1/35 Jagdpanzer 38(t) Hetzer Early Version - Airfix A1355

The Airfix A1355 1/35 Jagdpanzer 38(t) Hetzer Early Version is a premium 1/35 scale plastic model kit from Airfix, the UK's oldest and most iconic model kit manufacturer, established in 1952.

The Jagdpanzer 38(t) Hetzer Early Version represents the initial production run of one of Germany's most effective and cost-efficient tank destroyers of the Second World War. Entering service in the summer of 1944, the early production Hetzer differed from later variants in several detail features including the original gun mantlet design, vision equipment arrangement, and absence of the remote-controlled roof machine gun that was added on later production vehicles. Built on the proven Czechoslovakian Panzer 38(t) chassis at the Škoda and BMM factories, the Hetzer combined a 7.5cm Pak 39 L/48 anti-tank gun with heavily sloped 60mm frontal armor in a hull so compact that it stood barely over two meters tall. Early Hetzers were immediately deployed to Germany's dwindling Panzerjäger battalions on both the Eastern and Western Fronts, where their low profile and reliable running gear made them valuable ambush tank destroyers even as the tide of the war turned decisively against Germany. The Befehlswagen (command vehicle) variant featured additional radio equipment and was used by battalion and company commanders, often at the cost of the main gun being replaced by a dummy barrel.

Key Features:

• Skill Level 3 plastic model kit — suitable for intermediate to advanced modelers
• 2 paint scheme options included with decals
• Assembled size: L243mm × W91mm
• Unassembled and unpainted — glue and paint required (sold separately)
• Detailed instruction booklet with painting and marking guide

Paint Schemes Included:

• Jagdpanzer 38(t) Hetzer Early Version, Heeres-Panzerjäger-Abteilung 731, Summer 1944
• Jagdpanzer 38(t) Hetzer Early Version als Befehlswagen (command vehicle), Heeres-Panzerjäger-Abteilung 731, circa 1944–45

Ideal For:

• WWII armor scale modelers, intermediate to advanced
• Diorama builders seeking an accurate period kit
• Competition modelers
• Airfix collectors and WWII enthusiasts

Airfix has been producing iconic military model kits since 1952. The A1355 1/35 Jagdpanzer 38(t) Hetzer Early Version is available at AFVHobbyHub.com.