis, starting with the Flakpanzer IV Möbelwagen...
Flakpanzer IV "Mobelwagen" with Flakvierling 38 - 20mm quad AA Gun
(prototype)

/
Flakpanzer IV Möbelwagen with Flak 43 37mm
...and progressing through the Wirbelwind and Ostwind models. The Kugelblitz was the final development of the Flakpanzer IV.
Wirbelwind Flakvierling 38 - 20mm quad AA Gun
Flakpanzer IV Ostwin with Flak 43 37mm
   The first proposal for the Kugelblitz envisioned mounting a modified anti-aircraft turret developed for U-boats on the Panzer IV chassis, which was armed with dual 30 mm MK 303 Brunn guns (a configuration known as Doppelflak, "dual flak"). This was however abandoned as impractical, as development of this gun had not yet been completed, and in any case the entire production run of this gun turret was reserved for the German Navy.
     Instead, the 30 mm Zwillingsflak ("twin flak") 103/38 twin gun, a twinned-mount version of the MK 103 cannon, was used, which had also been fitted to such planes as the Henschel Hs 129 and Dornier Do 335. The rate of fire of the twin 30 mm guns was 450 rounds a minute per gun.
The 30 mm Zwillingsflak ("twin flak") 103/38 twin gun
in the Kugelblitz turret

     The Kugelblitz had the chassis and basic superstructure of the Panzer IV tank, on which a newly designed turret was mounted. This turret was fully enclosed, with overhead protection and 360° traverse. 
      Kugelblitz was operated by the crew of 5, protected by the armor thickness varying from 10mm to 80mm. The turret housed 3 men crew consisting of two gun operator (each sitting alongside the gun) and commander (sitting in the middle). 
Kugelblitz crew. The right gun
operator is not shown.
      The 3500kg turret had one entry/exit hatch (commander was last to enter and first to exit) and two smaller hatches for observation. It had manual traverse by hand of 14 degrees per second. Armored protection of the turret was only 20mm. The size and weight of the turret demanded that hulls were fitted with larger 1900mm rings from Tiger I.
      With its low silhouette, high mobility (with maximum speed of 38km/h), great rate of fire (400 to 650 rounds per minute) and gun range (up to 5700 meters), Flakpanzer IV Kugelblitz would prove deadly to any enemy plane. Both guns were coupled together, but could be fired independently. The ammunition, known as Minengeschoss was belt-fed and more powerful than standard 30mm round, only three to four rounds were needed to shotdown any enemy plane. Its main drawback was its small ammunition storage allowing it to continue firing for only 90 seconds, while afterwards more ammunition was to be supplied by other vehicles.
      As production of the Panzer IV was about to be terminated further work was underway to change to the Jadgpanzer 38(t) chassis which was in turn based on the Panzer 38(t). No prototypes based on Hetzer hulls were completed.
      The Kugelblitz was not yet out of development when the war ended. Several evaluation vehicles had been built, but it is unclear how many. It is also unclear what happened to the few Kugelblitzes which were built; some sources say that they ended up being used in the Battle of Berlin.
Kugelblitz complete turret
Tank Museum

Founded in the factory backyard

     One Kugelblitz was also involved in the fights near the town of Spichra, where it was destroyed and remained buried in the Spatenberg hill until its excavation in 1999.

Specs:
3 cm Flakpanzer IV Kugelblitz

TypeSelf-propelled anti-aircraft gun
Place of origin                           Nazi Germany
Production history
Produced1945
No. built5
Specifications
Weight23 tonnes
Length5.92 m 
Width2.95 m 
Height2.4 m
Crew5 (commander, two gunners, radio operator, driver)

Armor80 mm  maximum
Main
armament
Zwillingsflak 30mm MK 103 twin anti-aircraft gun
Secondary
armament
7.92 mm MG34
Engine12-cylinder Maybach HL 120 TRM gasoline
300 PS (296 hp, 221 kW)
Power/weight13 PS/tonne
Fuel capacity470 l 
Operational
range
200 km
Speed38 km/h 

 
The kit:

     The kit is fine detailed, in the Dragon´s way.


Dragon box art


      Starting by the wheels;
Wheels. The most boring part of any build ...
     The ball turret looks is very futuristic!!!
Turret looks like Star Wars 
     And the hull is complete:
      As I say, nothing of after-market. I used the original (plastic) guns. 
The guns are in plastic
Copper wire  replace the uplift hangers of the turret

After primmer, the base color: Dark-Yellow:
Base color applied
German cammo 


The aerial was made with acupunture needle
After the cammo, decals with Future:



I had painted the accessories before. It is time to install them in the tank ... Starting the weathering:


Notice the chain in the front

The logs are branches of pomegranate

Well, this girl is finished !!!
Kugelblitz AA german tank


Kugelblitz - left view

Kugelblitz - left rear view 

Kugelblitz - right rear view  
Kugelblitz - right view  


Achtung !!! Jabo!!!

And with Kojak, for  size comparison:



     I really liked the futuristic look of this tank ...

See you, in the next project...

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