Dragon Models 1/6 2cm Flakvierling 38 Mid Production

This is a Dragon Models 1/6 2cm Flakvierling 38 Mid Production Model Kit. The figures shown on the box are not included. It has the following features: cannon can elevate at different angles, gun shield can be assembled at different angles for travel or combat modes, triangular gun platform with great detail can rotate at different angles, Rralistic ammo case presented, gunner's seat can be folded, gun cradle with details can elevate at different angles, sight mechanism arm elevates and depresses with gun and shield on gun sight support can be open/closed. From dragonmodelsusa.com: Dragon has already created a 1/6 scale kit of the 2cm FlaK 38, and this single-barreled antiaircraft cannon was heartily welcomed by big-scale model fans. Now Dragon has produced in the same scale a new kit of the four-barreled Flakvierling 38, a subject which will be no less popular. The armored gun shield is made in a true-to-scale thickness, and the triangular gun platform is fully detailed. The 2cm cannons can be elevated or traversed according to the modeler?s wishes, and of course appropriate figures can be added to form a diorama. This four-barreled German cannon is ready to take on any enemy aircraft foolhardy enough to venture anywhere near it! Germany produced hundreds of 20mm FlaK 30 light antiaircraft cannons, but these suffered from the drawback of having a relatively low rate of fire of 120 rounds per minute (rpm). One method of improving this situation was to develop the 2cm FlaK 38, which had a rate of fire of 220 rpm. However, this was still insufficient, and so Rheinmetall combined four 20mm cannons onto a single mount. The resulting weapon, known as the Flakvierling 38, then produced a practical rate of fire of 800 rpm. Produced from 1940 onwards by Mauser, the 1509kg weapon was usually operated by a crew of eight men. Of course, the 2cm Flakvierling 38 could be employed against ground targets as effectively as against low-flying aircraft too.