I would like one just for the historical significance of what was developed by German scientists during the war, something that had a place in peacetime, too. By the way, did you know that when the Americans took some of the V2s home and test fired them, one landed in Mexico? The US was the second nation to fire a V2 into another nation. Nobody was killed.

I did not know about the Mexico accident. I'm fairly familiar with the uses of the rocket in allied hands-- what intrigues me is development and transport of the V2- it was a remarkable feat. In the book "Hitler's Rocket Soldiers" there is a quotation from two technicians who were working on the rocket--while looking at a rocket motor sitting on a "prufstand", one of them comments to the other: "...with five more of these motors we could reach the moon...". Thankfully the technology was wrested from the hands of a despot and used for better purposes. That's why I'd like to build one to add to my collection of models of history's significant technological advances.
VR,, Russ

Russ,

On whitch page did you find that I can't remember it.

For those who want to now more on the V-2 go to the V2rocket.com and you find the hole story.
And the best book on the subject is V-missiles of the third reich by Holsken if you can find it. ( there was a digital version on the web)

Greetings Bert

Bert,
Page 76 has the exact quote, as reported by Leutnant Helmut Frenk who was standing with Dr. Eherike at Prufstand VII at Peenemunde looking at an A4, when Ehericke said to him "...with four or five motors, this could make it all the way to the moon!"
Frenk has another comment in the book which is interesting, on page 56-- where he is describing the test take off of an A4 at Peenemunde "...feeling the hot air storm in one's face and the vibrating earth under one's feet -- the multiple thunder striking the ears; to be in the crew who 'tamed the dragon' in a world of technical peak performance...to have entered space." I find the book fascinating as it puts together the thoughts and feelings of ordinary technicians and soldiers as they work around the A4/V2, wether they are on the launch crew or in the security detachment. By the way, I consider your site to be the best source of V2 information available on the internet, and direct fellow modelers and historians to go there in seeking information. Yours is a source I have been using for several years now. The V2 is certainly the "granddaddy" behind mans quest for space travel. It's a shame it took a war and weaponization to get us there. Many thanks for doing the detailed research and putting up a great site for the rest of us to use.
VR Russ

Thanks Russ.

HI

Sorry always to fast with the enter button. For thos intrested you can see the sprue pictures of the kit at Lucky model as from today. Bert

For anyone interested, I received my V2, Miellerwagen and SS100 kit yesterday. First look at the kit shows it to be excellent. The SS100 has drawn some criticism for being a little oversimplified, but I think it looks pretty good, certainly better than the comparable resin or vac ones. The only major fault that can't be corrected easily are the the tires which appear to be post-war French tires, as some have mentioned. The Miellerwagen is exceptionally detailed, with very fine details and handgrabs (the erector had a bunch on one side) which look to be scale thickness (and may prove to be a little challenging to remove from the sprue-- I suggest a Xuron or like tool, or a Dremel cutting blade. I have a modelling friend who has built several commission builds for the Paul Allen owned aviation/military vehicle museum here locally, and is a bit of a V2 aficionado. He's started building the first of 8 kits he's getting together, and he said the kit goes together very well, he's almost finished with the Miellerwagen. He did point out a couple of inaccuracies in the kit, at least for operational V2's. The real thing was spot welded in several areas after 1943, and there was a long strip of sheet metal the length of the body of the rocket on both sides where the two halves of the rocket were put together. The kit only has one long strip of metal represented on one side. The rocket is also covered with a fine rivet pattern, which would not be present in the area of the spot welds. However both of us are exceptionally pleased with the kit, and it hands down beats the dragon kit for shape and detail.
VR, Russ

I hope so.The refuel vehicles leaving the scene the launch vehicle getting ready.A nice big dio.

You say that box arts of planes that depict them dropping bombs is not as tasteless as this box art because "you don't actually SEE where the bombs are going in those types of illustrations or their after effects."

First of all, it isn't a true statement. Carlos posted a number of boxarts invalidating the statement. For example, the Airfix Beaufighter depicts it destroying a ship, and it doesn't even appear to be a warship. It looks to be like some sort of merchant ship. There are also numerous boxarts that depict destroyed tanks.

