Ritter - Kreiger fighting suit

[Pete in Lincs]

Having just finished the Sternail earlier today, I was eager to start something else.

At the Southwell show last year, I met a man who sold me some kreiger armoured fighting suit stuff. A part started Gustav and bits for a Heinrich.

I opened the box, checked all the parts (arms and legs part assembled) and thought, Hmmm, put it together, paint it, done. Too easy. Or......

 

I raided the spares again. Found the remains of an Airfix Gazelle I built decades ago. The suits, as seen above, are based on the Hughes 500 fuselage. So, what if I use a Gazelle?

The Hughes models were 1/48th. this is 1/72nd. So I might get away with a 1/35th figure inside. Or, go for 1/20th and make it an automaton.

 

Arms and legs etc? I have these cheap Japanese robot kits in weird small scales, I may as well adapt & use these parts.

 

And a search through the rapidly depleting spares boxes gave me this little lot. I'll have to see what I can do with them.

Let the fun begin! Stay tuned and thanks for looking in, Pete

[Pete in Lincs]

Back again. The Gazelle got dismantled and is overnighting in a bath of Dettol to strip the paint.

Meantime I started on the legs.

I think those are Russian tank wheels. That is a Sea King depth charge on the right and chopped robot legs on the left.

 

Stuff happened and Helmut (From my previous 1/20th scale builds) popped by to give a hand and show the size of what I'm doing.

 

Later still and the feet and lower legs got modified. Springs added and those odd bits are 1/24th Typhoon prop boss parts.

And, the apparent drainpipes are bits of tank gun and are there to add roundness to otherwise square legs.

Thanks for looking, Pete

[rockpopandchips]

Oh good start alright and if that  Nitto kit is a bit boring for you I would be more than happy to build it for you.... 😁

[Pete in Lincs]

Thanks for the offer. I'll get around to it. Probably when the spares boxes are empty!

 

Now, I've changed the title of this thread for a good reason. I built those legs yesterday. Dredged the gazelle out of the Dettol this morning and compared it to the legs.

Well that's not going to work. But, I had an ancient build of a Boeing Sea Knight. It looked about right. 1/72 but about the same size as a 1/48th Hughes 500.

So, perhaps it could be manned? And, most if not all of the kreiger fighting suits have German names. Knight in German is Ritter. Obvious really.

I dismantled it, chopped off the back end and removed 20mm from the centre fuselage. Looks like Helmut might fit in there?

 

Another spares box search brought forth this lot. Some of them might get used.

 

Filler got slapped onto the legs to make them more rounded. I also did some work on the arms.

 

By the end of the day this is where I'm at. Fuselage rejoined in the middle, windows filled, paint and rivets rubbed down and plans running through my head.

The legs will attach at the sponsons where that cut out is. Looking at Helmut it will be a bit tight in there so I may well have to widen the fuselage. 

No big problem, the rider/driver/pilot? doesn't need to see out, they don't on a lot of the fighting suits.

On those though their arms and legs go into the arms and legs of the suit. On this one they will be totally inside the main body.

Will it work? I'll have to see and develop this as it goes on.

Thanks for looking in, Pete

[Buff Manila]

This is looking interesting already Pete. So is it going to be completely harmless like a Glaug? Presumably a walking pod, rather than a suit?

[rockpopandchips]

Maybe Helmut looks a little tubby to be a suit pilot but widening it a little I think will give a better profile as most Ma.k suit are quite short and chunky. 

Edited May 2, 2020 by rockpopandchips

[Pete in Lincs]

I did some more today, after washing and polishing both cars, that is. 

Things are developing. No pictures this time, I'll take some tomorrow.

I was on the verge of turning it back into an automaton but I figured out a way for the jockey to see out.

I have a Tamiya 1/20th Grand Prix driver who fits fairly well in there, and made him a couch/seat affair.

Though I do have to make him some lower legs and feet too.

I think I'm heading towards a retro kreiger.  What came before the armoured fighting suits?

Someone had to/will come up with the idea to protect the ground troops,  so surely proof of concept/prototype machines had to be built?

In the AFS machines the jockey inserts his/her arms and legs into the arms and legs of the machine. (see the box above). 

In this one, everything will be enclosed in the shell.

