The real thing…
Nowadays, there are countless anti-aircraft weapons with a maximum firing range of over 100km. However, on the west side of the Iron Curtain in the last century, the Flakpanzer Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft gun with a maximum firing range of 4km was a rare powerful anti-aircraft weapon.
In 1973, the Gepard was formally finalized. It opened a new era of self-propelled anti-aircraft gun by combining firepower, fire control and power supply in the vehicle. It’s based on the chassis of the Leopard 1 main battle tank. It’s lengthened by 80mm to place a Daimler-Benz 4-cylinder auxiliary engine. It has two 35mm L/90 KDA autocannons, a search radar and a target tracking radar.
Some different schemes for this SPAAG
After the fall of the Iron Curtain, the Gepard has been upgraded to the A2 version. A new cooling system is added to the rear of the turret. New muzzle brake and tracking radar are installed to replace the old ones to meet the operational needs in the new era. Gepard operators include Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium amongst others. It’s the No.1 self-propelled anti-aircraft gun in terms of production quantity and quantity in service.
The model:
Nowadays, the Gepard which was born in the Cold War has been upgraded with the technology of the new era. The new MENG TS-030 1/35 German Flakpanzer Gepard A1/A2 plastic model kit can be modeled as a Gepard A1 or a Gepard A2 vehicle. Now, let’s take a look at the Gepard!
The Flakpanzer Gepard is a self-propelled anti-aircraft gun developed for large-scale mechanized warfare by West Germany in the Cold War. It is also a very representative Western ground equipment in the Cold War. It’s equipped with two Oerlikon KDA 35mm autocannons which can fire continuously or in a burst mode. This vehicle has a length of 7.76m, a width of 3.28m and a combat weight of 47.5t. When the search radar is unfolded, its height is 4.22m.
This 1/35 scale German Flakpanzer Gepard A1/A2 plastic model kit can be built into a Gepard A1 or A2 model. It includes three different muzzle brakes and various accessories. Realistic and easy-to-assemble movable suspension and workable tracks are provided. PE parts and mirror film are included to provide better details.
