The Flakpanzer Coelian was a self-propelled anti-aircraft gun design by Rheinmetall during World War II for the German armed forces. It was intended to be armed with two 3.7 cm FlaK 43 gun in a fully enclosed, rotating turret on the hull of a Panther medium tank but was not built before the end of the war in Europe. The German Army High Command issued a demand for an anti-aircraft tank based on the chassis of the Panther tank design. Rheinmetall developed "Coelian" in various versions, including one with four 20mm MG 151/20 guns, but kept having to revise designs based on changing government requirements (such as demands for more modern guns with longer barrels). Eventually, in May 1944 a turret with a single 5.5 cm gun was developed, together with another with twin 3.7 cm FlaK 43 guns. However, it soon became clear that no chassis would be available for Flakpanzers for a variety of reasons, including the Allies" landing in Normandy, the increasing Allied strategic bombing offensive, and raw material shortages. By mid-February 1945, only a wooden prototype of the 3.7 cm turret model on a Panther D hull had been created. MAN Sd.Kfz.171 Flakpanzer V CoelianDesigned to replace to the PzKpfw IV, which had met its match in the new Soviet T-34, the Panzerkampfwagen V "Panther" series of heavy tanks were armed with powerful weapons and equally powerful armor protection. Thought by many to be the best German tank of WWII, the Panther featured a sloped armored turret with a long barrel 75mm main gun and an anti-aircraft 7.92mm machine gun. It was equipped with anti-magnetic paste to combat magnetic mines, and armor skirts offered further protection for the track system and crew. Approximately 5,500 Panthers were built during WWII.© Copyright 2003-2026 The Flying Mule, Inc. Solido 1:72 ArmorThe Solido "1:72 Armor" range presents affordable, ready made diecast models of military vehicles in 1:72 scale.Solido 1:72 diecast vehicles feature:
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