German Panzer I Ausf.B and motorcycle 1:35 Academy 13556

Plastic military model kit: German Panzer I Ausf.B and motorcycle 1:35 Academy 13556

A model kit from Academy depicting the German light tank Panzerkampfwagen I Ausf. B, bundled with a motorcycle. This is a design based on new molds (new tool) from 2024, which guarantees high-quality details and a modern approach to model construction.

Design history:
Panzerkampfwagen I (PzKpfw I) was the first mass-produced tank in the Third Reich after the renunciation of the Treaty of Versailles. Although originally designed as a training and reconnaissance vehicle, it became the backbone of the German armored forces in the early period of World War II. The Ausf. B version was a significant upgrade over the original (Ausf. A). The most important change was the use of a more powerful, 6-cylinder Maybach NL 38 TR engine with 100 HP, which necessitated lengthening the hull by about 40 cm, adding a fifth pair of road wheels, and raising the idler wheel. Thanks to these changes, the driving characteristics and the reliability of the drivetrain were improved.

These vehicles took part in key military operations:

• Spanish Civil War (Legion Condor)
• September Campaign of 1939
• Norwegian Campaign and the fighting in France in 1940
• Operations in the Balkans and the initial stage of Operation Barbarossa

Although by 1940 the Panzer I was an obsolete and under-armed design (it possessed only two MG 13 machine guns), its chassis was used to build many specialized vehicles, such as Panzerjäger I tank destroyers or sIG 33 self-propelled guns.

Kit features:

• Scale: 1:35
• Panzer I Ausf. B tank model
• German motorcycle model (identified as Zündapp KS 750)
• High precision in reproducing the details of the hull and running gear
• Brand new product, developed in 2024

Kit for self-assembly and painting. Does not include paints or glue. To assemble, you will need separately sold modeling tools (e.g., nippers, files, tweezers), paints, brushes, and plastic model glue (e.g., Tamiya Extra Thin Cement). The photo shows a professionally assembled and painted model.