Sd.Kfz 234/2 Puma

Plastic model kit to build a Sd.Kfz.234/2 Puma

• Scale 1:72
• Simple interior
• Photo-etched parts included
• 9 vinyl tires each with 3 different profiles
• Unbuilt / unpainted
• Paint and glue not included

Sd.Kfz.234 (Sonderkraftfahrzeug 234) was a series of heavy armored vehicles developed and built by Germany during World War II. Due to the "Treaty of Versailles", Germany was not allowed to develop and produce tanks and tracked vehicles. Nevertheless, soon after the end of World War I, new heavy armored vehicles began to be developed.

In August 1940, Germany launched a new multi-axle armored vehicle. The design of the vehicle was similar to earlier vehicles - the Sd.Kfz.231. And the new heavy armored vehicle had to offer greater mobility, stronger defenses and better weapons for reconnaissance missions. Therefore, the final design - the Sd.Kfz.234 series - includes an equipment with 20 mm / 50 mm / 75 mm main guns powered by a Tatra V12 engine, with a maximum speed of 80 km/h on the highway and eight wheels for good off-road capability. The Sd.Kfz.234 series was used mainly for reconnaissance missions during World War II. A total of about 470 units of the entire Sd.Kfz.234 series were produced from 1943 until the end of the war in 1945.

The Sd.Kfz.234/2 8-wheel heavy armored vehicle is the most famous type of the Sd.Kfz.234 series. Unlike the other types, it is equipped with a fully enclosed turret with a 5 cm L/60 main gun. Production of the Sd.Kfz.234/2 began in late 1943 and continued until mid-1944. A total of about 100 units were produced.

Of the 470 Sd.Kfz.234 armored vehicles, only 3 remain complete to this day. During World War II, the Sd.Kfz.234 series armored vehicles were Germany's best armored vehicles, if not the best of the entire war. Their excellent design continues to have a major influence today.