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Biber Trailer + Resin Wheels - 1:72 Special Hobby


Julien

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Biber Trailer + Resin Wheels

1:72 Special Hobby

 

bt001.jpg


The Biber (Beaver) was a German Naval midget submarine used in WWII. It was crewed by one man and carried to externally mounted 53cm (21") torpedoes, or could carry mines. One advantage if there were any with the Midget Submarines was that by carrying the weapons externally it mean the width was less and it was able to be transported by road. With typical German efficiency even though as a weapons system it was not that great they designed and built a trailer specifically for moving it by road.  This standard road trailer with a single axle at either end, the front axle articulating with the draw-bar. A frame work was also added to carry a canvas cover to conceal the load. It also appears from WWII photos the trailer could take the weight and dimensions of a sub loaded with torpedoes.

 

 

 

The Kit
Inside the box there is one sprue which contains all the parts for the trailer. There is also a small bag with an additional part which has not been moulded correctly on the sprue. For construction the twin wheel units for each corner are mad up first. The articulating front axle unit is then made with a ring top which will fit onto a similar ring on the trailer chassis. The main chassis is a one part moulding to which the front part is added, a back axle and additional straightening parts. The rest of the plastic sprue is then made up of the frame parts for the trailer.  If the modeller wants to model the trailer with its tarpaulin cover then a paper template is provided to make a cover.  

 

bt002.jpg

 

 

Decals

There are no decals provided for the trailer. It can be painted either German Field Grey or Dark Yellow.

 

bt003.jpg

 

 

Wheels

Under their Blitz Armour accessories line CMK/Special Hobby supply a set of rein replacement wheels for the trailer. This is one of the few cases where I feel the resin wheels add nothing to the kit at all. The plastic wheels have better tread definition and the hub detail is about the same. The resin wheels will require clean up from the pour blocks, and it would seem the holes in the wheels are flashed over in resin so they will all need to be cleaned up.  The plastic wheels meanwhile will need a quick pass of a sanding stick where they remove from the sprue, and to clean the mould line (which is hardly visible)

 

bt004.jpg

 


Conclusion
The trailer will be a great accompaniment to the Biber submarine and will allow it to be displayed without having to resort to a water diorama, or the stand. It also allows the sub to be part of a larger vehicular diorama if needed. Highly recommended for the trailer, but pass on the extra wheels.

 

 Trailer bin.jpg

 

 Wheels bin.jpg

 

Review sample courtesy of

 

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  • 4 weeks later...

Basosz,

 

You may have already discovered it on your own, but my research indicates it was typically towed by a Sd.Kfz. 9 FAMO or a Hanomag SS-100.  I plan to add use a Revell FAMO to tow mine.

 

I hope this helps.

Arrin

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