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Sd.Kfz.9 & Sd.Ah.115


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Hi all! Here is a little taster of my next project. This won't include any modelling as I haven't started building yet but will include what I've bought to date and some ideas as to what the finished build may look like. I was bought Tamiya's 18t Sd.Kfz.9 for my birthday back in April and since then I've been researching the vehicle in order to come up with an idea for modelling it. I've come up with a couple of options and the possibility of making another Sd.kFz.9 if it ends up looking like too much for one project. 

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The first is to build the above models and maybe add a Panzer 1 or a Sturmpanzer 1 Bison to the trailer. I've been able to find plenty of images of various loads on the Sd. Ah.115  but very few of the Sd.Kfz.9 towing the trailer. The only images I've found are these below.

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Both of these images show an early F3 tractor, which is what's on offer with the Tamiya kit, ie the Maybach HL 108 engine and mid production running gear. I guess with a little artistic license the possibilities for this combination are great.

Whilst mulling over different ideas I also managed to get my hands on the 'earth spade' accessory kit from Tamiya.

spacer.png This has thrown up some different challenges as depending on how you rig the cable to the frame of the spade some scratch building maybe required. The kit shows the frame is lifted one way which to me doesn't look right? The reference pictures I have show an additional frame and pulley at the very back of the flatbed that the towing cable is threaded through.

The example on the left clearly shows the frame and pulley centered on the tailgate and the example on the right the frame is absent. Food for thought. 

This gives me the option to model the Sd.Kfz.9 with the earth spade deployed and the Sd.Ah.115 trailer, rear axel removed, ready to receive its load. Decisions, decisions. What do you guys think?

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I came across this useful rigging illustration whilst on the interweb. 

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The last purchase is the excellent Royal Models detail set. This isn't as comprehensive as the Aber, or Voyager sets in so far as photo etch but includes all of the obvious missing details. I particularly like the folded tarp and the inclusion of a road wheel masking tool. A nice touch.

spacer.png Here is another image of the trailer being towed but I don't think its the 18t tractor? Maybe. 

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So that is it for now. Next time I will post some progress. Any input on this topic would be appreciated and as always thanks for looking 

Edited by NIK122
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On 6/30/2021 at 11:52 PM, NIK122 said:

Hi all! Here is a little taster of my next project. This won't include any modelling as I haven't started building yet but will include what I've bought to date and some ideas as to what the finished build may look like. I was bought Tamiya's 18t Sd.Kfz.9 for my birthday back in April and since then I've been researching the vehicle in order to come up with an idea for modelling it. I've come up with a couple of options and the possibility of making another Sd.kFz.9 if it ends up looking like too much for one project. 

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So that is it for now. Next time I will post some progress. Any input on this topic would be appreciated and as always thanks for looking 

Is that a Sd. Kfz. 253 in the photo ?

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I like the idea of a PzKpfw I Bison on the trailer. An infantry gun mounted on a tank chassis being transported on a trailer. It would also be depicting a Bison in it's natural state as they seem to have been trailered everywhere.

There's a few pictures in the Nuts & Bolts Bison book, mostly with a 8 ton tractor but there's a couple showing a FAMO being used in France.

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I cannot recall ever seen a pic of an spade equipped FAMO with the Sd.Ah.115. I guess that with the few pictures available of the spade version it must have been rare and needed in the recovery roll, not towing trailers. 

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I once watched a wrecker pulling a truck from a ditch. The high purchase position was used to 'lift' the truck's front and help the traction of the wrecker by adding some of the truck's weight to the rear.

If your going down the recovery route I'd suggest trying to find some heavy recovery progs on Discovery Channel (Highway Through Hell, is one I remember) for some ideas. What those boys can do with a cable is amazing!

Tom

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6 hours ago, Orso said:

I cannot recall ever seen a pic of an spade equipped FAMO with the Sd.Ah.115. I guess that with the few pictures available of the spade version it must have been rare and needed in the recovery roll, not towing trailers. 

Yes I agree. After hours on the internet looking for historic photos I have been unable to find any pictures of the 18t tractor towing with the earth spade so I think an Sd.Kfz.9 with spade will be a future project. Thanks for your thoughts

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22 hours ago, Ned said:

I like the idea of a PzKpfw I Bison on the trailer. An infantry gun mounted on a tank chassis being transported on a trailer. It would also be depicting a Bison in it's natural state as they seem to have been trailered everywhere.

There's a few pictures in the Nuts & Bolts Bison book, mostly with a 8 ton tractor but there's a couple showing a FAMO being used in France.

Thanks for your thoughts Ned. I've wanted to build a Bison for years after seeing a scratch built example in an Osprey publication, modeled by Gary Edmundson. This is high on the list if I can get hold of the Dragon kit

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Edited by NIK122
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A couple more images I've found courtesy of the internet. The quality of the first image isn't great.

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The image below is a lot better and would make for a pretty awesome diorama. 

