Das Werk Faun L900 and Sonderanhänger 115 (Sd. Ah. 115)

 

BACKGROUND

Das Werk is a new model company that was the result of the dream of CEO Harald Bauske to produce and release a plastic model kit as his own brand. Assembling a team of creators, and in cooperation with Customscale they have chosen a rarely seen subject as their first major release.   In addition to 'wow' factor, this kit is of substantial size and detail.   When built, it will make an impressive display on a modelers shelf.  

The Faun L900 was a heavy truck used by Germany in World War 2.  The company came as a result of the merger of casting company of Justus Christian Braun with Fahrzeugfabrik Ansbach. Produced between 1934 and 1937, it served right up to the end of the war as a vehicle and cargo prime mover.  The truck had a cargo capacity of 10,000 kg and could even carry a Panzer II.  Paired with the Sonderanhänger 115 trailer, they could transport two Panzers and did so in the early days of the war.  As the war progressed, and the light tanks became obsolete and replaced by heavier designs, the Faun L900 and trailer were relegated to transporting armored cars, reconnaissance, and other light vehicles the Wehrmact still employed.  

 

 

 

THE KIT

First observations is that this kit seems to have been produced by the same folks who produce Takom.  If so, they have done their usual fine job and produced a kit with sharp details and plenty of options.  The quality of the moldings and the style of sprues lead me to believe this along with the artwork on the box seeming to be created by the same artist Takom uses.  Kudos to Das Werk for choosing a great company to produce their kit.  The box art is attractive and really shows what this kit is about with the truck hauling two Panzer 2's.  There are ten sprues in the kit along with rubber tires and some brass rod that will form the canvas supports on the truck bed.  There's a bending jig included for this task.  

The instructions are some of the highest quality I have seen and are on par with Wingnut Wings.  There are two manuals provided, one for the truck and one for the trailer that include a historical summary and reference photos throughout.  They are detailed, easy to follow, and show each step clearly.  In fact, inside the trailer instructions, in two steps, there are 'Q' codes that will link you to videos that show how to complete the step successfully.  These are in two of the more critical steps to complete correctly and it speaks well of Das Werk to ensure that the builder does them properly.  There are a few options included in the build of this kit.  Several types of leaf springs are provided for the choosing if you want to build a loaded truck versus a neutral or unloaded version.  Also, the builder can choose a soft top or open top version and the trailer can be posed in loading or travel positions.  

 

 

 

 

The small set of decals provided seem to be well done and typical for this type of high quality kit.  Although sparse they do include dials for the dashboard and these vehicles did not have many markings anyways.  

 

There are 8 different color profiles provided with most being of the standard German grey offerings from early war.  There are, however, a couple of examples of later war versions with two tone and three tone camouflage.  Color call outs are from Tamiya, Mr Hobby, Ammo of MIG, Vallejo, Humbrol, and Mission Models.

 

 

Also, as seen above, the manual also includes brief bios of the team from Das Werk.  Again, a nice touch.  

And, here are the sprues.  I saw no flash, mis-molds, or errant ejector pin marks as this a quality kit.  If the nice details and sharp moldings are any clue, this should be a dream to build.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The provided tires seem to be very nicely done but there is a small center seam that will need to be dealt with.  A set of weighted resin ones will surely follow from the aftermarket side.  

 

There is also to be a set of decals introduced for this kit that will provide a nice wood design for the trailer bed.  Hopefully I will be able to obtain a set soon! 

The team at Das Werk have produced an excellent kit as their first.  If this is a sign of things to come, we should be very expectant of their future releases.  They have chosen an a very cool subject that fills a void and have produced it with excellent detail and quality.  This kit will be great for those who wish to build a diorama as there are so many possibilities.  I cannot wait to build this and will have a full build review in the future.  

Highly Recommended for Intermediate to Advanced builders as there are many steps to construction and some challenging assemblies.

Thanks goes out to Das Werk for this review kit.  Available through MBK-USA Distribution. Look for Das Werk at your local hobby shop or favorite online retailer. If they don't carry it - have them reach out to MBK-USA Distribution at support@mbk-us.com.  

Reviewed by Ron Hoague

 

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