by Al Petrie

With the crash of an alien spacecraft in the Black Forest in 1936, Nazi Germany had a potential windfall of high tech weaponry. Fortunately for the rest of the world, the alien ship was a cargo vessel, full of household novelties, and the drive system was far beyond the ability of 20th century science to understand. However, the researchers at Peenemunde were able to figure out how the load lifters worked, and eventually, the German Army was able to field the dreaded LuftPanzer. Carrying the 75mm or 88mm gun from the now obsolete Tiger and Panther tanks, the LuftPanzers floated into combat on a repuslor field, and could achieve a top speed of 90 kilometers per hour with the drive fans engaged. Water, sand, snow, all were easy to traverse, with steep inclines being the only holdbacks.

First seeing combat in August, 1944, the Luft Panzers were to throw the Allies out of France, and push the Red Army back to the edge of Moscow. Seen here is a LuftPanzer II of the Third LuftPanzer Division, just outside of Kiev. Accompanying the LuftPanzers into combat were the skilled Telefunken Troopers, seen here wearing their distinctive bakelite helmets containing the new miniature radio system, it being derived from the alien intercom system.

Fortunately, the LuftPanzers were wiped out thanks to the American Aerial Calvary

The Model

The model uses the ERTL Star Wars Trade Federation Tank as the primary hull and turret, with a main gun from the Tamiya 1/35 Panther tank added on. The lift fans are made from plastic tubes, cut to size, fans added from sheet plastic, and window screening covering. The camo is based upon the late war "ambush" scheme. The crew and assault troops came from a variety of Tamiya and Dragon 1/35 WW II German tank crew and soldier figures.

Image: Overhead

Image: Kommandeur