Roden 1/72 Opel Blitzbus Ludewig ‘Aero’ (1937) Kit First Look

By Dave Manter

First Look

The Opel Blitzbus Ludewig "Aero" was a German bus of the mid 1930's. It was built by the truck body workshop of Ludewig Brothers on the chassis of the well-known Opel Blitz 3 ton truck. The bus had rather elegant exterior lines, and was used as an express bus for passengers between cities, and also for propaganda purposes. After the beginning of the Second World War at least one such bus was requisitioned by the army and was used on the Eastern Front as a transport for Wehrmacht officers.

The Roden kit of the Opel Blitzbus consists of 124 styrene parts molded in grey and a sheet of thin pre marked acetate for the windows. The details on the parts are great and there is no flash present. Seam lines are very fine and cleanup will be fast and easy.

Construction looks to be straight forward and thanks to Roden's well written instructions, no problems should be encountered. The kit features a full and detailed engine and a very detailed drive train. The front wheels can be made steerable. The interior is also well detailed. Paint colors are called out during construction. Test fitting of the main body components show that fit is very nice for the kit.

A very interesting kit of a unique subject!

My sincere thanks to Squadron Mail Order for this review sample!