Ok, here for your approval are some progress pics i took of a pet project of mine. This is basically 2 E-100 tanks and the Center section of the Leopold. All 3 kits are by DML. I must say this has been fun so far, and has saved my sons short life as had gotten into some nice laquer paint and dumped it on my railway trucks for the Leopold.

Why E-100's for the supporting Chassis? I felt that in the drawings that are posted at 1/35th.com, that the planned use of King Tigers would not have been able to properly suppport the K5 gun and the that suspension would not be able to take the recoil of the gun itself. The final reason I'm using E-100's is that I already 2 of them sitting on a shelf collecting dust. So why not!!!! Here are the pics.

The first hull.


The second hull.


Staged together for a progress shoot, and messureing for a base.
Transport!!!

Firing.



Comments are welcome, but please be gentle. I'll post more pics as I progress through the construction process. STUG

SteveStug,

Hey man, what an amazing project you are doing! Are the E100s that I have seen at your home? Please post more pics in progress, I really wnat to see more.
By the way, do you need to redo the E100 and I can see that you have done a lot scratch-built.

Sushi the only real modification is the cover for the turret ring other wise I just went ahaed added the mounts from the Leopold kit to hulls. I'm waint on an order of Grant line bolts to put around the plate I added That support the gun section. STUG

Hey Chris,
I am not sure of the feasibility of the concept but I must conceed that it is a creative idea.
Should look interesting when complete.
Keep us updated,

Andrew

Andrew, you're right already in test fitting the center to the two hull. there gets to be some instability of the center when it gets around 90 degrees to both hulls. Maybe there should have been some outriggers or extra support for the center sections. On one note this was only designed on paper and not a production gun. The only reasons I'm building it is I couldn't waste a $100 USD kit because of a minor disaster, and the design drawings are interesting. STUG

thats pretty good.
if the war went on i bet the germans would have tryed this.
keep us updated with pics

Why I have been requested to post on this I have no idea I live with this man and have to listen to his constant griping about the project day in and day out. I've already told him what I think and that it looks rather interesting, and that I don't know if or how this concept would have been utilized, but alas; here I am posting the same crud he hears from me at home. LOOKS GOOD HON KEEP WORKING.

All I can say is the minor disaster invloves a Child

Stug's Attemt to save the Leo...is looking great!!!!!!

Interesting. Keep us posted on it's progress

Interesting. Like a lot of the late war 'concepts' it would probably not have worked, in this case due to the huge weight and recoil forces involved, but man I wanna see that baby finished. It's going to be one huge model.

One problem is what modeling catagory will it be entered in? Self Propelled Artillery or Sci-Fi?

You are aware that 'if" the Germans really did this there would be 2 E-100 chassis on either end of the K5 with some sort of cradle/recoil structure between the E-100s.

Great concept - please post more photos as your progress.

Well, thanks for reviving this thread. The roadwheels are mounted on the second chassis and I'll be doing the tracks soon. Then it on to the Leopold itself. Now for GS, I'm using the drawing on 1/35th.com as a guide for this, and believe it or not, the drawing use just 2 King Tigers not 4 with a munitions carrier to handle the round instead of the Storage house on the tracted version. Also the uses the same matheod for articulation that the tracked version does. Also for me it doesn't realy matter if this would realy have worked. Its a way to save the Leopold kit and to have something interesting from the wermarcht drawing boards. on my shelf. BTW the the only Railgun that would have required more than one tank on either end was good old DORA who requireed 8 trucks on each end of her gun. Thanks for the comments STUG

very nice project , and also reminds me of the posts that usually show up here for a campaign with tthe title "What if ?" concerning stuff that could be builded for WWII not sci - fi or totally imaginary , but also never existed even in plans . I mean talking about designing alternative weapons tanks and everything for WWII but based on the existing technology of the era and using stuff that already existed and bashing and scratching and as lil free space to create our own projects and ideas..
Nice work

Just to show some support for stugiiif.......below is one of the drawings that show the proposed 'tracked' version of the K5............



