I've recently buyed the Heuschrecke IVb by Trumpeter. Of course one of the first things that I did after I opened the box was comparing the most important parts with the corresponding 1/35 Panzer Tracts No. 10 scale prints(or just THE scale print) and I realized that the Trumpeter hull was too short by 5-7 mm aprox., and of course, also were the turret and the superstructure. The rest was fine, and within the acceptable deviations. But after a quick search on the internet, i've found some pics (http://svsm.org/gallery/grasshoper) of the Aberdeen Heuschrecke that it's hull (superstructure and turret too) isn't as long as the Panzer Tracts plan and measures says. And by looking at the specific picture that i've posted below, it seems that Trumpeter got its SPG kinda right.
So, How could Jentz and Doyle have overlooked this? knowing the high quality of their publications. Maybe they took their measures from a different document than the one corresponding to the APG Heuschrecke. And, Is Trumpeter rendition of this SPG accurate? How does it compares to DML own ''grasshoper''?


Longer Hull in Pz. Tracts 10


Shorter hull IRL (Abeerden Proving Grounds)

Thanks in advance

RZ

The DML kit is a little longer, and you make an excellent point... but the question is how many PROTOTYPES were made?

This is not a production vehicle, they were manufactured virtually by hand (as defacto were most German AFVs). 6mm in scale is only 210mm in 1:1--- just over eight inches. It's enough to suggest that there might have been more than one prototype?

After consulting the ubiquitous Spielberger Panzer IV and its variants, one of the Krupp prototypes (Chassis Nr. 582503) was actually lenghtened and the number of track links arised to 107 per side, from the original 99 per side. Panzer Tracts 10 print have those 107 Links. Trumpeter instructions call for 119 links per side (probably artistic license to provide a nice track sag), yet the vinyl tracks have 106 links. comparing those vinyls to Panzer Tracts 4, the links match perfectly, discarding lenght inaccuracies. So, where are hiding those cms in difference between Trumpeter Heuschrecke and the Panzer Tracts plans?

*Trumpeter box info says that only three Krupp built prototypes existed, 582501-582503

RZ

The APG Heuschrecke example have 107 links per side, confirming my previous assumption that is the base for Trumpeter's own example. Their Heuschrecke looks pretty accurate, the gun looks a bit anemic, although this is a subjective apreciation that should not be of concern. I still don't know where Hilary Doyle got his measures, most probably from the final Krupp ones, but as for the only existing example, Trumpeter got it quite right.

RZ