Greetings. I have an odd question for those experts building dioramas. I like building scenes with Werkstatt crews and recovery crews and vehicles. My favorites are the FAMO/ BILSTEIN vehicles and the BUSSING NAG/ BILSTEIN crane units. I am in the end stages of finishing one of the AFV Club BUSSING NAG/ BILSTEIN crane kits, and I am working on several TMD FAMO/BILSTEIN Crane conversion units. They will fit well into my scenes. However, I have a problem. I also have two of the older CALIBER35 FAMO/BILSTEIN Crane conversions. I am aware that when they prototyped the FAMO/ BILSTEIN crane, they did so using the crane added to a standard double-seater standard FAMO. This Caliber35 kit represents only those two prototype vehicles. My question to all you diorama builders is this-should I even mess with the two Caliber35 kits at all, and should I include them in a diorama somewhere, fully knowing that diorama purists are going to scream and holler about it? I mean, eventually, in real life, those two prototype units were surely (probably, maybe?) used somewhere in the field, right? Or is it just opening myself up for a hundred negative comments and lengthy explanations about the authenticity of those two odd units eventually ending up in the field?
I had a similar annoying problem years ago with an early version Tiger I. I added zimmerit to it, and it was like I stepped on a hundred cat's tails all at one time. It created dramatic scenes with "what-might-have-been-well-wishers" condescending that no early version Tigers with original cupola had zimmerit. The experts would not be placated until I produced a photo that showed three early TigerIs (in one photo), that actually had field applied zimmerit. I am still afraid to show the tank to anybody unless I have that photo close at hand.
So is this Caliber35 conversion even worth the bother, or should I stick the crane unit itself on some other vehicle?
Regards,
Mark Pinson
[email protected]

Hi Mark,
Could you consider making a diorama showing a few mechanics and a load of engineers, project managers, high rank officers and the other good for nothing hangarounds during prototype trials?
Maybe someone with a camera documenting the whole thing and one of the more luxurious staff cars in the background?
I assume they tested the prototype before finalising the design ...
Dioramas showing mechanics "in the field" doing some kind of repair/service on some kind of equipment are thirteen to the dozen but dioramas of prototype evaluations are few and far between.

My
/ Robin

I very much like Robin's idea of doing something with your diaorama that looks like the test trials in progress. Perhaps a German limo/staff car in the background and utilizing the figure set (from MiniArt I believe) that includes the figure of Ferdinand Porsche. (In this case the figure would portray someone other than Porsche.) Then you could also include an audience of many other high ranking Generals looking on and there you have it!

As a trial the crane need only be lifting something fairly massive. Perhaps an entire Panzer II on a cable sling or the weighted round test turret known to have been used for the original Tiger I mechanical tests.

Maybe with large stencilled letters "3 Tonnen" on the side of it

Greetings and thanks to those who responded to my question about the early version FAMO w/BILSTEIN Crane. I was unsure what to do about using them. I had stated in my previous post that there were actually two of these made as prototypes I was corrected on that, being given information that they actually made SIX of the two seater version. That knowledge coupled together with the encouragement I got from responses here, made me realize that the six units would have been used SOMEWHERE, so they would fit into a very early time frame in the war early in 1941 or thereafter. I only have two of the two seater conversion kits, so if I put them in Greece or early Russia, it is a logical and plausible scenario. So thanks to all those who encouraged me to use and make the two seater version. I can very close to just cannibalizing the kits for the cranes, but now I will finish them out--eventually. One was almost finished anyway.