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Armor/AFV: Softskins
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Opel Blitz details...help please
flitzer
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England - North West, United Kingdom
Joined: November 13, 2003
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Posted: Tuesday, March 01, 2005 - 11:05 PM UTC
Greetings to all wise and sage Truckites...

I'm looking for a little help please.


Yes, you've probably guessed.....ole flitzer's doing a truck...profile that is...

As a change between the aircraft profiles I'm trying out one for the truck pictured.

I'm looking for detail pics or drawings of the bits ringed in red. Clear images would be a great help as I've got to draw the bloody things...lol.

Many many thanks
Cheers
Peter
:-)
MrRoo
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Queensland, Australia
Joined: October 07, 2002
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Posted: Tuesday, March 01, 2005 - 11:09 PM UTC
have you looked im my archives under WW2 German?

other then that good luck as detail pics are hard to find for the Opel Blitz. Especially under the hood pics.

Cheers
Cliff
straightedge
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Ohio, United States
Joined: January 18, 2004
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Posted: Wednesday, March 02, 2005 - 11:13 PM UTC
Hello Peter, I have been looking for information on these trucks for many weeks, with no luck on pictures, lots, and lots of reading, and I've learned things I've never even dreamed of about these trucks, and especially the makers of them, and how they came about.

Looking at them little tanks under it, they seem like they could be something like the death trucks I read about, to where they had them loaded up with prisoners, then in route, they would gas them, course I not sure, there was no pictures, just descriptions of them with small tanks under them, that they could let the gas in the back while in route, then empty the dead out when they got to the burial site.

The prisoners never expected it in route, I guess they had quite a few trucks set up like that, it seems horrible that they could even do such a thing to so many, but them windows seem like pretty big gaps to haul prisoners, so they must be something else.
Kerry
MrRoo
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Queensland, Australia
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Posted: Wednesday, March 02, 2005 - 11:20 PM UTC
Kerry the pictured truck is a radio/command version
Henk
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England - South West, United Kingdom
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Posted: Wednesday, March 02, 2005 - 11:30 PM UTC
The 'tanks ' under the body are jerrycans, for petrol.
The cirkeled item on the roof is the triangle which indicated something (can't remember what) depending on it being down (as in this pic) or up.
I believe the head light mounted on the mudguard whilst the notek light ( convoi light) just in front of it was mounted on a bracket attached to the radiator grille.

Sorry, I don't have pic's either, but maybe the Italeri Kit might help?

Cheers
Henk
MrRoo
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Queensland, Australia
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Posted: Thursday, March 03, 2005 - 08:04 AM UTC
triangle on the roof indicated whether or not the truck was towing a trailer. Down for no trailer up for trailer. It was a red triangle in a white border.
Slug
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Alberta, Canada
Joined: September 02, 2004
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Posted: Thursday, March 03, 2005 - 08:28 AM UTC
Hi Peter: I know how you feel , very limited number of pics for these beasts, I've been researching for a couple of months with very little to show for it. This is the best pic I have, not the best but may help some.
Bruce

Sensei
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Belgrade, Serbia & Montenegro
Joined: October 25, 2003
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Posted: Friday, March 04, 2005 - 05:49 AM UTC
Bruce, this is a nice picture, since im also preparing to start on Itelri Blitz, i can use that one for sure

thanks!
Hohenstaufen
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England - South East, United Kingdom
Joined: December 13, 2004
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Posted: Friday, March 04, 2005 - 12:55 PM UTC
Two books which may help if you can obtain them are John Milsoms "German Military Transport 1939-45" originally published by Arms & Armour Press, & Chris Ellis' "Wheeled Vehicles of the Wehrmacht", which draws heavily on a contemporary German directory. Both cover all German MT, but contain many pictures of Opel Blitzs from all angles in all versions, truck bodied, box bodied & tankers. BTW, the Italaeri vehicle is apparently actually a licence built Mercedes, the wheels being different.
Slug
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Alberta, Canada
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Posted: Friday, March 04, 2005 - 04:13 PM UTC
6 bolt wheels are representing 1939 models, 8 bolt wheels represent later models
( early models were braking wheel nuts off therefore the upgrade)
So the Italeri is exceptable as an early model. Some other notes with the Italeri version:
-there should be more space between the grill and bumper
-the headlights should be mounted lower then indicated on the directions
-the side windows should be 2 piece one part rolls up and down the front parts stay stationary
I've just built this model and I think its a great model even with these flaws.
Heres a another pick of your Radio version
Frenchy
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Rhone, France
Joined: December 02, 2002
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Posted: Wednesday, March 09, 2005 - 04:39 AM UTC
This link can certainly help if you plan to build a Blitz-based radio truck :
http://www.alfamodel.it/Sezioni/Moderna/Modellismo/opel_blitz.htm

But I don't speak Italian...

This book can be useful as well :

Frenchy
Grumpyoldman
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Florida, United States
Joined: October 17, 2003
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Posted: Wednesday, March 09, 2005 - 11:12 AM UTC
Well, nice now that I added Tichy Train nuts to my late model kit, but went with 6 bolts instead of 8, the nut counters will have a field day...... especially since I'm not going to change it...... :-) :-) :-) :-)
Hohenstaufen
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England - South East, United Kingdom
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Posted: Friday, March 11, 2005 - 09:07 PM UTC

Quoted Text

Well, nice now that I added Tichy Train nuts to my late model kit, but went with 6 bolts instead of 8, the nut counters will have a field day...... especially since I'm not going to change it


At least it wasn't the other way round Dave! 8 nuts on early vehicle - well the rivet counter police would be round to your door!
BTW this forum prompted me to go & look @ my Opel Blitzs again. Hey guess what, the Italaeri EinheitsKoppfer (sp!) has 8 nuts per wheel!
Anyone made the Italaeri Merc 3000? A lot of the sprues look pretty famaliar to Opel Blitz constructors! You even have to cut bits off the chassis to make cab fit! Is this prototypical? LOL
Grumpyoldman
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Posted: Saturday, March 12, 2005 - 12:02 AM UTC
My Italeri Late Model... the one with the wooden cab, had 6 on the rear, and spare, and 8 on the front.....
I couldn't see them having 2 different bolt patterns, so went with the 6... was easier than trying to fill and redrill the spare.
OH well.... I guess the nut police will be after me now..... :-) :-)
Slug
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Alberta, Canada
Joined: September 02, 2004
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Posted: Sunday, March 13, 2005 - 07:39 PM UTC
Pull over buddy.........lets see your artistic license! :-) :-) :-) :-)
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