Happy New Year

I wish you all a happy New Year!

and a good start into 2016!

Schwimmpanzer II Panzer II ready for Operation Seelöwe

Based on the Panzer II there were some trials for the Operation Seelöwe (sealion, the landing in GB during WW II) to bring tanks into water.
Besides the Panzer 38, the Germany made several tests with a Panzer II.
They added on the side flowing tanks which made the tank a duck. The tank could swim in calm waters.
For a landing on the British beaches the Germans would need very good weather conditions, no British fighters, no waves - or simply no enemy at all.
So here the first types the Germans tested:

Schwimmpanzer II

The side tanks were done in 3D printing and can easily addded to the gap between the tracks and the hull.

And here the final model with the additional box on the backside.

A second design was to fix the tank with a complete tank. That solution was a bit harder to handle as the tank had to drive below the tank and than it was lowered and fixed the the tanks hull.

Schwimmpanzer II

Schwimmpanzer II

And here the final design, I forgot to add the sidebars which were used to lift the tank.

Trailer for LWS Landwasserschlepper

The Landwasserschlepper is well known. Less known is the fact, that the Germans had a trailer for it.
Built by Kässbohrer it was big enough the take up a Famo.
The trailer was swim-able and could float behind the LWS.
As there was not that much information I had to start from a different side. I knew that it was big enough to take up a Famo. So with the dimensions from a Famo in 1/144 and the printing restrictions it took me two days and the trailer was done.
My model shows the bigger version, there were two versions of trailers for the LWS, but as my one could pick up a Famo I went with this design.
Honestly I have to paint some spots again, but the design works.
Here some pictures from the trailer and the LWS:

please note the inside design!

this trailer has a front cover

ready for the first loading

done, only to close the ramp and the journey could start

LWS and Famo together

winter white camo 

the trailer found his paint

German Field Bakery Deutsche Feldbäckerei auf Anhänger in 1/144

Even the Germans had to eat. In German there is a saying "Ohne Mapf kein Kampf" meaning, without enough food nobody will fight.
As PanzerDepot produces a nice German field kitchen, I thought a filed oven or a field bakkery would be a good fit.
With the technical data I found on some internet pages I was able to start.
So here is my German field bakery.
The trailer was taken over from the Reichswehr and came in two versions. One was for horse power and the second one to be behind a truck like the Opel Blitz.

German Field Bakery in 1/144

German Field Bakery in 1/144

Panzerfähre in 1/144

This is an old post, but with my cold I have, I deleted it today and found out that Blogger deletes everything at once there is no "restore it" or a way back.

Shit happens.....


Today I will show you the first prototype of my next big project.
It is nearly done, some corrections and the chains ans wheels have to be added, then it is done.
Here some pictures of the first print which I got back from Shapeways.
As I said, there are still some mistakes, but in general I was surprised that it got so good.
The pontoon between the two ferries has to get a bit smaller but after painting it looks not bad.
At the moment I printed it in white strong flexible, that`s why the surface looks not so smooth.
Once I have finished the design I will print it in frosted detail and it will look much better.
More soon.

Panzerfähre in 1/144 update II

Last weekend I got the print back from Shapeways. To be on the safer side, I had decided to let them print two models the complete Panzerfähre and a single tank without the pontoon.

The only open point is the painting. This will happen in the next days. But so far I am very happy that my first complete tank is printable.

Panzerfähre 1/144 single tank

Panzerfähre 1/144 single Tank

Panzerfähre in 1/144 and complete

Panzerfähre side view

Panzerfähre back side

Panzerfähre with Famo crane

Panzerfähre with Jagdpanzer IV

Rübezahl a German Traktor for the Luftwaffe

At the moment I design a lot of small items for my airplanes.
Besides all, I realized that there are not that much vehicles to move airplanes on the ground.
You could use the Kettenrad, you get one with every set of the Messerschmitt 262 you buy from Trumpeter.
Or, if you do not mind the small difference in scale, from the German company Wiking you could buy a Lanz Bulldog or Hanomag R 16 tractor. 
Or, what I did, you design soimething very special, what is not so well known.
The company Famo knows everybody, they built the strongest half chain mover, the SdKfrz 9.

Here some examples of the big Famo:

Famo with 5 ton Bilstein crane

Famo recovery unit, field modification

Famo with earth spade

Famo with 8.8 Flak for Bodenkampf

Not so known is, that Famo started building a small mover for the farmers.

This Traktor called Rübezahl, was a very strong one, in relation to his size. Even later in the DDR they built him some additional years after WWII.

Here the first pictures from my design:

In the next weeks I will get it printed in 3D, if anybody is interested in buying it, let me know and I will put it on sale at Shapeways.

And of course I thought about what the Rübezahl would do on a German Airfield: