Medium Armoured Ambulance, Sd.Kfz. 251/8
ESCI 1:72 Scale Vehicle Review
The ESCI 1:72 scale mittlerer Krankenpanzerwagen, Sd.Kfz. 251/8, medium armoured ambulance is a variant of the m. Schützenpanzerwagen medium armoured personnel carrier, Sd.Kfz. 251/1 Ausf. C, fitted with two stretchers, bows, and decals of a medical unit.
Evaluation
Scale model with nice detail. However, the fit of the parts is inferior to that of the Sd.Kfz. 251/1 Ausf. B from Matchbox or Fujimi.
The vehicle is equipped a Notek Tarnscheinwerfer, and headlights with Schlitzblende covers, but the Bremsschlussleuchte brake-taillight, Abstandsrücklicht convoy driving device, Peilstangen guide rods, and rack jack are missing.
Compatible with Altaya, Atlas, CDC, De Agostini, Dragon Models, Eaglemoss, Fine Scale Factory, Hasegawa, Italeri, Orion, Revell, Zvezda.
It is important to remember when buying second-hand ESCI models, that kits from the 1970s were still equipped with polyvinyl tracks. These older model kits were revised between 1984 and 1988 and released in the newly introduced “Red Box” packaging, which contained beautifully detailed polystyrene track segments and individual track links to replace the troublesome polyvinyl tracks.
The medium armoured ambulance, Sd.Kfz. 251/8, is an interesting variant of the German medium armoured personnel carrier, which could be easily scratchbuilt on the basis of an ESCI 1:72 scale Sd.Kfz. 251/1 Ausf. C armoured half-track.