Rebell Hobby

1/72 SAAB JA37 Viggen belly mounted cannon
Product # K7235  for Heller kit

Product Article by Steve Bamford on Oct 13 2010

 

This new resin item by Maestro Models Conversions and available from Rebell Hobby is a SAAB JA37 Viggen belly mounted cannon Oerlikon KCA for the Heller Viggen kit.  

Click on images below to see larger images

  

  

The Oerlikon KCA is a cannon developed by Oerlikon.  It has been used as a fixed armament on the SAAB JA 37 Viggen.  Oerlikon developed the powerful 30 x 173 mm cartridge specifically for this gun.  It is one of the most powerful, practically used, cartridges in a cannon for aircraft armament.  The cartridge would later be used in the GAU-8 that was developed specifically for the Fairchild A-10 ground attack plane, but with the difference that the electric ignition was replaced by an ordinary striker and a cartridge sleeve made of aluminum instead of steel.

The gun is a revolver gun based on the German Mauser MG 213C.  The revolver has four cartridge positions.

The instructions are clear and include 1 photo to help you installing this gun.  To install this gun, you simply remove the casting block and install the gun.  You may want to check the fit of the backside of the gun to the underside of your model and sand the backside of the gun as needed.  

This is a very nicely mastered gun with recessed panel lines and rivets and a hollow gun barrel tip.  It would be a  fine addition to your next 1/72 Heller SAAB JA37 Viggen. 

I would like to thank Rebell Hobby for providing me with this review sample.  This item is available directly from http://www.rebell.com.

Rebell Hobby has more items for the Viggen and Draken from Maestro Models Conversions.  

Steve

Photos and text © by Steve Bamford