Opel Blitz Truck Kits

Manufacturer: ESCI

by Stephen Brezinski ( )

Vehicle HistoryFor The Modeler

These 1/72 scale model kits depict one ofthe most numerous, successful and important trucks of the GermanWehrmacht from the 1930’s to 1945, so it can be displayed ineither pre-war or late-war color and markings. Opel Company is asubsidiary of General Motors Company, and Blitz is German for"lightning". For the time this was a modern lookingtruck and was one of the most reliable and well-liked trucks usedby the German and Axis Allies on all European and African warfronts. The Opel Blitz along with the Mercedes and Borgworg 3000trucks were developed under the Schnell Program which was aneffort to standardize the copious variety of Whermacht’strucks prior to WW2.

This ESCI model is of the Opel Blitz Svariant which is the 4 x 2 rear-wheel drive. There also wasproduced a 4 x 4 (four-wheel) drive Blitz in lesser numbers thatdiffers enough from this two wheel drive variant that it may takesignificant scratchbuilding to do a conversion. The truck wasrated as having a three-ton load capacity though keep in mindthat the German designation of a 3-ton rating differed from theAmerican. For example, the American 2.5 ton "deuce and ahalf" GMC or Studebaker trucks could actually carry fivetons on a good road and were more robust.

There are an incredible number ofconversion possibilities including lifting cranes for the bed,the Ersatz cab, radio and bakery trucks, kitchen trucks with atowed field kitchen in the rear, SP 20-mm Flak guns, etc.

Kit Description

Kit Similarities:

This vehicle had been released under ESCI,AMT ERTL, Revell model companies and other manufacturers sincethis model kit was first introduced in the late 1970’s orso. It may soon be released by Italeri (as of summer, 2003)?

A 1/72 scale plastic model kit consistingabout 55 to 60 gray or tan color injection-molded styrene plasticparts, depending on which of the three variants you acquire: thecargo truck, ambulance box (van), or self propelled Flak variant.

The cab sprue is included with all threekits and consists of nine major separate cab pieces and the seventruck wheels, etc. I found the truck cab to be the trickiestsubassembly. Fitting the cab doors with the roof may be difficultwithout some model putty. This complexity does give you the niceoptions of building it with one or more doors open or the enginesides removed to expose an engine. No engine is included andwould have to be scratchbuilt. No windows are included and can becut from clear plastic sheet. Width indicator posts can be madefrom wire for the front fenders.

The underside of the model is welldetailed if you wish to model it crashed over on its side. Two ofthe tires have three ejection-pin marks that will need filling inand of course these are on the outside of the tire and veryprominent.

Kit Contrarieties:

Cargo Truck Kit: Thecargo truck comes with a sprue for the truck bed and tarp thatincludes also parts for three fuel drums. The cargo bed and sideshave the impressions of the wood boards. Assembly of the cargobed is with little problem. If the tarp is to be used add slatsand supports for the inside, or perhaps scratch a new tarp usingtissue or plastic bag.

Ambulance Van Kit: Contains a sprue for the box van which includes a long roof vent,two wide doors and detail on the sides depicting blanked overwindows and doors. Interior detail is lacking on the sides androof though the floor has the recessed lines of wood-board s.Depending on the particular version and use we can scribe theoutlines windows and doors on the interior, or cut out thewindows and doors.

Self-Propelled Flakvierling Kit: Comes with the sprue for the cargo truck bed as well as anadditional sprue for the ESCI 20-mm four-barreled Fakvierling AAgun. The Flak gun sprue is the only sprue in the three kits tohave figures. This is the same sprue as in the ESCI weapons Kit#8350. Make note that this version likely never existed exceptpossibly as a poorly successful field modification. Adding up theweight of the gun, ammunition and crew the truck would beoverloaded even for good roads. I have never seen any photos of a4-barrel Flak mount, only a single 20-mm Flak gun mount. InPanzer Colors books there is a single photo of a heavy 37-mm Flak36 on an Opel 2.5 ton though I believe that this was a fieldmount, and another photo identified as an Opel with aFlakvierling is on closer examination a 4-ton Mercedes 4500truck.

Kit Instructions

Kit instructions are good and typicalexploded view instructions without captions. Like with allmodels: dry fit, dry fit and dry fit before gluing.

