Something Missing from the Famo?
#521
Kentucky, United States
Joined: April 13, 2011
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Posted: Thursday, February 14, 2019 - 02:15 AM UTC
Something Was Missing About That Recovery Spade:Something just not right.Several years back it occurred to me, something just did not seem right about the Tamiya Famo whenever the popular after market recovery spade was attached.
When the spade is down, to raise it again the winch cable would be doing what would essentially be a straight pull - and in most cases, in the real world a straight pull without some sort of angular leverage off-set just doesn't work! In the real world a straight pull has the mechanism fighting against itself and something is going to break!
I felt a component had to be missing and set out to find out what it was!
#521
Kentucky, United States
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Posted: Thursday, February 14, 2019 - 02:22 AM UTC
#521
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Posted: Thursday, February 14, 2019 - 02:26 AM UTC
Apparently the Germans agreed with me!
Also note the different structural design of this spade support arm. A variation like this could easily be made using the Tamiya spade as a starting point.
#521
Kentucky, United States
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Posted: Thursday, February 14, 2019 - 02:30 AM UTC
Here is a better look at the added structure on my Famo with the body removed.
I "imagineered" the additional bracing that might be necessary under the loadbox floor to support the tower and also added a fairlead roller above the lower pulley to get the winch cable well out beyond the tailgate. That large upper pulley is only temporary until final assembly.
#521
Kentucky, United States
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Posted: Thursday, February 14, 2019 - 03:02 AM UTC
Axis Equipment Analysis Report From the Office of the Chief Ordinance Officer ETOUSA regarding the Famo as equipped for recovery - Dated 13 March 1945:
Original wartime analysis report and reference photos provided by BJ DeBekker - Panzer Concepts Model Company
Original wartime analysis report and reference photos provided by BJ DeBekker - Panzer Concepts Model Company
#521
Kentucky, United States
Joined: April 13, 2011
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Posted: Thursday, February 14, 2019 - 03:22 AM UTC
Additional wartime reference photos:Provided by BJ DeBekker - Panzer Concepts Model Company
Provided by BJ DeBekker - Panzer Concepts Model Company #521
Kentucky, United States
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Posted: Thursday, February 14, 2019 - 03:30 AM UTC
Tailgate has been removed for clarity.
Next time I will tell Karl to move his butt . . . (posterior) before taking the photo!Something that might already be obvious: Adding this additional tower structure causes you to loose the possibility for underfloor storage of the spare tire. So I roped mine into the side of the loadbox.
bill_c
Campaigns AdministratorNew Jersey, United States
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Posted: Thursday, February 14, 2019 - 04:22 AM UTC
Wow, Michael, that's not only creative modeling but outstanding research! Talk about a master modeler. Congratulations and thanks for sharing this.
But don't call it a FAMO, dude, it's an Sd.Kfz.9.
Even your documentation confirms that, haha!
#436
Pennsylvania, United States
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Posted: Thursday, February 14, 2019 - 04:53 AM UTC
One of the great things about modeling is I get a better understanding of how things work and built by doing the research that I normally wouldn't do without modeling.
#521
Kentucky, United States
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Posted: Thursday, February 14, 2019 - 05:00 AM UTC
Thanks Bill, and I do hear ya but even my favorite German halftrack the little Sd. Kfz. 10, though built by a number of different manufactures will always to me be "the Demag"!
And that's even taking into consideration the fact that the one I got to drive was built by Saurer!
But still I do hear ya!
Brenton - I am right there with you on that one. I sometimes wonder if it is the historic engineering research or the modeling I am more interested in.
(I made up my mind on that question long ago. It's the research and the continued learning!)_______________________________________
#521
Kentucky, United States
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Posted: Thursday, February 14, 2019 - 05:41 AM UTC
I have no explanation for why Tamiya left out this significant aspect of the model. The only reasoning I can think of is that installation would have then required cutting into the existing model.
I guess they felt few modelers would be willing to go to those lengths for an after market installation.
bill_c
Campaigns Administrator New Jersey, United States
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Posted: Thursday, February 14, 2019 - 08:07 AM UTC
Quoted Text
I have no explanation for why Tamiya left out this significant aspect of the model. The only explanation I can think of is that installation would have then required cutting into the existing model.
I guess they felt few modelers would be willing to go to those lengths for an after market installation.
Keep in mind their kit is almost 20 years old. Let's see what
the new Trumpeter Sd.Kfz.9s in 1/35th are like.
Armed Forces Europe, United States
Joined: December 27, 2015
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Posted: Thursday, February 14, 2019 - 08:55 AM UTC
Hello Michael, thanks for the info, I have the kit on my build list.
