Thursday, May 11

Ru 251 Spähpanzer in 35th from Amusing Hobby coming in July...

Great news for the "What-if'ers" & World of tanks lovers out there in the form of the Ru 251 Spähpanzer in 1/35th scale from Amusing Hobby to be released shortly in injection moulded plastic. We look at the art of the kit & the design that inspired it in our preview...

Ru 251 Spähpanzer in 35th from Amusing Hobby coming in July

Ru251 Spähpanzer
From Amusing Hobby
Kit No# 35A055
1/35th scale
Injection moulded kit
Photo-etch included.
This kit is due for release in July
The Ru 251 Concept...
A project for the Bundeswehr during the Cold War, the Ru 251 meant to replace the M41 Walker Bulldog in German Army service. Prototypes of this new light tank were built and developed in 1963 and 1964. The tank was a design based on the Kanonenjagdpanzer tank destroyer and uses the same 90 mm Rheinmetall BK 90/L40 main cannon.
The Ru 251 is not used for intense combat due to its light armour but as a fast reconnaissance vehicle. With only 20mm of armour, the tank could only deflect large calibre machine gun bursts, but becomes very vulnerable to higher calibre fire. 
The Ru 251 was designed as a light reconnaissance tank, to move quickly and stealthily and attack targets of opportunity, before repositioning itself using its high mobility: Any excess armour would hamper the speed of the tank. The Ru 251 had remarkable mobility and firepower with its 650 hp Daimler-Benz MB 837 A engine and its Rheinmetall BK 90/L40 90mm cannon, but had no significant anti-tank shell protection. 
In 1964, the Ru 251 prototype underwent intensive operational trials, but the design never passed the trails and testing phase. There are still some left in museums today, however.
The new kit from Amusing Hobby:
Amusing Hobby's 1/35th scale kit of the Ru 251 Spähpanzer comes from the proposed light reconnaissance tank based on the Kanonenjagdpanzer tank destroyer. Made famous we think in War thunder and World of Tanks. It follows the MO of Amusing Hobby of recent, who gratefully flesh out the paper and blueprint only tanks that have crept into our conscious through games and also a lack of other mainstream choices that have been kitted to death. We like Amusing Hobby, as they are not afraid of going their own way and making new things. More of it we say!
This kit is slated for release in July. More information on all of their kits is available from Amusing Hobby's Facebook Page as their website does not seem to be working right now...