Second, the Takom boxart doesn't show where the missile is going or its aftereffects. All it depicts is a missile in the background, a few moments after launch. So this boxart actually should qualify as "not offensive" using your own requirements. You seem to be fine with boxarts that show a weapon being used, as long as it doesn't show where the bomb is going or the aftereffects.

By the way, the civilian casualties that were inflicted by bombers during the war greatly outnumber the deaths caused by the V2 rocket. About 5000 were killed by the V2 rocket, whereas allied bombers killed anywhere from 300000 to 500000 German civilians.

If you think that a boxart of a V2 rocket in flight is tasteless, then you should feel the same about many other boxarts. Which would mean that Takom, instead of going too far, was actually just following in the footsteps of almost every other manufacturer.

I thought we were beyond the "box art" question, and more into what would help modelers build an accurate depiction of the kit. Let's face it, war is offensive- period, and as someone else has said, it's the ultimate form of anarchy. That said, the technical development and engineering of something is not necessarily offensive in itself, and we cannot argue about historical depictions-- V2s landed on civilians and military alike during WWII-- that is a fact. I personally have no problems with the box art, it shows a missile in flight about to strike the target (not the box art of the kit we are discussing by the way, just the box art of the missile kit which is offered separately). There are no bodies, no blood, not even any destroyed buildings. I suppose if you were a relative of one of the victims you might take exception, but the facts are facts and we must face them, it was a development that was designed to kill people, just like any other weapon of war. That being said, it was also a great technological leap forward in man's scientific achievement. That's one reason I build models, to investigate the history of engineering achievement, and I'm equally at home building a race car or a rocket, a tank or a three masted schooner, an aircraft (armed and civilian) or a 4-4-0 locomotive. I try not to "celebrate" the effects of military subjects while I'm building, as much as I try to remember those effects can be terrible, as I think most of us do. I think I can speak from a perspective of one who has endured some of those effects firsthand. Can we now get back to modeling this unique kit?
VR, Russ

Bert Koopman-- I've noticed some inconsistencies in the linked Wiki-page description of the Meillerwagen use above, specifically in regards to the towing of the Meillerwagen (being towed from the rear) by the SS-100. There are a couple of others regarding transfer of the rocket too. I don't think the Meillerwagen was towed from the rear anywhere except at the pufstand during testing, also the transfer from the Vidalwagen to the Meillerwagen seems a little off-- as the rocket camouflage covers would have been removed before transfer to the Vidalwagen or Meillerwagen, not after. Could you take a look and see what you think? Specifically this is contained in the "transport" and "set up" areas of the wiki description of the Meillerwagen. This is a little off topic, but might be of interest to other modelers. I have not looked at the kit yet to see if towing from the rear of the Meillerwagen can be accomplished in model form, but I will.
VR, Russ

V2 launch period footages :

The German way :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouGyODyY2Gk

The American way :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6aI4fh69rQ

H.P.

Thanks Frenchy-- that does clarify it a lot. The kit does not specify, and the box top certainly gives the opposite impression for towing, so the box-top is all wrong for how the rocket is towed and maneuvered into position. It's hard to beleive those six wheels in back could be turned that easily, but the film is very explanatory.
VR, Russ

Ok, I took a quick look at the rear of the kit Meillerwagen and it's rear bogies, and there doesn't appear to be a tow point attachment in the kit. Yet the films Frenchy posted above clearly shows the Meillerwagen being towed from the rear (also from the front for positioning before the rocket is loaded). The film also shows the Meillerwagen being winched from the rear by the SS100 for final positioning, not "towed" or "maneuvered" (of course I've already said the SS100 would have been disconnected before the rocket was emplaced in a previous post) as the kit box art would have one believe. This makes sense from an operational perspective, since the launch stand would need to be positioned first. But these films also look like they are test or training films (the German one anyway) either done at the "Prufstand" or at the training grounds in East Prussia (Poland). In any event, the lack of a towing point at the rear is another area to be addressed. I have not started my kit yet, and it will be a long while before I do, so when I get the chance, I'll speak to my freind who is building eight of them-- maybe he sees something I don't, unless Bert Koopman can weigh in here.
VR, Russ

