I'm really liking the work here.

I like removing the center big gun. I'd just "patch" the opening with a section of plating so it looks like a modification. A Coelian turret would have looked good on top of the main turret. It would have worked well with ladder access.

Wasn`t the turret supposed to have only two 28 cm guns?

Alex, the position of the center gun will be covered by "plate steel." Oh, there will be all kinds of ladders on this thing.

Hermann, the turret originally had three barrels (the one in Norway still does). The Ratte removed the center one.

Mike

Great work, Mike. This thing is absolutely awesome!

I would put the range finder of the turret, but add some AAA on top. That happened to a lot of the old battlships when the danger of air attack was realised.

Back to the subject of mounting a fire control director/rangefinder on the vehicle: Here is a photo of the armored rangefinder salvaged from the Graf Spee.



Just a thought for the top rear of that big turret. The unit could rotate independently to allow it to "range" a second target while the main guns fire on the first mark.

(That rangefinder has about a 10 meter base line - 28' to 30' wide.)

Thank you Michael! Nice picture!

Mike

Edit: Found some larger pictures of the range finder and some drawings of a radar I can use. I'm pretty sure I can scratch the range finder and a simple coast watcher's radar. Hmmmmm.

Yes, lots of photos online of the salvaged Graf Spee armored rangefinder.

I wish I could suggest using the beautiful Telemeter kit from Bronco. However exposing such a delicate piece of equipment and its' 6-8 man crew to open strafing fire would be unthinkable. Besides for your purposes you don't need the boxy mechanical Predictor Computer. All you need is the rangefinding tube.

(p.s. The Predictor is only applicable against medium to high altitude targets moving on a set course in a Flak gun situation. The Predictor is of no help against low level swarming fighter aircraft - then firing is all line of sight.

And lastly the Bronco Telemeter Predictor requires to be on a stationary base. There are however navel applications on large battleships where that Predictor also accepts the ship's course, speed, wind direction, wind speed AND the roll of the ship inputs into its' computations but that is a different, much larger unit altogether.)

Please excuse this late intrusion as this has probably been discussed somewhere already. I did first scan the entire thread looking for the answer.

Is this puppy a mechanical drive or electrical?

Since this presumes the war went on post 1945, F. Porsche would have by now perfected his electric drive. If it is not too late for this comment; an electrical drive set up would have at the very least, drive sprockets and electric motors at both ends of the tracks as on the Porsche Tiger/Elephant.

Also given that mechanical friction would be a huge obstacle to this vehicle there might have been additional powered and sprung sprockets along the run of these massive tracks or at the very least some intermediate powered return rollers above/between the road wheels.

The powered return rollers would be unseen on this model but the drive sprockets at each end might be something still semi-easily added at this point.

Would the side skirts be removable for maintenance access to the tracks and road wheels?

Agreed Michael. The tube alone with a "mount" I can scratch I think. And the radar.



Mechanical. Based on what I had or could get, the set up you see early on in the post is what I'll be going with. Would it work in reality? Maybe not, but it's what I can do.



or


This is a possibility as I have some extra sprockets (I think).



As it stands now, I think there will be room for the grunts to work on them. Also, at the back side (under the hull) there will be access panels to the gearing.

Mike

Mike,

I have been a on and off watcher of this site for a fair while, looking for tips and seeing how other modellers go about certain techniques etc. When i first saw you starting this, as a scratch build, I thought you must be slightly unhinged to even contemplate it, but after seeing how it is turning out, tonight, while on duty here in the UK, I felt it was only fair to join the site and just say you are doing a truely amazing job, the detail is breath taking....

i wish i had a small amount of yr skill..... I cant wait wait to see this finished

Jon

Jon,

Thanks for the encouraging comments. Though I may be the one putting glue to plastic and resin, this has been a bit of a community-build considering all the input. Feel free to offer advice or opinions. It's fun to build but the thoughts and information posted here make the build better.

Mike

Did some more work on the turret, specifically the plates that cover the center gun opening. 1/16th sheet stock and Tichy Train .070 rivets:


I'm going to play heck with the items on the back of the turret because of their shape. Be nice to have a vacform but alas I don't have one. The square ones shouldn't be too difficult with some thin brass sheet. The rounded ones? Main form out of wood with styrene edges and rivets...then cast them? Hmmmm...


More to follow.

Mike

Having a difficult time figuring the measurements for the "covers" on the sides of the turret. So, here's my interpretation without the rivets installed:




Part of me thinks it's too "tall," but looking at the pictures I have, it's about right...

If the size is okay, I have two options: place it on top of the turret side (bolted on after the "wings" were removed) or...like a lot of pictures seem to show - flush. I have one poor picture that seems like it sits on top but that could be just a covering until it got sealed up?

If I go flush, which I really should do, I'll scribe around this pretty deep and use it as a template for the scribing and rivets.

Thoughts?

Mike

If you need some serious AAA for the back of the Ratte Takom has just released this for preorder.

Twin FLAK

That twin flak is the cat's meow. I do want to get one, but not for the Ratte.

I don't have pictures yet to post, but the barrels for the main turret are being printed. I hope. The company is local and didn't save much if anything by going through them...but...they are locals. Anyhow, they had an "unexpected problem" printing them and hopefully I'll be able to pick them up Monday. Fingers crossed.

If these work out, I'll probably turn to the turret for a while. I've already planned out the mounts and it'd be nice to finally add the front to the turret. Ran across a picture of a Ratte model (can't recall where or what scale) that had the range finder mounted. Pretty much a circular base with the "arms" sticking out and a hatch on top (off centered) with a rail around the front. That is pretty much what I've been wanting to do.

And as my previous post mentioned, I've been contemplating the rear ventilators; I think I've come to the conclusion of how I'll do those.

More to follow with pics on Monday (??).

Mike

I would like to thank Mr. P. Betts for this picture. Excellent!! Beautiful view of the side with the plate covering the "wing," the ladder, and ventilator.


I've cut two new covers for the sides out of thicker stock (1.5mm - 3/32"). All I need to do now is mark the locations of all the rivets on the sides and slope and place the covers. Then to work on the ventilator and/or barrel mounts assuming I get them tomorrow.

Mike

p.s. Appears to be camo on the turret.

Rivets!! Lots of rivets. I have only just begun....

I may have gotten carried away with the "wing" cover rivets, but I'm not redoing them. No.

Mike

Truly "riveting" progress report!

This is looking excellent, Mike.

Good job Mike!
I wonder why people have been posting less in this thread lately (me included, but I know my reasons ). However, it's nice you keep us posted anyhow.
This last original photograph truly is amazing!

I had a company in town try to print the barrels. LOL! Did that not go good! $6000.00 machine that works with ABS reels can't do it.

I'll have a meeting with a machinist on Monday to see about having them turned. Don't know his cost yet, but it'd be about $200.00 to have this other company in town (that makes aircraft parts) make them. They referred me to this machinist (small company they farm some work to). We'll see.

If too much $$ for what I'd get, the off to Shapeways.

Mike

Have you considered taking your barrel drawings over to the local high school to see if any of the industrial arts students are looking for a graded project?

No I haven't! However...there are several school districts here in town.

Mike

How about trying the company in Poland(?) that is turning out all the barrels. I bought some from "gregusek1904" over on ebay. Might be able to put you on the trail of the barrel manufacture.

http://www.ebay.com/usr/gregusek1904

Mike,
Mark is right about checking the local trade schools. They'd probably do it for little or nothing. You could probably ask around here and find someone on these boards that might be able to do those for you.