The term Schwerer Panzerspähwagen (Heavy armored reconnaissance vehicle), covers the 6 and 8 wheeled armoured cars Germany used during the Second World War.

In the German Army, armoured cars were intended for the traditional cavalry missions of reconnaissance and screening. They scouted ahead of mechanized units to assess enemy strength and location. Their primary role was to observe rather than fight enemy units, although they were expected to fight enemy reconnaissance elements when required.

The SdKfz 263 was an eight wheeler with a fixed superstructure and a single 7.92 mm Maschinengewehr 34 machine gun. A dedicated radio vehicle with the bedstead frame aerial, it was based on the Sd.Kfz. 232/3 series. Note that there is also a 6 wheeled Sd.Kfz. 263.

Dragon seems to be stepping up its program on releases in 1/72 scale and has added another nicely done armored car kit. This is the 8 wheel heavy armored car and provided as a radio car option. As such, it has a larger superstructure and does not have a turret. Instead, it contains a single 7.92mm machine gun. The kit has a single piece lower hull with chassis detail molded in place. Suspension and driveline parts are nicely molded as well. One basically adds on the fenders, the usual 'stuff' one finds onarmored vehicles and the rather prominent roof antenna system. There is a bit more, but I will let the Dragon PR folks fill that in.

- Newly produced Sd.Kfz.263 w/fine details
- Well-defined vision ports on hull
- Spade realistically molded
- Slide molded upper hull
- Slide-molded fenders w/on-vehicle tools
- Underside of hull made by slide mold
- Single MG34 mounted in superstructure
- Telescoping mast antenna realistically replicated
- Injection-molded tow cables reproduced
- Highly detailed rear hull
- Delicate grill on engine deck
- Preformed frame antenna made from injection-molded plastic
- Hatches on hull can be assembled open/closed
- Chassis possesses full detail
- Sharply reproduced cargo and jerry cans
- Detailed wheels w/authentic tire tread pattern

Instructions are typical of this series with well drawn construction steps and a full color painting guide using Gunze paint references. There are markings for five vehicles in a variety of paint schemes. First is the box art vehicle from 4th Panzer Division in 1943. Next are three all grey vehicles. First from the 1st Panzer Division in France in 1940, then one with that same division in Poland in 1939 and finally one with the 2nd Motorized Division in Russia in 1941. This is followed by a panzer tan vehicle with green sprayed randomly over it from the Warsaw uprising of 1944.

In all, it makes for another fine addition to Dragon's growing collection of 1/72 vehicles and one that I am sure you will enjoy building and painting.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SdKfz_263#Sd.Kfz._263

June 2012

Thanks to www.dragonmodelsusa.com for the preview kit. You can find this today at your local retailer or have them order it for you.

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