Thanks for the kind words, Eddy, doing my best! Maybe someone finds this build blog useful then mission accomplished!

@ Alex: The Maus did not have cooling problems. The first engine was gasoline powered, then they modified it to take Diesel. At this time the radiators were reduced by one third on the port side and an enlarged fuel tank took the freed up space. Then there was a reduction of cooling surface by one third on the starboard side in November 1944 when the V2 received its final Diesel engine, the MB 517 that supposedly was more efficient. And the loss of cooling surface was compensated for by increasing the revs on the fans.

I just took the time to read trough this blog. This is a magnificient build on a iconic piece of armor. The comments are precise and pertinent with great visual support.
I like it very much to put it simply

I am following with great interest.

Phil.

Thank you for the encouraging words, I try to make an entertaining and informative build blog out of this. Hope that you really enjoy it!

more magnificent work, this tempts me to give my T-28 Superheavy tank a interior but i have only been able to find 1 image a interior diagram on the internet.

(Sorry for the off-topic) The T28 is in my stash, waiting to be built, in spite of some claims that this DML kit is "fatally flawed". But more than that would really, really love a T29E3 in plastic kit form. Got the T32 covered, building it from two HobbyBoss Pershings and will post it in due time, here's a little spoiler for you, the hull tub with the extra torsion bars:

Tommy have you checked out the book Firepower by R.P. Hunnicutt? It has pictures of the interior of the T28 and a diagram that shows the thickness of the armor in cross-section.

Wow Florin that T32 looks awesome! Always liked that tank and its associated family.

Cheers Alex

Moving forward. The hull interior has finally received its coat of RAL 8012 primer. The hue is a little darker, but the summer sun makes it lighter than it actually is.

Keeps getting better and better Florin. Can't wait for the next update!

Cheers Alex

Setback (sort of)... Stupidly forgetting the foamy nature of the fuel tanks the author of this blog generously applied some Mr. Surfacer as primer on said fuel tanks. The solvent instantly made them look like two tiny blocks of pink Swiss-cheese, and now a new pair has to be carved.

It happens to the best (and not so best) of us all. What we do always has a learning curve

Oof that's unfortunate sorry to hear that. I did the same thing not to long ago where I made a base for a diorama out of foam and attached everything with model glue. It looked good for a few hours but when I came back to look at it new craters formed and one of my figures was pretty disfigured and melted. In the words of Bob Ross there's no such thing as a bad mistake just happy one's cause you can always learn from them.

Cheers Alex

You are so right! This mishap gave me an idea: to cover the foam fuel tanks in thick aluminum foil for added realism. If it works it will look great!

Very nice and interesting project.
Good luck and keep it up.

Yes, great project for sure.

But Florin, no any update from long time... How is going ?

Cheers

Giovanni

Have some bad news and some good news.
The bad news is that the project is currently on hold, together with a dozen or so other projects in various stages of completion.
Right now there is one project on the bench and until it is completed I won't touch any other, no matter the temptation. It is an aircraft, a P-51B in 1:32nd scale.
The good news is that as soon as the Mustang is done, the Maus is next and there will be updates at least once a week.

You have my solemn word, it will be completed! I have put too much soul in this to just abandon it.

I know how you feel, a long build can be difficult to maintain

It's not that I've run out of steam, far from it, but a recognition of the fact that I have a problem, too many kits started and next to none completed. Other than commissioned work last year I've managed to complete only one kit. So I decided that I need some discipline and actually deal with my projects from start to finish, only one at a time.

Hi Florin,

Maus is a big project: take your time, but not surrender !

I'm looking forward to see the beast completed !

Cheers

Giovanni

A DB605 taken from a Trumpeter Bf 109G 1:24th scale kit, it is horribly, horribly under-scale, being 2 CENTIMETERS too short, but is acceptable for 1:35 and provides a skeleton for what will eventually become a MB715, the final engine that powered the Maus V2.
Little is known of this engine, other than the fact that is an up-rated version of the MB705 Schnellboot engine. Only two MB517 were ever manufactured and sent to Porsche. One of those was defective from the very beginning. Professor Porsche was absolutely outraged by this, writing a scathing complaint letter to Daimler-Benz.

You are back on track! That is great news.
I do have to admit, I am admiring your skills. You are on the way of building interior of tank from few photos and I am here, rejoycing that i built 1/35 bucket out of copper wire and yogurt cap... I am looking forward for next updates. Keep up the great work.

I consider myself a modeller of average skills, it's just the subject of this build blog has not received the attention it really deserves, either by modellers, who (miss)treat it as a "paper panzer" or by historians who consider it a monument to Hitler's megalomania - and it was not.
Great things can come out of copper wire and yogurt cap, so hats off to you for having the skills do work with those!
The Maus will be completed (sooner or later), you have my word on it!

I can't wait to see more on this project! And good idea in the engine. I have a picture of it on my computer if you need it.

This is taking waay too long as it is, and building an engine from scratch would add even more time. The 1:24th Trumpeter DB 605 engine was useless as it was, so why do more work and make a new engine when this was available? So, it was cut a couple of millimeters to bring it to its scale dimensions, the distance between the cylinder banks was reduced, while the angle between them has been corrected. All that remains now is to further detail it!

@FlorinM - florin,




Well that engine in your hands ain't useless anymore, I'm looking forward to seeing more of your magic and of course progress as you go along. No rush it's worth the wait!!!

~ Eddy

Florin go go go!!!