16.02, sub-brand of German firm Custom-Scale, has released a stunning kit of the ground-based 3cm Bordkanone MK 103 cannon, as CHRIS CLIFFORD reports.
Rheinmetall-Borsig’s 3cm Bordkanone MK 103 was one of the largest guns fitted to World War Two Luftwaffe aircraft. It equipped the centerline of the tank-busting Henschel Hs 129, and was trialled under the wings of a Focke-Wulf Fw 190A-6. Later in the war, it was also employed as an anti-aircraft gun fired from the ground, fitted to tank chassis and also fired from its own small mounts.
Above: The gun itself is well detailed, and has one half of the muzzle brake moulded as a separate item.
16.02’s new 1/35 2 in 1 kit (VK35002) comes on two styrene runners and portrays the MK 103 in ground-based format, offering two different mounts that brought about the nickname ‘Baumaffe’ – which translates as ‘tree monkey’ – alluding to the pose struck by any troop that fired the weapon. One mount is cone-shaped and sits on a circular floorplate, while the other involves a thick wooden post surrounded by a metal tripod. 16.02 cleverly moulds the tripod legs attached to ‘thirds’ of the wooden post.
Above and below: The breech cover is excellent, with a wealth of quality moulding being evident.
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