#521
Kentucky, United States
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Posted: Thursday, February 14, 2019 - 11:26 AM UTC
A couple of related but slightly off-topic items:An additional Famo reference photo that came included in the pack of material from BJ DeBekker at Panzer Concepts - something for those interested in the crane variant and also an interesting use of the tow hitch to create a triple line pull for a serious recovery job:
And below something I am kind of proud of: The caked mud on the well used looking anchor plow blade:
#521
Kentucky, United States
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Posted: Thursday, February 14, 2019 - 11:44 AM UTC
#521
Kentucky, United States
Joined: April 13, 2011
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Posted: Thursday, February 14, 2019 - 11:58 AM UTC
A detail I will add last:Here are details from a drawing I found recently of the recovery Famo. The drawing was done by J.L. Rue for
Tankette Magazine (Patrick Stephens Publishing) and it shows one more small detail I have yet to add:
I have highlighted the detail in question here above in medium gray. I still need to add a small horizontal arm attached to the top of the tower which will carry the fixed mount upper pulley. For right now I am using the large pulley that comes in the Tamiya recovery spade AM kit to substitute for this arm.
The advantage being that this way I can still unhook the pulley and slide the loadbox body up and off of the tower to work on the both body and the frame below. Once I install that arm I will no longer be able to remove the vehicle body from the frame!
#521
Kentucky, United States
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Posted: Thursday, February 14, 2019 - 12:22 PM UTC
A shot of the load box from below showing the necessary small cutout for the tower structure to pass thru at the rear of the loadbox floor:
(This also shows the winch access hatch that I added which Tamiya chose to leave out of their model.)
F.Y.I. - I have since evened out (a bit more) that "mud and grime" coating underneath the fenders so it looks better than this now.
#521
Kentucky, United States
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Posted: Thursday, February 14, 2019 - 01:39 PM UTC
I suppose I could have interrupted the tower where is goes thru the floor actually making it in two pieces. That WOULD have made the construction easier for me but easy generally isn't the way I roll - but realistic IS.
Also doing it in two parts would probably have made the tower very weak and it would tend to break off easily. It might not even be strong enough then to hold up the spade.
#521
Kentucky, United States
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Posted: Thursday, February 14, 2019 - 08:46 PM UTC
My thanks to BJ DeBekker of Panzer Concepts for her background research materials.
Without when this article would not have been possible.
#521
Kentucky, United States
Joined: April 13, 2011
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Posted: Thursday, February 14, 2019 - 08:52 PM UTC
Some miscellaneous reference photos on the Famo (Sd. Kfz. 9) in no particular order:
Love that pioneer (Gerat-K) bridge!
I was in the electrical industry for 20+ years so I am doubly interested in these shots of electrical transformers being delivered. By the way, those are two entirely different units not just two shots of the same one. One is a flat fin cooled Trans-X and in the top photo that one actually has pipes so the insulating oil can circulate thru them by convection to cool the unit. So the Germans must have made a habit of using their heavy military equipment to deliver such items? I am starting to feel the need to build a transformer in 1/35th scale! 
Wake me up when we get there.
Please note: The civilian pattern truck tires on both the Famo and the trailer.
#490
Sofiya, Bulgaria
Joined: September 22, 2016
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Posted: Thursday, February 14, 2019 - 10:26 PM UTC
Mike,
Let me add one picture to your gallery of Sd.Kfz.9(aka FAMO):
Note late fenders, single headlamp and (probably) one civilian pattern tire too.
#521
Kentucky, United States
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Posted: Thursday, February 14, 2019 - 10:29 PM UTC
Thanks Angel for joining in!
F.Y.I. Package went to the Post Office yesterday 13 Feb.
Rhone, France
Joined: December 02, 2002
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Posted: Thursday, February 14, 2019 - 11:50 PM UTC
Something missing from the trailer
H.P.
"Find the Bastards, then Pile On"
Col. George W.Patton III 's standing order for the troopers of the 11th Armoured Cavalry Regiment
North Carolina, United States
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Posted: Friday, February 15, 2019 - 01:31 AM UTC
Quoted Text
I was in the electrical industry for 20+ years so I am doubly interested in these shots of electrical transformers being delivered. By the way, those are two entirely different units not just two shots of the same one. One is a flat fin cooled Trans-X and in the top photo that one actually has pipes so the insulating oil can circulate thru them by convection to cool the unit. So the Germans must have made a habit of using their heavy military equipment to deliver such items? I am starting to feel the need to build a transformer in 1/35th scale!
Seems like two different vehicles or the same one at different time periods. The trailer appears to have a spare tire in one and not the other. That was the best difference I could pick out that seemed relevant.
varanusk
Managing Editor Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain / España
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Posted: Friday, February 15, 2019 - 01:46 AM UTC
Excellent research!
Just a couple of notes... first, the cable is attached to the top of the frame, not the middle as you have (unless there is another variant).
And I am not sure it could be raised to leave it completely vertical having the pulley there. It would strongly press the frame downwards . Either it was stored with a small angle, or maybe the tower was inclined backwards.
