sdkfz 238 APC from Remember Eureka

[buzzbomb]

Rickshaw is doing a fantastic Alternative History called Remember Eureka

One of the designs he has come up with is the APC show here


I was so impressed I went to work on a similar design using his inspiration
Using the older but not too shabby Italeri Sdkfz 234/1 kit I have bashed it into the an APC from the sdkfz 234 family. It is now engine forward so I decided to give it a new nomencalture the Sdkfz 238 APC

What we have is the result of the good day on the tools during a club modelling day. There will be more to follow as currently I only have the basic shape bashed up

Doing a few calculation I decided that although Rickshaws design is brilliant, I wanted to add a bit more height into troop compartment to give a sitting soldier, with equipment room to sit. We shall see if it works out. Still a bit undecided on the the engine bay as well, it may perhaps get a bit of slope, but the Tatra engine is a big donk and only barely fits in the 234 as it is.

Next will be the fill and sand then looking toward the suspension and wrestling the characteristic guards into place

More to follow

Brian T

[Jschmus]

I like it.  Reminds me a little of the APCs which are vaguely described in S.M. Stirling's Marching Through Georgia.

[rickshaw]

Interesting.  I worked out that if you could sit in it to drive it and have your head covered by the armoured roof, there should be sufficient height for an infantryman sitting in it to be transported.   I must admit I didn't actually measure it.  It was done as a bit of a quick knockoff to illustrate the story.

[Weaver]

It's one thing for a crewman wearing just a jumpsuit to sit behind the wheel and occasionally wriggle out through a roof or side hatch and quite another for a fully eqippied infantryman to move through the vehicle and out of the back door quickly, cleanly and repeatedly.

Having said that though, there is a surprising amount of variation in the height of APC troop compartments: for tracked vehicles (which all have pretty much the same ground clearance, unlike wheeled ones) the height-to-hull-top dimension can be anywhere from 1.6m to 2.2m.

[rickshaw]

It's one thing for a crewman wearing just a jumpsuit to sit behind the wheel and occasionally wriggle out through a roof or side hatch and quite another for a fully eqippied infantryman to move through the vehicle and out of the back door quickly, cleanly and repeatedly.

Having said that though, there is a surprising amount of variation in the height of APC troop compartments: for tracked vehicles (which all have pretty much the same ground clearance, unlike wheeled ones) the height-to-hull-top dimension can be anywhere from 1.6m to 2.2m.

Been there, done that.  I've been in and out of various APCs over the years.  Saracen, M113, ASLAV, Bushmaster.  Saracen was the most difficult BTW.  Too narrow and that was my main concern with the SdKfz231 variant I felt, rather than height.  However, I have seen British training films where the squaddies were able to get in and out in remarkable time so I tend to put my impressions down more to unfamiliarity than anything else.

[Weaver]

It would almost be easier to put wheels on a Hanomag half-track body really, wouldn't it?

[buzzbomb]

It would almost be easier to put wheels on a Hanomag half-track body really, wouldn't it?

...but where is the fun in that 

[ChernayaAkula]

Good stuff! 

[ysi_maniac]

Good stuff! 

Agreed!

[Cobra]

Very cool! the front looks Almost like a Croc or Gator. have you named Your APC yet? if Not,howabout calling it the 'Salty' as in Saltwater Croc? Keep up the Great Work :cheers:Dan

[Taiidantomcat]

Very interesting! 

[rickshaw]

It would almost be easier to put wheels on a Hanomag half-track body really, wouldn't it?

Not as interesting though.   Of course, we could assume that the vehicle has no roof like the SdKfz 250/251 and so that settles the arguments about cabin height. 

[buzzbomb]

It would almost be easier to put wheels on a Hanomag half-track body really, wouldn't it?

Not as interesting though.   Of course, we could assume that the vehicle has no roof like the SdKfz 250/251 and so that settles the arguments about cabin height. 

All is goodness and light.
Here is a copy of the mockup that decided in my mind the troop compartment height .. my is now the official Type 40 Infantry Carrier Mk II
I always wanted a fully enclosed compartment, but I intend to have top doors to allow the troops to engage if required, similar to FV-432 or M113.

It is a fair bit wider than the standard vehicle hull

[Weaver]

Nothing like a practical answer to a theoretical discussion: nice one Buzzbomb!

You could have the roof hatches like the ones on the AMX-VCI:





If you re-arranged the hinges, you could even have them open in such a way as to provide a degree of overhead cover, as in the Pbv.302:

[Taiidantomcat]

Fine figure