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German III Assault Gun Type G Late Type (2 in 1) Scale: 1/16 Number: 00947 http://www.trumpeter-china.com/index.php?g=home&m=article&a=show&id=243 https://hobbyzero.com/news/trumpeter-december-2022-4-new-products/

I've been pondering the monolithic Tortoise heavy assault tank since it arrived from Meng for review a while back, and have finally caved in. A new SSD hard drive for the Workshop machine, and a new build... I started with the running gear, as per the instruction booklet, and decided that because of the sheer number of wheels keeping the hull out of the mud, I'd do a quick test build of one of the sponsons that contains four wheels to see which seamlines I could get away without fettling. The short answer is "some", but not all, and the pedant in me is struggling with the concept of leaving some unattended to. I'm sure I'll live though First up were the idler wheels and drive sprockets. The idler wheels are set on sprung tensioner units, and they are different lengths, with one set of locating points being cut off during construction. Don't worry - this matches perfectly with its mounting holes on the hull, as Meng have followed through with the asymmetry. I've scuffed up the idler contact surfaces, as they see a lot of action, and although shiny, will probably be quite scored from all the rocks and pebbles that have gone through between it and the tracks. The drive sprockets were simple to put together, and the sprue gates have been placed on the back of the part so you don't damage the teeth when you cut them off. I did manage to slip and nick one though, so glued it back in place before it fell off completely Here's a shot of the test build of a sponson and the other bits I've glued together so far: The seams that have to be addressed because they'll probably be on display are marked out on the pic below. The raised ejector pin on the pushrod is a piece of cake to trim off with a sharp scalpel, but there are 16 of them... watch your fingers! I'm going to fill at least the seams marked in white on four sponsons, as the front and rear units might be visible under the side skirts. Whether I'll paint the roadwheels in situ or not is undecided as yet The pushrod, roadwheels and the central part of the axle are all loose once the wheel-pair is glued up, with only a bar underneath holding the whole assembly together. You need a fair few extra hands to get it all together, and make sure you check alignment of the parts before you wander off for tea, as they are quite prone to drifting out of alignment if the glue is still quite liquid.