German anti-aircraft gun 10.5 cm Flak 39 COBI 3142 - World War II 1:35

Model 10.5cm FlaK 39 | COBI 3142:

This detailed construction set includes the FlaK 39 gun, an ammunition crate with shells, and a display block with a printed nameplate. The package also contains a figure of a German soldier armed with a Mauser 98k rifle and a Luftwaffe anti-aircraft crew member in a striking black uniform equipped with a Gewehr 43 rifle. Beautiful details include the fire-control hand wheels and the white rings of the 3rd battery on the barrel.

Did you know:

The 105 mm anti-aircraft gun was developed by Rheinmetall in 1933 as a competitor to the well-known “Eighty-Eight.” The large-caliber 105 mm gun was intended for installation in fixed positions, especially as a coastal defense battery. Due to its high weight, the FlaK 39 was deployed in the field only rarely. For the needs of the Kriegsmarine, a special naval version designated SK C/33 was developed. These guns were installed on the battleships Bismarck and Scharnhorst. In version 39, the electric aiming system and the automated loading system were improved, offering greater reliability. Production of the heavy FlaK was complex and disproportionately expensive. The built-up barrel with a hydropneumatic recoil system made operation easier, but due to manufacturing demands, the Third Reich was unable to produce as many units as required. For transport, a reinforced carriage derived from the 88 was used, equipped with winches and pulleys to facilitate preparation of the gun for firing position, yet it was still not an easy task. Rapid redeployment to new positions was almost impossible. 

White rings on the barrel indicated the order of the firing battery. One ring = first battery, etc. The markings were intended to simplify ammunition delivery for supply units, which could thus identify where to deliver requests, for example from the third battery. Most of the produced guns were installed in fixed positions for the defense of the Reich. More than 116 guns were transported by rail to locations where Allied landings were expected.

Despite all this, the FlaK 39 was a highly effective weapon. After the end of World War II, the French Navy installed captured guns on several naval vessels, where they remained in service until the 1980s. In total, more than 4,200 units were produced in versions 38 and 39.

Technical specifications:

• dimensions: length in firing position 6.64 m, width 2.40 m, height 2.90 m
• barrel length: 5.54 m
• caliber: 105 mm
• weight: 10,224 kg
• projectile weight: 15.1 kg
• maximum horizontal range: 17 600 m
• maximum vertical range: 11 400 m
• rate of fire: 15–18 rounds / minute
• muzzle velocity: 881 m/s
• accuracy: at 1,000 m – dispersion 100 mm; at 2,000 m – dispersion 1–2 m
• probability of hitting a flying target with a single shot: 2%
• crew: commander + 7

From the memoirs of B-17 pilot John “Lucky” Luckadoo (100th Bomb Group, USAAF):

“During the mission over Bremen, the FlaK fire was so intense that the bursts looked like a continuous lawn I could have ridden across on a bicycle. I thought to myself that this must be what hell looks like, but hell couldn’t be worse than this. One shell exploded near the cockpit. One window shattered over me and shrapnel tore through my glove and sleeve, but I was unharmed.”

About the set :

• COBI construction set  3142 FlaK 39 is made of 339 high-quality ABS parts
• scale 1:35
  
• collection World War II
• number of figures: 1
• pad printed – no stickers
• authentic detailing
• made in the EU
• compatible with other construction brick brands