Hobby Master 1/72 Sd.Kfz.7 German 8 Ton Semi-Track Luftwaffe Africa 1942 HG5002

The concept for the Sd.Kfz. 7 dates back to 1934 when the need for this type of vehicle was
realized. It wasn’t until 1938 before the first vehicle actually left the factory. The vehicle had
theater-type bench seats capable of carrying up to 12 men. There was stowage room at the
rear for ammunition for the large guns it usually towed. These vehicles required a lot of
maintenance and were prone to tracks breaking. The on road speed wasn’t very good but it
off-road abilities made up for it.

The Luftwaffe spearheaded the invasion of Poland and Western Europe with great results.
But Operation Barbarossa brought a new realization that the Luftwaffe wasn’t invincible.
Severe aircraft losses both on the Eastern front and in North Africa meant the Luftwaffe had
more men than airplanes so the personnel were assigned to ground combat duties. They
ended up forming 2 mechanized divisions as well as 10 Parachute Divisions and 21 Field
Divisions. At one point the Luftwaffe ground forces equaled that of the Wehrmacht.

Specifications
Number produced - Over 12,000
Crew – 1-12

Performance
Powerplant – Maybach HL 62 & later the HL 64 six-cylinder petrol engine 140 hp
Speed – 50km/h
Range
On-road – 250 km
Off-road – 120 km
Weight – 11.53 tonnes

Dimensions
Length – 6.85 m
Width – 2.35 m
Height – 2.62 m

Armor – 8 mm