Seadude's Shenanigans: I dare to be different!

[Rick Lowe]

Finished gluing track/wheel assemblies for one P1000 Ratte tank tonight. And also finished assembling two of the anti-aircraft gun turrets. Was hoping to paint the track/wheel assemblies today, but an afternoon nap got in the way. I'll have to do them tomorrow. Will also be going to my local Hobby Lobby store tomorrow for Tamiya primer spray to prime the larger hull pieces.

Also for tonight:  Started assembling two Maus gun turrets for the rear of one Ratte tank, and another two regular Maus full tanks to be used for "scale comparison" on the display base next to the Rattes.

Odd thought hit me tonight. If anybody else plans to build Landkreuzer P1000 Ratte models in the future and you need a descriptive sentence or something on the display base, I thought of the following:

"When the cat's away, the Ratte's will play."

"German Tiger's, Maus, and Ratte's. Oh my!"

"My gun (or tank) is bigger than your gun (or tank). Deal with it!"

"Genetics, Peewee!"

[seadude]

So this is about as far as I got last night before bed:



Pic with the Maus turrets and anti-aircraft gun turrets sitting on top of the Ratte. They are not glued on yet.



Pic showing scale comparison of 1/144 scale large Ratte tank next to two 1/144 scale Maus tank hulls.



May be changing my build schedule this week and next week. May just assemble/glue all parts for one or both Ratte tanks this week. Then next week do all painting. Not really sure. My mind keeps changing on everything as this project progresses along.  

[Rick Lowe]

Just a thought... apparently they were moving away from 20mm AA late in the war, as it was getting too small to be as effective - minimum was something like 37mm.

It's your model after all, but might want to think about changing the AA turrets for Panther Coelian units?

Cheers & keep up the good work.

Rick

[seadude]

Just a thought... apparently they were moving away from 20mm AA late in the war, as it was getting too small to be as effective - minimum was something like 37mm.

It's your model after all, but might want to think about changing the AA turrets for Panther Coelian units?

Cheers & keep up the good work.

Rick

I don't have any other 1/144 scale AA turrets. Do you know where I could get some? But to be honest, it's too late to change them now. I have a contest in about a week to get these tanks ready for.

[Rick Lowe]

No worries; maybe for a 'refit' down the line?

TBH, in that scale you could probably carve a turret and cast it, then add whatever is your favourite method for the barrels.

Or thinking again, you could modify the turrets you have, as the front ends were different from a normal Panther's anyway...
simply file them to shape and add new barrels.

Rick

[seadude]

Progress made last night. Painting of everything might be started tomorrow if I have time.

[NARSES2]

Great watching all this come together

[seadude]

Great watching all this come together

What amazes me about doing this project is the shear audacity of the Germans to even have considered having a tank this size.  It just boggles the mind. When you put the Ratte next to the smaller tanks for size comparison, you really have to wonder what crazy nutcases came up with such absurd vehicles. Thank God Albert Speer had enough sense to cancel these things! Hooray for him.

[Rick Lowe]

Great watching all this come together

What amazes me about doing this project is the shear audacity of the Germans to even have considered having a tank this size.  It just boggles the mind. When you put the Ratte next to the smaller tanks for size comparison, you really have to wonder what crazy nutcases came up with such absurd vehicles. Thank God Albert Speer had enough sense to cancel these things! Hooray for him.

But on the flip side, thank goodness they diverted time, effort & materials into things like these, instead of more Panzer 4s, Panthers, Me-262s, etc - anything that could have prolonged the war.

Cheers

[zenrat]

I'm picturing an amphibious version crossing the channel en-masse and driving up the beaches...

[seadude]

I'm picturing an amphibious version crossing the channel en-masse and driving up the beaches...

You mean something like this? With a long snorkel on the back.

[zenrat]

I was actually thinking of one which floats.  The defenders would think it was a gunboat until it started climbing up the beach.

[TallEng]

I'm picturing an amphibious version crossing the channel en-masse and driving up the beaches...

You mean something like this? With a long snorkel on the back.

Well to cross the channel between Dover and Calais you'd need a snorkel of about 50meters
Minus of course how ever tall a Ratte is? Average channel depth between Dover and Calais is 45m.
There is actually a shallower bit, average depth 26m. So with a bit of imagination.....
And a big tank with submarine engines, the world (or channel) in this case could have been your
Oyster (other shellfish are available) 

Regards
Keith

[zenrat]

I can picture the diorama;
A Ratte surfacing amongst a surprised RN costal flotilla.  Giant kelp draped across it's guns and a surprised whale shark stranded atop it's turret...

[seadude]

I can picture the diorama;
A Ratte surfacing amongst a surprised RN costal flotilla.  Giant kelp draped across it's guns and a surprised whale shark stranded atop it's turret...

Or a giant shark's mouth painted on the tank. 

Anyway.........one week to go before a contest. Will I make it? Spray painting two model tanks today, as well as painting smaller parts. I am really looking forward to the awards being offered at this contest:
Best of Show trophy, plus 5 lbs. of italian sausage.
Veterans Best of Show trophy, plus 5 lbs. of italian sausage.
(Buns, ketchup, onions, and green peppers not included. Darn! ) 

The contest is held at a VA center, so the Veterans get to nominate/vote a model for Veterans Best of Show, while the regular Best of Show is voted upon by the regular model contest judges.