Dan please read the above piece again. The way I originally wrote it you probably thought I was talking about a beer barrel trailer.

"I have also seen a Skoda pulling one half of a medium/large artillery piece - the barrel trailer."

Tonight's "current status" shots:

Fender mount air filter is in, as are the width markers. Gotta get started on that window glazing!


Skoda RSO Radschlepper Ost Prototype.




(I would have thought the width markers would have been either white or yellow but with my 40+ years as a photographer I looked at the B&W Skoda Company photos in the Capricorn book and came to the conclusion that at least the markers on the prototype vehicles were actually red. The color red usually has a distinctive look in a B&W photo. Then too, the width markers in the photos were nowhere near bright enough to have been either white or yellow.)

In case anybody might be interested:

Here is a properly sized art file of the license plates used on the Skoda prototype. The image is at 200 dpi which is a higher resolution than most home printers require. This should reproduce very sharply given the small size of the image. I painted the back side of the "license plate" white for extra opacity and the front side with gloss clear.



Link to file:

http://s1061.photobucket.com/user/165thspc/media/RSO%20Ost%20-%20Skoda/LicenseSized_zpsomflgv1w.jpg.html




Two black and white photos: Skoda Manufacturing & Capricorn Publishing - shown here for disscussion only.


Note: Driver's side windshield on prototype is hinged at the top but the windshield wiper is located at the bottom of the window.

Also: On the rear view, please note the different civilian style taillight on this prototype and that the standard license plate holder is installed but empty.

Dan, I do have one photo but I am hesitant to freely reproduce images printed in books that I might have in my possession.

I would suggest you go to the internet and search "Skoda RSO".

Mike

p.s. The Riich kit includes air scoops that cover over the louvers in the upper rear corner of the cab sides. These are correct for the production version of the RSO. However the scoops should be left off here as the prototype vehicles did not have them.



It is interesting that Riich had the presence of mind to give us this feature both ways. Could there be a prototype version of this model coming sometime in the future?

p.p.s. The two fender mounted cans/racks for carrying "Jerry Cans" were also not used on the prototype vehicle.

Hi Mike

Wow, you are doing an excellent job on your back date detailing of this RSO.

Cheers,

Ralph
http://s1301.photobucket.com/user/scratch-builder/library/?sort=2&page=1

For those of you who have not yet checked out Ralph's Scratch Built Album listed above, you really should. It is a treat for anyone interested in scratch building and/or conversions and an inspiration for anyone considering taking up the challenge.

NOW HEAR THIS . . . . NOW HEAR THIS!

Check out the amazing nearly all scratch built 1/16 scale Skoda RSO by Norman Uschkureit, over on the "Scratch Built" forum:

http://armorama.com/forums/223170&ord=&page=1

Slow day: but did manage to finish off the cab interior. I guess that is why they call it a hobby rather than a job!



Barely seen in this photograph; I added the fusebox panel just to the right of the instrument cluster.

Trying to improve the fit of the hood. Added a .010 shim to the front edge.





I think I still have more work to do on this one!

More on trailers . . .

Several have inquired as to available model trailers to compliment the RSO. Here is another photo of a real one (photo from the Bundesarchiv) and two scale models. Unfortunately I have no idea who makes these rather nice resin trailers.






I really like the tall trailer. It's height seems to compliment the stockiness of the RSO.

The prototype Skoda RSO also had two hand grabs on each side of the cab. (The production version had only one.) These will be my next conquest. Following that I can paint the cab one last time and then install the window glazing and be finished!


Photo credit: Skoda Manufacturing & Capricorn Publishing -
Used here for discussion purposes ONLY.

Just found a write up over at the "Military Modeling" site:

http://www.militarymodelling.com/forums/postings.asp?th=100279&p=2

It covers a resin conversion trailer from "Best Value Models" (a division of Azimut.) From what I can tell it starts with the loadbox from an Italeri Opel Blitz (actually a Maultier) and goes from there.

p.s. F.Y.I. - The Italeri Maultier has the most delicately molded and best detailed loadbox of all the Opel Blitz kits out there.




Both color model photos: Robert Buckland - Shown here for discussion purposes ONLY.

I took the same approach as Azimut; starting with an Opel Blitz truck but I scratch built my running gear!



Tell'n tales on myself:

I built this trailer without doing proper advance research. Since building this model I have seen German trailers with single tires all around and with dual tires all around but I have not seen any German trailers with single tires in the front and duals in the rear as I have here.

Likewise I have seen trailers without any fenders and I have seen them with fenders at all four corners but again not one have I seen that is set up as I show here with fenders only in the rear.

Finally the spare tire on German trailers seems to have always been stowed under the trailer just above the rear axle and never as I have it installed here. On the majority of European trailers of this style all four sides were hinged "drop-sides", so the tire would not have been mounted on the hinged, drop-side, front wall like I have it here.

Just did not want others following my lead and ending up making the same mistakes.

Wespe Models also makes a trailer to accompany the Skoda RSO however, it appears it is only available in conjunction with their offering of the Skoda RSO in resin.

One Ex-Opel Blitz truck equals one German trailer:
Long before Azimut started converting Blitz trucks to trailers I was doing the same thing.

Here I offer a much improved set of photos covering the conversion of a Opel Blitz truck to a trailer.







The main frame members started life as an Opel Blitz truck frame. The off-set vertical step-up in the center portion of the trailer frame was scratch built. The steering sub frame for the front axle is actually the forward engine mount portion of the Blitz frame. The towing fork is scratch built. And finally if you look closely you may notice that the fifth wheel (the turntable) under the trailer is actually a couple of Panther road wheels heavily reworked.

Some progress on that second grab handle needed for each side of the prototype Skoda RSO"

Of course I have heard this before but it is interesting that to the naked eye that second grab handle on the cab looked ok but take a close up photo of it and all the sudden you realize it is too big. I will be trying now to thin everything down a bit.

It definitely looks thicker than the longer one.

Although I won't be going to the trouble you're going to, this build has convinced me to at least get one of these for my collection of support vehicles.

Sorry for slacking off of late on this RSO build. I have just gotten so caught up in my latest build of the new LHS Italeri HEMTT it has not left time for much of anything else.

Mike

Just adding a little something here to let you know I have not given up on the Skoda!

OK, after way too many moons I am calling this one done. (Going to a show is the best way to get me to finish a model.)

This past weekend I took my Back-Dated Prototype Skoda RSO plus 2-axle trailer to the Columbus, Ohio IPMS show. It took a First Place in the Scratch Built & Conversions class and won a secondary award as well; "Best German Car"





As shown to the judges with trailer:

Some details:




Never cared for the moulded on chain that came with the otherwise beautiful canvas top.
I knew from the get-go the fake chain would have to go.


Additional detail added to the vehicle brakes and the underbody.

Finally, tonight I played around with a display base I had on hand. I call this one "CAPTURED".