Sd.Kfz. 222 Light Armoured Car
Airfix 1:76 Scale Vehicle Review
Standard armoured car assigned to light reconnaissance companies, seen here in desert camouflage used during the North African campaign. The vehicle had a listed road speed of 80 km/h and a cross-country speed of 38 km/h. Recon units act as the eyes and ears of the army, maintaining contact with enemy forces and continuously reporting their location. Small size, high speed and manoeuverability offer some protection from enemy fire, provided that the vehicle has a prudent commander who guides the driver around dangerously exposed positions and spots the enemy early enough to avoid contact.
Contents
Kübelwagen
Motorcycle w. Sidecar
4 figures
Sd.Kfz. 222 leichter Panzerspähwagen
- Type: Light Armoured Car, 4×4
- Wheelbase: 2.80 m
- Length: 4.80 m
- Width: 1.95 m
- Height: 1.75 m
- Weight: 4.2 t
- Armament: 2 cm L.55 KwK 30/38, MG 34
- 3 Crew: Cmdr., Driver & Gunner
Evaluation
Scale model with much raised detail.
Excellent choice of subject, a very attractive and versatile model.
Few parts, easy to assemble. The turret assembly does require some care to put it in place inside the hull. Wheels will have to be watched during the drying process to ensure proper alignment. The front bumper is very fragile, requiring that the model be mounted on a protective base.
High quality kit. Parts fit well and there is minimal flash.
Compatible with Fujimi, Matchbox, Nitto, and VAC-U-CAST.
The turret cannot be made to turn freely, an acceptable compromise in this particular case, because the weapon is short and the forward firing position covers a wide arc.
The Sd.Kfz. 222 carried a light machine gun to the left of the 2 cm KwK, but the model is not equipped in this way. It would be easy to open up the mounting position for the MG 34, and insert a weapon scrounged from the Kübelwagen included in this kit. Alternatively, the vehicle could be converted to Sd.Kfz. 221 which only had a light machine gun in the central firing position. Later upgrades of the Sd.Kfz. 221 were fitted with 2 cm FlaK 30/38 or 2.8 cm Panzerbüchse 41. These improved vehicles may have filled slots of the Sd.Kfz. 222 in the organization of the 1942 armoured car company.
Unavailable at this time. The manufacturer is well advised to re-issue this unique vehicle as soon as possible. 939 Sd.Kfz. 222 and 339 Sd.Kfz. 221 were built, they served on all fronts from 1939 to 1945.
Historical Employment
- Light Armoured Car Company 1939 (4 × 221 and 4 × 222 per Platoon)
- Light Armoured Car Company 1942 (4 × 222 and 2 × 223 per Platoon)
- Romanian 1st Armoured Division, 1943–44
- Chinese Army
Possible Conversions
- Sd.Kfz. 221 leichter Panzerspähwagen with MG 34
- Sd.Kfz. 221 leichter Panzerspähwagen with 2 cm L.112.5 FlaK 30/38
- Sd.Kfz. 221 leichter Panzerspähwagen with 2.8 cm s.PzB. 41
- Sd.Kfz. 223 leichter Panzerspähwagen (Funk) – radio vehicle
Airfix’s Sd.Kfz. 222 is an attractive model of a well designed and widely used vehicle. Its distinctive angular shape makes the Sd.Kfz. 222 stand out among other wheeled armoured vehicles of the period. The vehicle served on all fronts and in a variety of camouflage patterns, which will look very attractive when applied to the model. The Airfix recon set offers excellent value, with an armed Kübelwagen, a motorcycle combination, and a group of figures ideally suited for simulations games and dioramas.