Tomorrow I need to get the Milliput out and complete the Jockey and cushions for his seat, then detail the interior with controls.

Most of this stuff will never be seen again. Makes as much sense as putting Wireless Ops and navigators in the fuselage of a Lancaster eh? We're all mad!

But, I'm getting a buzz out of this, (Sad, innit?) so I'll be back at it, after the chores, tomorrow.

Thanks for following, keep the questions coming, Pete

 

@Buff Manila It will be carrying a weapon.

 

@rockpopandchips Helmut says you're a rude person. Tubby?

 

[Buff Manila]

Ah I meant ARMLESS not harmless, but yes, I see what you mean. I've got an Academy Hughes sitting about for a similar idea. A pre-PKA suit that may have been developed prior to the Ma.K war as an EVA suit. I'll be watching this develop with interest!

[Pete in Lincs]

Yeah, I sold a couple of Hasegawa Hughes 500's not so long ago. Doh! Never mind, this way it's more of a challenge. Why make scratchbuilding easy?

Speaking of which, more got done today.

Not too clear, but this will be the powerplant. The fighting suits seem to have a Vespa engine on the back. This is an old P-47 radial with a formula 1 exhaust grafted on.

 

Here's the seat I built yesterday. I added Milliput padding today.

 

 

And this is how it fits. The Jockey has had his lower legs and boots built up with Milliput.

 

And I have a choice of heads. The sprues say Nitto but I suspect they are cheap copies. Sourced from the bay.

 

Here we are in situ and standing tall. Probably too tall (what do you think?) I'm thinking of chopping about a 1/2 inch from the lower legs?

It's leaning on the Elmers bottle as the 'knees' are still loose prior to glue being applied for the final stance.

 

I built this 1mm card box affair to hold the hip axle in place. It's a bit gash but solid. I think I'll need to modify the shields (what were the sponsons) so it could walk.

 

 

And arms! The left is built from bits of the two cheapo robots and the right has a Gundam (I think) hand.

And now we are up to date. The Milliput is drying overnight and I will ponder on cutting down the lower legs.

Thanks for looking, comments are welcome as always, Pete

 

[rockpopandchips]

Lots of progress and it looking good, the arm could do with beefing up and defo shorten the legs. Is the engine going on back as a backpack sort of thing? 

[Pete in Lincs]

Yes, a backpack engine. Of course there isn't much room for fuel but hey, I should stop thinking like an engineer maybe?

I was just thinking about the arms too. If this thing drops something it'll never get down to pick it up!

So shorten the legs and figure out a way to beef up the arms.

Thanks for stopping by. Pete

[DalekCheese]

I like it. Will the feet be bulked out at all? They are currently pretty smol feet.

[Pete in Lincs]

Feet, you're right, they are a little small. I'm doing a running mod programme on this and altering stuff as I get to it. So maybe.

I've been taking on board peoples suggestions so I've spent the day changing stuff.

The legs got 10mm chopped out of the lower portion this morning and this afternoon bomb casings got glued to the sides.

So now they're shorter and chunkier and look better proportioned. So thanks to @rockpopandchips

 

The arms got mentioned as well. I wasn't too happy with them myself. So I had a ponder (as usual) and came up with this idea.

I added cut down bombs to the upper arm piece. Two other bombs got the ends cut off and were glued to 1mm card shims.

I added the ball joint holders and these will in effect be shoulders which makes the arms more useful.

 

Speaking of arms, The Jockey got his altered (so they'll fit in the cockpit) and fitted. I used superglue and sprinkled plastic dust from filing over the excess.

An old woodworking trick, the dust adds to the glue and helps to fill gaps when sanding down.

He and the seat are now sprayed in primer. So the build is into paint already!

I've also done some work on the transmission (leg axle location) in the lower body.

And that's it for another day. Thanks for looking in. Pete

 

 

[rockpopandchips]

Those legs look great, mods to the arms are looking good as well. 

[Pete in Lincs]

Another day, yet another update. Anyone would think I had nothing better to do than enjoy myself.

Yon Jockey got painted and his head attached. Not much will be seen of him but his head when he's installed, but I know I've done it.

Figure painting isn't my best skill (Not sure what is actually) but I had a go.

 

The axle transmission set up got detailed and painted. A couple of Sherman suspension bits, a radiator, wiring and the dome shaped bit is an ancient Sunderland turret.

