1:35 German SWS Supply Ammo Vehicle & Armored Cargo Version

sWS, ammunition and armored cargo forms 1:35 — Bronco

An injection-molded plastic kit of the German heavy half-track tractor sWS in 1:35 scale from Bronco. The package is two options in one: the vehicle can be built either as the ammunition supply form or as the armored cargo form. The box holds the plastic sprues, a photo-etched fret and a decal sheet. It is the last release of the whole series of sWS forms, which Bronco built on an older mold from another maker.

The real subject

The sWS, in full the Schwerer Wehrmachtschlepper, was a German heavy half-track tractor developed in the second half of the war as a simpler and more easily produced replacement for the older half-tracks of the Sd.Kfz. 6 and Sd.Kfz. 11 series. It had a simplified structure with pressed parts and came about in variants ranging from an ordinary cargo truck through an armored cab to a carrier for anti-aircraft armament and a rocket launcher. Only a few hundred vehicles were built, and only a small proportion of them received a winch.

Building and painting tips

Decide at the start which version you are building and sort the parts out according to the instructions. According to reviewers only a smaller proportion of the real vehicles received a winch, so you can leave it off without worry. Finish and paint the tracks and the running gear before you seat the body. In this mold the armored cab has the thickness of the plate faithfully graded at the edges, so do not sand it down more than necessary. Concentrate the dust effects on the lower part and on the track.

Who the model is for

• Collectors of German equipment from the end of the war
• Modelers of half-track tractors in 1:35 scale
• Builders who want a choice between two forms
• Builders of supply and rear-area dioramas

The model is supplied unassembled and unpainted. Glue, paints and accessories are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.