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Thanks for looking 

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I bought a cheap one back in May from a website that doesn't exist any more - www.fnajvafilm.com. Not much chance of that ever arriving.

Buyer beware!

 

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

Hi guys. I hope everyone is safe and well. I finally got started on this project so here are a couple of shots to date. There is not a lot to show but its something. I have used reference photos from the internet for positioning the plumbing on the engine to get it as close to the real thing as I could. Annoyingly despite there being surviving examples there really aren't comprehensive photos of the engine. I've used fuse wire, plastic rod and the Aber Famo Vol 1 basic(hahahaha) detailing set for the parts so far. Aside from Abers instructions leaving a little to be desired, care must also be taken with positioning, as some of the engine plumbing shown is in the incorrect position for anyone thinking about taking this kit on. 

Below is about two nights work. The fit of this kit is generally good but the bump stops and plates around the suspension arms are loose so a little time was needed to make sure they were all aligned. There is no flash but a lot of seam lines to clean up.

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I ended up making this piece of plumbing below twice as the instructions given for position were incorrect. Maybe next time if I look at photos first this would help.

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These parts were a little trickier. Its not the best picture to show the shapes but I will post more. The tube at the rear has mitered corners and the other has curved bends. The fixings are Aber and whilst extremely fiddly really set it off I think. Anyway that's it for now. More to follow shortly. 

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Thanks for looking

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi all. Plodding along with this at a painfully slow pace but really enjoying the build. This things a beast of proportions. I think ultimately the chassis will be broken down into four subassemblies for ease of painting. Engine, winch, steering and chassis. Since last posting I've assembled the rack and pinion steering with leaf spring suspension and added Aber photoetch. The suspension arms have been added and the tow cable guide.

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The steering works. A nice touch.

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Below is the guide for the tow cable. The photo etch brackets are from Aber with the spring made from fuse wire.

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All the suspension arms added and track tensioners.

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Thanks for looking

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Good evening. A little more progress to show from this week at the bench. There is a wealth of detail on this kit but there is always room for improvement. I try and put in a couple of hours a night when I can to keep momentum. This is shaping up to be quite a big build for me with a total of three kits to build. Anyway here is what I've been up to. The coupler at the rear of the vehicle is a work of art, as it is, straight from the box. There are some missing details though which I've added from Aber and sprue. Track adjuster safeguard clips etc shown here.

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There are still some delicate locking pins and handles to add, photo etch chains and the winch selector handle which will go on just before painting. Aber supplied a mounting bracket for the compressed air coupling but its out of scale. It took a couple of attempts to scratch the bracket from plastic card and a couple of choice words whilst trying to glue it together but its a visible addition that I felt was worth an attempt.

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Finally this little detail which was a faff to be honest and something that won't be seen but hey, it appears that I like torturing my eyes in my spare time.

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As always thanks for looking

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Great detail. I have a 1/72 version by Trumpeter with the Sd.kfz 116 that won't get anywhere near this detail. Never got the hang of modelling by microscope.....

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  • 4 weeks later...

Good evening. Not had a chance to do much for a while but here is what I did manage last time I got some bench time. I'm ready to start painting what I've built so far including a whole load of road wheels. My least favorite part of any build.

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Apologies for the pictures. I was in two minds as to whether to add the photo etch to the sprockets as alignment with super glue wasn't filling me with much confidence. In the end I set each part with a little plastic glue then added the super glue. This was one evenings work adding twenty four pieces in total to the inner rim of the two wheels.

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The manifolds with bolt detail are added and the blades of the fan have been thinned to scale. The ABER photo etch set has a multi bladed fan included but the only picture of this particular engine I can find shows a four bladed fan. I've temporarily added the fenders to align the photo etch fender brackets to the chassis.

spacer.png The steering linkage part on the kit is ordinarily attached at both ends to the chassis? I guess once the wheel goes on you won't see it but it didn't take much to connect the end of the arm to the rack and pinion.  

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Again this is unlikely to be seen when finished but its a straight forward bit of detail to add to the winch below. A combination of cut down board pins and rod were added.

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Hopefully in the next couple of weeks all of the above will be painted and road wheels and tracks added. Thank you for looking

Edited by NIK122
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Like your doing.

I am on a Sd.Kfz.6 now also in WIP. The 8 and 9 afterward. 

Do you have any idea, where to get a bigger trailer?

The trailer from Das Werk,  be careful, the instruction. See my trailer post! With a Faun.

Happy modelling 

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10 hours ago, dov said:

Like your doing.

I am on a Sd.Kfz.6 now also in WIP. The 8 and 9 afterward. 

Do you have any idea, where to get a bigger trailer?

The trailer from Das Werk,  be careful, the instruction. See my trailer post! With a Faun.

Happy modelling 

Thanks Dov. As far as I know you can only get the Sd Ah116 trailer with the Tamiya Sdkfz9 combination kit. I think there are some resin offerings of the trailer but where you could get one and what the quality is like I wouldn't know. Good luck

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