# Arii Flakpanzer IV - a fail, right out of the box!



## Faust (Dec 1, 2012)

Sometimes, getting what you wished for isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be. While I’m not a hardcore armour modeller in the sense that I go out and get all kinds of fancy aftermarket stuff, I still like my tanks to at least be half-decent kits to start with. I also like them in small scale, so that’s why I’ve gravitated towards the old Matchbox and Fujimi 1/76 models. They’re small, well-detailed enough and simple enough to be fun.

However, I was hoping I’d be able to find a Flakpanzer IV for my collection. I hadn’t been able to find a record of such a kit in 1/76, so you can imagine how pleased I was to find out that there was indeed a model of it in this old scale! The kit I found was made in Japan by Arii, and it was even a “diorama set” as it proclaimed on the box! 

The problem is that the kit is not quite up to the standards I’m used to on armour, and as you have read, my standards aren’t particularly high. Follow the link below to see what this kit is like, and why you should never buy one, given the chance!

*https://adamrehorn.wordpress.com/mo...eviews/arii-176-flakpanzer-iv-wirbelwind-oob/*


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

I've had all of those kits. A couple are passable. Remeber they are VERY old. They date back to the late 60s and were originally sold by Eidai and then Grip (or was it Grip then Eidai?). They were intended as wargaming kits not serious models. Wargamer's Digest used to highlight their new releases. There is actually still some demand for a few of the kits in the range. Currently the molds are owned by Mirco Ace, who took over from Arii when they went bankrupt a few years ago. But, Micro Ace says the molds are shot and they have no plans to reissue them. Also, the molds for the kit in high demand, the V-2 missile launch set up with rocket, trailer, tractor, halftrack, launch plate, etc., is gone. I had that kit and it was really very nice. Again, we are talking about something as old as the Aurora Anzio Beach and Rat Patrol sets so its not going to be a 2017 Tamiya kit.

If you want a 1/76 Flak Panzer you could use the hull of the Airfix or Nitto Panzer IV and use the turret from the Arii/Grip/Eidai kit. The old Nitto Flakvierling gun may be more detailed too.

Or, if you are not uber fussy, Trashegawa, in their otherwise mediocre armor range, has a somewhat nice Wirbelwind and Ostwind that combine their 40 year old Panzer IV chassis from the Karl Morser set with a new turret and gun.


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## Faust (Dec 1, 2012)

I didn't realize they were that old. They look to be early 70's. Still, it's pretty bad for a kit of any era. If they're for wargaming, I can see it a bit more. I wasn't expecting a new Tamiya kit, but the Fujimi's from the early '70s are light years ahead of this sad beast.

If anyone ever wants it, it'd definitely on the auction block!


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

They are what they are. The figures that came with some of the larger sets were copies of the 1960s first generation Airfix Germans (same ones Aurora copied for Anzio beach). 

If you have an original Grip or Eidai kit they are very cleanly molded and come out looking pretty nice. The Flakpanzer Mobelwagen is another one that no one else has done either. I still have one of their Krupp Protze trucks to work on. For many many years it was the only small scale German truck. I've noticed that Arii broke up the kit contents a bit and what you get in their issues is not quite the same as the originals. The Protze came with more stuff than you get now.


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