Sd.Kfz. 2 Kleines Kettenkrafrad HK 101 1942 1:48 Scale Diecast Model

• Realistic collectible model
• Diecast & plastic parts
• Highly detailed
• Display stand included.
• Measures 5.5” L x 2” W” x 2” H
• Display model, recommended for adult hobbyists and collectors. 14 years and above.

The Sd.Kfz. 2, better known as the Kleines Kettenkraftrad HK 101 or Kettenkrad for short (plural Kettenkräder; where Ketten means "chains" or "tracks" and krad is the military abbreviation of the German word Kraftrad, the administrative German term for motorcycle), started its life as a light tractor for airborne troops. The vehicle was designed to be delivered by Junkers Ju 52 aircraft, though not by parachute. The vehicle had the advantage of being the only gun tractor small enough to fit inside the hold of the Ju 52, and was the lightest mass-produced German military vehicle to use the complex Schachtellaufwerk overlapped and interleaved road wheels used on almost all German military half-track vehicles of World War II.

Steering the Kettenkrad was accomplished by turning the handlebars: Up to a certain point, only the front wheel would steer the vehicle. A motion of the handlebars beyond that point would engage the track brakes to help make turns sharper. It was also possible to run the vehicle without the front wheel installed and this was recommended in extreme off-road conditions where speed would be kept low.

Most Kettenkräder saw service on the Eastern Front, where they were used to lay communication cables, pull heavy loads and carry soldiers through the deep Russian mud. Later in the war, Kettenkräder were used as runway tugs for aircraft, especially for the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter, and sometimes the Arado Ar 234 jet reconnaissance-bomber. In order to save aviation fuel, a German jet aircraft would be towed to the runway, rather than taxiing under its own power. The vehicle was also used in the North African theater and on the Western Front.

This Hobby Master  is a replica of Sd. KFz 2 as it appeared in 1942 with the German 1^st Gerbrigs (Mountain) Division in the Eastern Front.

This Hobby Master Sd. Kfz 2 is a great addition to your WW 2 model collection or diorama.