Inbox review -almost a build review in fact- of Macone Watchtower and stuff.


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Thanks!

This is very interesting in that it got me thinking; sadly (for the product concerned) I am not a modern era modeller, but dwell in the auspices of the Cold War - which is where I was thinking (!)

This is a blatant thread hijack/tangent I know, but I just wonder if this manufacturer could be persuaded to make one of the East German towers, the cylindrical type which I think are known as BT-11.

Of course, it may not be especially marketable but I would love one!

Keep up the good work MacOne.

Brian

I like that idea as well; variations of the towers that girded the Berlin Wall would also be appreciated. Hint. Hint.

There is a kit of the BT-11...1/43 paper model, but a kit none the less.


They don't look like they would be too difficult to scratch up in 1/35. You could start with a piece of PVC pipe for the stand and sheet styrene for the upper part. Coat it all with Mr Surfacer or the like to give it that concrete texture.




Here is a site that lists dimensions of the towers and the watch platforms, etc.

A BERLIN WALL WATCHTOWER

Page 10 at this site has a really good scale drawing of one.

You could build a dio using a section of the wall from the AFV Club Berlin Wall set too.

Gino,

Thanks for all that; all very evocative when, as a 17 year-old soldier I was sent for a briefing North and South of Helmstedt. I remember a minibus full of young soldiers like myself, all newbies to BAOR. The Inner German Border was a revelation, and not in a good way! All that effort to keep a people in. It made a huge impression on me and perhaps that was the purpose; so at least, if it came to fighting, we'd arguably know what for. I can still recall that rather misty, gloomy Autumn day with a couple of the towers (BT-11 type) visible, a Robur truck around 100 meters away and 2 Border Guards only 20 meters or so in front of us, clicking away with their cameras while we were lectured to by a member of the British Frontier Service. I don't know quite why but I felt somewhat sorry for the Border Guards and I mustn't have been the only one as a couple of the guys threw some cigarette packets over the border to them (when the BFS officer wasn't looking).

Anyway, long story short; it may well be possible to scratch such a tower, as you say perhaps using the 1:43 version as a plan, but to be honest: those subtle dimensions of the top, where the windows sort of flare out, I don't know. I find my self pushed to cut a straight line in plastic card. I can embellish a model, add the odd resin replacement part, but scratching, I just don't know.

Anyway, thanks for the input, and again, apologies for such a thread hijack. As for the Berlin Wall sections, I'm actually in the process of finishing a small dio using them, the Panzershop Trabant, and the excellent figures from Valkyrie. But if only that tower....

Brian