Detailing

Added details to make the ESCI/ItaleriOpel are very similar to what we may do to any small scalesoftskin model.

• A nice feature of this ESCI truck is that it is not difficult to model the cab doors open. Simply scribe and separate along the little triangular body piece and after the cab is assembled attach the door(s) with some sort of supports such as wire pins.

• If we have the doors open we may wish to detail the cab interior with wire gear shift levers, a better steering wheel, and crew kit (stowage) on the seat.

• A rear-view mirror on the driver’s door can be constructed with a fine brass wire inserted in a hole just above the door hinge. The round mirror can be had from a thin disc shaved from sprue. Paint the mirror silver or glue on a disc of shiny foil.

• Width indicators are common to most all German WW2 trucks and autos; these are the rods with white balls atop sticking up out of the front fenders or bumper . These can be simply constructed. My method is to dip brass wire in white glue of Krystal Kleer and hang down so a ball of glue dries into a little ball at the end of the wire. Insert into drilled hole in fender or bumper as appropriate. (For an example see the kit boxtops and my photo of the late-model Opel below.)

• Windshields are imperative for a good display model. These can be constructed from clear styrene sheet from your hobby shop, or clear plastic from a food container.

Markings

All the Opel Blitz kits released by ESCIand its sister companies over the years appear to have a goodselection of decent water-slide decals for one to four Germanvehicles. Examples of the decals for a release of the cargo truckand the ambulance van are included in the scan of theinstructions. Decals are pretty basic: front & rear licenseplates, perhaps unit-markings, and red cross markings for theambulances. Missing are the stenciled railroad shipping markingscommon to the doors of German trucks.

Above is an ESCI Blitz modified to a latewar, metal cab version. Note that the missing Opel Blitz emblemon the grill, missing rear fenders, running boards replaced bysimple steps, fender width indicators moved to middle of fender,and smaller headlights. For this model a supporting frame andslats were added to the bed and a new tarp made of plastic bagmaterial.

AftermarketConversions & Kits

RetroModel, from the Czech Republic:#7203, complete kit of 3-ton Opel Blitz Type A (4x4) cargo truck.While not a conversion or aftermarket item this is a four-wheeldrive version, complete model kit in 1/72 scale model based onthe ESCI kit. This is a good quality, all-resin model kit.

Al By Models from France: Kit #779, FordV3000S conversion for ESCI Opel Blitz model.

Al By Models Kit #709, Ford V3000SConversion For ESCI Opel Blitz(same as #779 above?).

AL By Models Kit #865, OpelBlitz Einheitzfahrerhaus Cab Conversion for ESCI kit (a simplified cab of wood andcardboard construction.

Al By Models Kit #782, MaultierConversion . "Maultier"is German for "Mule". This was a successful effort tocreate a better cross-county truck by converting the Opel (andFord) trucks into halftracks. The kit is all resin with lengthsof resin tracks to be warmed and wrapped around the wheels.Casting is superb. Tracks are molded onto the idler and drivesprocket for us.

Matador Models Complete model kit #7201Gasoline Tanker, #7213 Opel Blitz Hydrogen Peroxide Fuel Tankerfor rocket programs; #7218 Opel Blitz Articulated Fuel Tanker forLuftwaffe.

FM Details #72001 complete Opel Blitz FuelTruck kit for Luftwaffe use.

TP Models Kit #7242 complete model kit ofOpel Blitz Betriebsstoff Kesselkraftwagen, Kfz. 385 fuel truck

TP Models kit #72110 kit of Opel Blitz Sarmored cab & Flak 38 gun (used in Northern Europe, 1944-45).

Modeling Resources

Opel At War, Schiffer Publishing Co. Avery good, inexpensive softcover book with information on theOpel Blitz and other Opel vehicles.

http://members.rogers.com/gparada/votw/truck.htm Achtung Panzer website section on softskins

http://www.panzernet.com/articulos/maquetas/opeljlm/opelblitz.htm Opel Blitz construction article, in Spanish(Espanol)

http://www.panzernet.com/articulos/descripciones/opelhisjl/opelhisjl.htm Opel Blitz vehicle history article in Spanish(Espanol).