Hmmm what to do, what to do ?
Pulled a few kits out, put most back.
Then went to this, the Trumpeter E25


.. 2 hours later.
Pretty simple build, all out of the box so far. You get the option of roof for either the small turret or just hatches. As if the just hatches option was ever going to happen 


Currently on the tracks, you get the option of rubber bands or individual links.. Yes.. I went the indi links, but they almost got tossed in the box when I saw that each link had two knock out pin blemishes, that need attention. But, I persevered as there were only 72 links a side. So work continues

ONLY 72 links/side? 

That's a HECK of a lot of 'blemishes' that need attention!

Quote from: PR19_Kit on July 08, 2024, 05:40:02 AMONLY 72 links/side? 

That's a HECK of a lot of 'blemishes' that need attention!

Unless you add side skirts.  Then you only have to worry about the track links at the drive sprockets and idler wheels

It's not a tank, it's a ruddy tortoise!  

Quote from: Old Wombat on July 08, 2024, 08:47:28 AMIt's not a tank, it's a ruddy tortoise!  

Deutsch for Tortoise... Schildkröte... that could stick

Well it started out going completely out of the box... then I had a yeah,nahh moment and off we headed down the whiffing the whiff path

Ditch the gun, 3d print the basis of a new mantlet and do a roof mounted Range Finder setup. Now heading off to be an Artillery Observation platform, like a retro version of the AO vehicle based on the Jaguar Anti Tank Missile platform.
Being rather small and perhaps nippy it would maybe make a fine E Series Artillery Observation vehicle.



The mantlet will probably have some scissor Binoculars in a rotating mount, I you have space, may as well use it. Plus it will get a workover to get rid of the print marks.

It's rather low.  So how about mounting the rangefinder etc in a telescoping mount which could be raised to allow it to see over whatever they were hiding behind?

Also, with the rangefinder mounted where it is, it's just asking to be shot to pieces by the machine gun in the turret ... Or, if we assume that has an interlock or automatic elevation to prevent this, it completely blocks the field of fire to the right front. The rangefinder would make more sense either on the turret, or approximately where the periscope is to the right of that.

Not that we're picking your build to bits or anything...

 

...just offering suggestions.

Quote from: zenrat on July 10, 2024, 04:09:22 AMNot that we're picking your build to bits or anything...

 

...just offering suggestions.

Well maybe I am just lucky none of this stuff is glued on yet, other than white glue tacks, while I work through other layout options and possible fitouts like an MG through revised casement   

Oh almost forgot today's very short session working through getting cast texture on the 3D printed casement.

How about, instead of that dome casement you put on something like a B29 nose glazing?
 

Or put a ball-mount MG34 on the casting?

It'd look like a bloody big nipple but there are worse things to look like!

(I'm looking at you, Sentinel! )

Buzzy mate use the MG's turret to mount the range finder ..by using that you get 360° rotation and as for the machine gun...mount it to the hull like pretty much all other German tanks ...ball mount on the front plate   

Neat idea for neat little tank ! Keep on whiffing the whifs !

Quote from: Wardukw on July 10, 2024, 10:41:17 AMBuzzy mate use the MG's turret to mount the range finder ..by using that you get 360° rotation and as for the machine gun...mount it to the hull like pretty much all other German tanks ...ball mount on the front plate   

The good thing about progress photos is you can see what might not work. Looking at the photos, I had already came to the same conclusion as Jakko, front mount location for the rangefinder does not work efficiently.
So, after I took all the temp placements off to work on the mantlet/casement and work around options for the range finder, I came to pretty much the same conclusion around working up a solution using the turret /turret location.
Pretty sure Dizzy has done something like this in his vastly more prolific body of work.

Or ditch the lot and just go back to out of the box.

I think I'd fit it in place of the turret. It's the logical place for it, really. Then, in the front roof, add a Krummlauf mounting for an StG 44.

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