Dragon is offering a fine 1/35 scale kit of the Sd.Kfz.250/9 Ausf.A le.S.P.W. (2cm) as a complement to its formidable Sd.Kfz.250 family lineup. The le.S.P.W. was a reconnaissance halftrack fitted with a 2cm KwK 38 cannon and a coaxial machine gun in an open-topped turret. The original Ausf.A halftrack featured the same turret as the Sd.Kfz.222 armored car, while the newer Ausf.B adopted a different Hängelafette 38 turret. Several Sd.Kfz.250/9 halftracks were sent to the Russian Front in July 1942 for evaluations, with mass production commencing later. Indeed, the type proved successful and this halftrack variant came to succeed the Sd.Kfz.222 thanks to superior cross-country mobility. To create this variant, there are a number of brand-new parts. These include a newly tooled turret – the complex shape had no less than ten armored faces – to accommodate the 2cm cannon and machine gun, plus the new photo-etched mesh for the turret top. This particular turret has no vision blocks. The FuG 12 radio and turret basket are also new for this item. Although the turret may be small, it’s very complicated, yet it has been faithfully recreated in this kit. To fit the turret, the upper-hull plate was extensively modified as well. As part of Dragon’s facelifted Sd.Kfz.250 series, Dragon’s famous Magic Tracks are available. The Sd.Kfz.250/9 was a small vehicle, but this effective reconnaissance vehicle is now ready to commence patrols on modelers’ dioramas!