 

Jockey temporarily in position. It's cramped in there. And the colour scheme is awful.

 

Even more cramped with the other side on. Good view of the 'shoulder' swivel set up though.

 

The open bit will be covered up by a couple of 1/32nd Me262 engine cowlings.

 

New (bigger) feet. Only a few mm but it makes a difference. These are ex Trumpeter mine roller T-55 tank.

The chunkier lower legs are visible here too.

 

And all standing up with Helmut. The longer arms make a difference too. Are they too long? I'll leave them like this I think.

I've started sorting out the canopy. Decades old Humbrol blue gloss gave in to fine micromesh and toothpaste and the clarity isn't bad.

Once I've got the canopy fitting nicely I can think about buttoning this up and getting some paint on it. Probably just a drab green or grey.

Thanks as always, Pete

[Buff Manila]

Definitely looks better now with the shorter legs, though I'm getting an industrial vibe from it, rather than military.

[Pete in Lincs]

22 hours ago, Buff Manila said:

Definitely looks better now with the shorter legs, though I'm getting an industrial vibe from it, rather than military.

Thanks for looking in and for the comments. The plan is to make it a simple 'mule' or test bed for a manned machine so that it preempts the Ma.k type armoured suits.

A concept vehicle, if you like. I had a busy day today doing other things so didn't get a lot of time at the bench.

I did get to fit the Jockey in and try to fit the canopy. Guess what. No. With his head at that angle it didn't fit. So, 'Off with his head!' came the cry.

Some filing and jiggling and the canopy does now fit, and TBH, I like his head at this angle better. The main problem was that his hat was in the way!

The arms got elbow shields fettled and fitted. I used bits from the cheapo robots. And the bombs & filler on the back of the legs got rubbed down.

Next up, Matey should get installed and the bodywork buttoned up. Then it'll be more filler to smooth all that out.

Thanks as always, Pete

[Pete in Lincs]

Time for another update. Stuff has been going on and inquiring minds (no, not you) need to know what happened.

Jockey installed and bodywork halves glued up. Yesterday I added Me262 engine cowlings and a nose cowling to the front and fared them in with filler.

This morning the filler got rubbed down and I've been fettling the grey panel at the top. You can also see a sporan in desert tan has been added to protect the transmission.

 

And a reclining view showing that it seems to have put on weight, and will need bigger trousers.

 

At the back, a change of engine. B-24 instead of P-47 which I thought was a bit bulky. I'll use the same exhaust though. That fan was the Gazelle tail rotor.

 

The black thing is an oil filter cartridge which is connected to the clear(ish) bit which is a cooler/filter with a yellow return pipe at the bottom here.

 

This might make it a bit clearer. All this stuff is fitted to the base of the body to keep the centre of gravity low.

 

The grey panel fared in with filler and this is what's happening to the canopy. It will probably be hinged at the rear top.

I think that front bit was off a Marauder? Whatever, it's decades old. It will probably be fixed there rather than be part of the main canopy.

 

Last picture for today. I need to rub down all that filler and sort the canopy. I might pose it open. Not sure there.

Thanks as always for caring, and have a good one, while still taking care. Pete

 

 

 

[Pete in Lincs]

All the filler got rubbed down, and I'm nearly at the paint stage. I've spent most of the day faffing around trying to sort hinges for the canopy.

In the end I gave up. I've painted part of the rear canopy black on the inside and that will hide a ram to lift the canopy open. Ah well.

This is yesterdays work. The fan got a safety cage fitted. Two chrome wheel rings and a section of net between them.

The sponsond got some smoke generators? fitted and other stuff got glued on above the engine.

 

Well I know one of them is a rocker cover from an Escort, but the other stuff just sort of made it there because it looked right.

I cut and filed a part to make a support ring for the cartridge filter. I've found (and modified a little) a projectile weapon to be carried.

A sort of updated Panzerfaust. The paint in the canopy will dry overnight and tomorrow after some masking I'll spray primer.

Thanks for looking, Pete

[Pete in Lincs]

The Ritter is finished!It wasn't supposed to be a blitz build, but it just happened that way.

So, please feel free to pop over to the RFI, courtesy of this link. Thanks, Pete