Sd.Kfz.260 Kleine Panzerfunkwagen
(German Light Armored Radio Car)

Kit # 7446

Preview by Stephen Brezinksi - sbrez1(at)comcast(dot)net
Edited by Rob Haelterman

The vehicle depicted in this kit model kit is of the WW2 era; a light, four-wheel drive armored communications and command car.
This car differs externally from the very similar Sd.Kfz.261 armored car in that the 261 has a frame antenna while the 260 has a rod antenna. If you have DML’s Sd.Kfz 222 or 223 kits you are already familiar with many of the parts in this kit.

  • In the very nice box art Dragon shows us an accurate representation of an Sd.Kfz.260 armored car finished in a dark panzer gray color. There is a license plate on the front but no other markings.
  • On the turret roof we see a wire mesh anti-grenade screen where a turret would be on the related Sd.Kfz 223 armored car; this car has neither turret nor armament other than crew weapons. Forward and left of the mesh screen is an antenna mount and rod (I’ve read that German antennas were hollow copper tubes and not flexible whip antennas such as on allied vehicles).
  • Around the hull are various storage boxes, a shovel, and a Gerry can apparently magnetically stuck to the left side. I presume this fuel can is tied to a bracket that we cannot see.
  • On the four wheels are three armored hub protectors that are not seen on all vehicles of this series.
  • Standard of DML kits is the multi-color parts diagram and painting guide.
  • At right is the parts diagram for three sprues. Sprue A is common to the DML 1/72-scale Sd.Kfz. 222 model kit and Sprue B is common to their Sd.Kfz.223 kit. We get a plethora of extra parts (shaded in blue) including turrets and armament for the Sd.Kfz. 222 and the Sd.Kfz.223 armored cars, fuel cans, and a frame antenna used with the DML Sd.Kfz. 223 and the DML Sd.Kfz. 261 cars.
  • You may have noticed that there are parts for only one model kit in this box, not two as with the Dragon’s Sd.Kfz. 222 and the Sd.Kfz.223 kits!
  • Left of center is the small water slide decal sheet. The directions do not show where the crosses go. The license plates are the make-your own kind which I despise. I do not have the patience and steady hand to place and align all those individual numbers, three times for three identical plates! DML should have offered some pre-made alternatives like with their Sd.Kfz.222 and Sd.Kfz.223 kits. [The ICM Sd.Kfz 260 and 261 kits offer spare markings.]

The Parts

  • The kit contains about 52 light gray, injection molded, styrene plastic parts. There are no etched brass parts with this model kit as there are with DML’s Sd.Kfz.222 and Sd.Kfz.223 armored car kits.
  • Molding is top notch good. (BTW: many comments and reviews on the related DML Sd.Kfz. 222 and the Sd.Kfz.223 kits can also apply to this kit and vice versa.)
  • This scan compares the tan colored ICM Sd.Kfz.260/261 hull with the comparable DML ICM Sd.Kfz.260 hull.
  • You will notice a distinct difference in roof openings; ICM has a diamond shape opening while DML has a round opening like for a turret. At first I thought DML gave us the wrong roof and that DML just recycled the upper hull from their Sd.Kfz.223 kit, till I compared their Sd.Kfz.260 with their Sd.Kfz.223 hulls and found notable differences. Without good enough references I cannot say whether DML or ICM is correct, or if both are correct and they just represent production variations. [Ed. note: according to Panzer Tracts 13-1, the opening should be diamond shaped.] With the solid plastic handgrenade screen we won’t be able to see this hole anyway!
  • The DML hull (part G) is a tad broader at the nose and rear top plates but otherwise dimensions are pretty close to each other. Detail is pretty good on both manufacturer’s kits.
  • A kit design problem with the rear side engine DML Sd.Kfz.223 kit is not present in this kit. [Ed.note: neither with the DML Sd.Kfz.222. Note, however, that the incorrect backslant between the upper hull plates to the sides of the turret is there, as it is in the Sd.Kfz.223 kit.]
  • A new problem appears to be missing hatch detail on the rear engine deck of the DML kit; the small hinges are there but no raised hatch plate like on the correct ICM hull!
  • There are indentations on the upper sides of the DML hull which look to be mounting points for the frame antenna (parts B12 through B16) which would make this an Sd.Kfz.261 car.

  • Here is a comparison of the gray plastic DML wheels (parts 1,2,3 & 4) at the bottom and the tan ICM kit wheels above; I feel both are pretty equal in detail. The DML wheels are on Sprue-A, which is also a common sprue to the DML Sd.Kfz.222 and Sd.Kfz.223 kits.
  • This DML kit sprue-D is particular to the Sd.Kfz.260 kit and contains fenders, the rod antenna (part D14), storage box (D4), and at far right the four solid parts (D1 through D3) representing the mesh screen on the vehicle roof. This last part I am deeply disappointed with, ICM and the earlier DML kits in this series give us etched brass screens. For a fine display model this prohibits us from displaying the screens open, and harks back to the days of the Airfix Sd.Kfz.222 armored car kit.
  • At bottom right is the fine etched brass handgrenade screen fret from the ICM Sd.Kfz.260 kit for comparison.
  • At far left is a small Sprue F holding a single small storage box not shown on the sprue diagram and apparently not used.

Assembly Instructions

  • The assembly directions are the common exploded-view type broken down into four steps and are clear and well done.
  • Like the DML Sd.Kfz.222 and Sd.Kfz.223 kits, and the ICM kits, the side doors can be modeled open but there is negligible interior detail, just some seats common to the Sd.Kfz 222 (parts A33, A34 and A37). There is not interior detail included in the ICM model kit either.

Conclusion

  1. Molding and detail are very good and typical of DML kits. Overall quality mostly appears comparable to the ICM kits so I cannot recommend one over the other until I build them and compare the fit of the parts.
  2. The missing hatch on the engine deck concerns me in that it looks like DML’s quality control is slipping and they are rushing the kits onto the market.
  3. The solid plastic overhead anti-handgrenade screen may appeal more to wargamers than to display modelers. This may be a cost saving move but detracts from DML’s general reputation for having superior model kits.
  4. Though otherwise an excellent plastic model I am disappointed by the lack of etched brass parts like with DML’s related Sd.Kfz.222 and Sd.Kfz.223 kits. I am also disappointed with there being only one kit in the box rather than two kits.
  5. For additional opinions on this series and related vehicles in 1/72-scale please go to:
    http://www.onthewaymodels.com/reviews/Dragon/Dragon7420.htm, and
    http://www.onthewaymodels.com/reviews/ICM/ICM_72431_review.htm and
    http://www.onthewaymodels.com/articles/SdKfz222_variants.htm
    and
    http://www.onthewaymodels.com/reviews/ICM/ICM_72421_72441.htm.
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Article Last Updated: 30 September 2012