I'm no Konig Tiger expert, but those tracks on either end look suspiciously like King Tiger hulls.......

Tread.
hth.

Tread,
Thanks for finding that dastardly elusive pic!!!! I like the looks of this and since my boy attacked the rail trucks, I've been working on it slowly. I need to figure what chasis the munitions Panzer would have been. Any suggestions guys? STUG

The real question is, what does the prime mover for that thing look like??? #:-) #:-) #:-)

Well that's a good question. From what little is out there this is the primemover the 2 tank hulls. No special train cars like the Karl Morser had. The idea of being able to put a 280mm artilery anywhere you want it with depending on rail lines that constantly got bombed by allied aircraft probably drove the designs for this concept. What i'm trying to figure out is what the supoort for this monster would be like. The K5 that were made moved in whole trains from op area to op area with radio, sleeper, and munition cars in one big train.


Now after talking with matt this evening, I've decided that the Munitions schlepper will be a comverted Jagdtiger. I pitcher the glacis going to the top of the Casemate with removeable haychs on the top and system of rollers to move the rounds and powder casings to the rear of the engine deck where it would be lifted by the crane on the K5. What do Y'all think???
Also what other support vehiicles/ equipment would be needed??? STUG

Definitly a couple of Tent Haulers / Field Kitchen trucks.......Radio vehicles......

If you're being serious about this, I really do think you'd need some prime mover solution. Heavy tanks, especially late war German Panzers, broke down constantly if you tried to move them long distances under their own power. Perhaps the only solution would be to break it down and throw it on rails, then rebuild it within 50 miles of its final desitination.

But back to your questions: In addition to the logistical support necessary for this cannon, I think you'd need some supplemental physical supports; I don't think you'd want the whole recoil coming down on those 2 E-100's. Maybe some arms to swing out to the side with jacks on the end?

I addition to the munitions support you mentioned, I also would imagine there to be military support. In particular, you'd really want to have flak guns around this thing, as it would be one of the juiciest targets for ariel attack on the field.

It is a Concept..... from a website I found this morning they didn't bother developing newer enigines.... and the tanks kept getting heavier and heavier Make it a DD tank and the problems (may) go away.......

one of the other points to this is that Porche was known to have been working with electric drive tanks. the few they made rpoved to have fragile drive assemblies that were easily damaged knocking out the tank. But picture that type of drive on something like the E100 or the Electric drive Maus. they had the armour to protect the drive unit. Making Dr. POrche's dream a workable system and dependable. I will not argue that something may have been used for long distance travel if needed. but i't not something that'll be built in to the display of this concept. I also want to be true to the drawings of this Paper Panzer. So where one might add extra support. I have to say its not there so I'm not going to add it. Hopefully I'll be able to make a Schlepper and other support vehicles that would stay with it, maybe some small flak guns as well. But again, I don't something to far from the proposed feild use of 1946 or 1947. STUG

One question Stugiiif? Did you ever try to revive them railroad trucks your boy modified with lacquer paint, you got plenty of time now, and can use them for something else on down the line. Let them soak a few days in brake fluid should do the trick, if you haven't done it already.

regards Kerry

The problem with trucks was that the laquer cazed and ate some of the plastic. I salvaged just what I needed from the 2 trucks and went my marry way with the conversion. The nice thing is I got a Nice brand new Trumpeter Leopold in the closet. My gave it to me shortly after the bugger had his fun in my shop. That one will be built with the rail trucks. STUG

Ah come on stugiiif !!.....Yer on a roll here, don't throw a wrench in your momentum! Since you figured out a ground variant for your Leopold...why not come up with an airbourne version?....huh?....huh?

How about this......you get four (4) captured B-17's and you link 'em together so they fly in unison, and then you get a lot of welding rod and then you.................. #:-) #:-) #:-)

Tread.