One of my new year resolutions was to build the new Riich Radshlepper Ost so as there’s a Normandy campaign build going on over on the Irish IPMS site and there are photos of the Skoda RSO in service in Normandy I decided there was no time like the present to start.


Okay I opened the box and got started by building the engine. Normally if I can't see it in the finished model I don't bother but I'm giving myself the option here.
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Chassis with winch and engine in place



Wheels assembled and fitted to axles but not cemented in place

I haven’t added many assembly notes here because the instructions are crystal clear and the parts fit is excellent so there’s not really much to say.




Figure added to give an idea of the scale of this vehicle

Pat, following along as it's such an unusual looking truck, your build just grabbed my interest.
Joel

Same here.

So when I went to fit the fuel tank it wouldn't sit flat as it is supposed to on the two boxes because for some reason the muffler was too high- you can see it in this photo and in the photo with the figure in the previous post.





so I had to cut the muffler free and lower it slightly. I went back over the instructions to see where I went wrong but I couldn't see anyway I could have fit it differently.









Cab floor and seat fitted but cemented in place
Not sure how much further I can go before I start painting sub assemblies.

Excellent work so far Pat. I have one of these on my wishlist.

Sub assemblies so far



Starting to look like a truck







I spent a lot of time looking for one of two very small struts on the kitchen floor and eventually gave up. I measured from the other one and made a copy from stretched sprue then I managed to drop and lose the second one :'( this time when looking I managed to find both struts :ermm:


I also picked up this from Capricorn publications




Not having built a truck before I'm unsure when to glaze this- after the subassemblies are all made? Or mask off and fit now?

Any thoughts?

Ola Pat

That is starting to look really nice. It is an odd vehicle that is for sure. And looking at the size of those wheels. You need arms like the incredible hulk to steer that through the Russian mud.

As for the windows. If you have finished the interior you can add the window panes and mask them off. Are you planning to have the doors open? In that case I would suggest masking of the complete dooropenings from the inside. continue assembly. Then spray the outside and carefully remove the masking tape.

I have another question. Is Riich a sub-division of Dragon? The style of the instruction sheet really looks the same.

And again great job all round. What color are you going to give it?

Thanks Robert.
The windows come with part of the frames moulded on so I have to mask them I think-my painting hand is not that steady

I'll be going with this tyhree colour scheme for Normandy



I think Riich are related not to Dragon but to Bronco in some way but I'm open to correction on that

I didn't see this before Pat, this is a kit I'm interested in myself, mainly due to the weird look the steel wheels give it. Really excellent build so far and I'm looking forward to seeing some paint on it!

Interesting build. I never had any real interest in this vehicle, until I see the in-progress images. Really nice engine details ... can the hoods be posed open? Nice on Pat!

Hey Pat, this is one cool lookin beast and it seems a great kit. Very nice.

Gary

Gary, Frank and Karl thanks very much. Yes Frank the hoods can be posed open which I think I have to do, having gone to the trouble of building the engine

Nice choice on the paint scheme Pat. Good luck with the window frames

Finally, get to see one of these built.


Thanks Pat.










~ Jeff

I've been quietly working away at this.

Some way through priming I thought I better take a photo of these tiny PE tie downs which almost drove me insane. No doubt there is a specialized tool to bend these perfectly but Angel Merkel has forbidden any hobby spending on my part so I bent them around a piece of wire using two blunt number 11 blades.




There are 14 of them I think. Three of them pinged off, I thought never to return but later they inexplicably showed up with the rest when I counted them. I'm sure at one stage I counted 15-at that stage I had to takew a little rest and watch some of the Big Bang theory to see if that would help with the physics of it. It didn't but I enjoyed looking at Kaley Cuoco :clap: .



I broke two of them and had to scratchbuild replacements from some PE fret which was easier than I thought






I eventually got them all in place so I have awarded myself a medal and Breakfast in Ikea

PLEASE... do get some loops or a set of Mag-Eyes next time. Trust me, your eyes will thank you.

Sweet work though.










~ Jeff

Thanks Jeff- I do actually have an optivisor but I was too lazy to go get it-not really used to it yet either-constantly switching lenses and taking my glasses off. I will persevere with it though.

This really looks like a very nicely done kit.. and you're doing a great job on it. I can feel your pain in those pics trying to bend those little PE pieces.. I don't know if I could handle that

Seeing how nice the kit is makes me very optimistic and excited to get their Maxx Pro.. if they ever get to actually releasing it.

Hisham

The results look worth the effort. Well done

Great work Pat. Not looking forward to doing those loops!

Mike the Chassis Man

Dang, that's a neat looking truck. I'd love to do one, but I'm afraid I'd have to pass on those iddy-biddy loops.

Okay some photos with the basecoat on. Photos are a bit bright but I'll take more. I just didn't want to leave the thread dormant too long.

Love what you are doing with this.

I don`t do WW2 German at all, but this is so unusual I could make an exception and do one of these.

Great work.

Malc

Love it Pat. Been loving it for sometime now.

Was this solely a recovery vehicle? I never noticed the winch capabilities on this as I thought it was a munitions transporter that was mine resistant.










~ Jeff