Here's a nice picture showing the Meillerwagen in Australia from the "rear"



www.v2rocket.com


Michael

Thanks Michael for that photo, that explains a lot. the kit instructions don't give the rear towing option, but I suppose the tow bar can be moved to the rear fairly easily. The kit is really nice-- I'm really impressed with the quality of the molding and design.
VR, Russ

Well, I've taken a second look at the instructions and the kit, and I've discovered another issue that would have to be addressed. If the tow bar is to be used at the front of the Meillerwagen, as depicted on the box top, it looks like it would be too short to allow the Meillerwagen to be towed by the SS100 with the missile loaded as the warhead would project to far over the rear of the SS100. I'll need to do some research on the towbar, which might have been extendable. This is certainly another argument for towing the Meillerwagen from the rear. Obviously the Box art is not a correct depiction. Also, the instructions are not all that clear about depicting the Meillerwagen in the travel or service modes. It appears there are two sets of lifting pistons, one for an extended service tower/platform mode (TAKOM calls it "launch position" which is not an accurate description of Meillerwagen capability), the other is for transport mode. the modeler is given a choice, but not both, but that's not really clear in the instructions. This is a shame, as it would have been nice to be able to elevate the service platform. I suppose if one was inventive, appropriately scaled metal tubing could be used to represent the pistons, but that would also require work on the stabilizing outriggers and the fold-able work platforms and chain railings to make them moveable. On the other hand, if one wants to just build one or the other of the two modes, it will be still be an excellent model. I suspect TAKOM has derived it's box top art from the old Revell box scale kit art, which also showed the missile partially elevated for dramatic effect. I've also noted there may be some inaccuracies in the camouflage patterns for the missiles at the back of the instructions, as they depict the later operational "splinter" scheme as being from 1942, when it would have been used in late 1944-early 45. I'd go with V2Rocket.com for more accurate data. The serial numbers for the rocket (11/18059) and accompanying data serials seem familiar, but they don't show which of the five schemes they should be used on. The Meillerwagen is also depicted in a late-war tactical camouflage scheme of Dunkelgelb, Red-Brown and Green, as is the launch stand. I don't know if the Meillerwagen was ever painted like that, but I'm fairly certain the launch stand was not camouflaged in anything other than gray-green or Dunkelgelb, at least I've never seen one in those colors, and any camouflage would likely be burned off at launch. The Meillerwagen at the Imperial War Museum has been repainted (Operation Backfire??), I'm not sure about the one at the Australian War Museum, and the one at Wright Patterson has been completely restored/repainted, none are in camouflage colors.
VR, Russ

Just got mine today. Looks like a great kit.

Can anyone recommend a set of replacement wheels for the vinyl tires included in the kit?

Today I got my kit. And it's no problem to bring the towbar (part F10) to the right end of the Meillerwagen. Part G68 with ends cut off will fit between the ends of the towbar F10 I think.


Michael

Michael, yes, thanks for pointing that out-- I realized this too when looking at the parts, and the photos at the Australian War Museum. It's too bad TAKOM doesn't point this out in the instructions. The interesting part is if you tried to maneuver the real Meillerwagen from the front, you'd need a huge turning area. And backing the Meillerwagen with a V2 on it would be very difficult. That's why it was towed from the rear for transport. I guess it just looks a little funny being towed from the rear, that's why model manufacturers have depicted it being towed from the front for so long. And I also agree it's a very nice kit.
VR, Russ

Just received, and added, this little jewel to the stash (remember the stash that is 150 + kits I'll never get to build).

Judging by the box art, maybe aftermarket Mercedes 4500 or Bussing-Nag 4500 wheels (E.T. Models, Hussar, PanzerArt...) for the trailer, not sure about the tractor wheels though

H.P.

DEF is going to release tires for the SS100 soon! DW30041 / 24$


Michael