Landkreuzers P1000 Ratte & P1500 Monster

[TomZ]

My Ratte almost ready for spraying.

The tiny thing in front is a Tiger I, also in 1/144 



TomZ
http://www.airwar1946.nl/index.htm

[eatthis]

My Ratte almost ready for spraying.

The tiny thing in front is a Tiger I, also in 1/144 



TomZ
http://www.airwar1946.nl/index.htm

[seadude]

Looking good, Tom.  What camo scheme do you plan to paint it in?

Since I have two Rattes, I'm going to do mine as the following:
Ratte # 1 - Olive drab scheme. Add 4 anti-aircraft turrets on the back. No Maus turrets.

Ratte # 2 - Desert tan scheme. Add 2 Maus turrets on the back. No anti-aircraft turrets. Take the 4 anti-aircraft turrets from the second Ratte boxed kit and add them to the P1500 Monster Landkreuzer I plan to eventually build.

[TomZ]

What camo scheme do you plan to paint it in?

I was thinking about something like this:



TomZ

[NARSES2]

The one thing that model helps you appreciate is just how big these naval turrets were. I've never seen anything bigger then the RN 6"/8" turrets in real life *. It would have been amazing to have gone inside a 15"/16" turret.

* I've not been to any of the sites where there are preserved USN battleships when they were there  Still it's another reason to go back across the pond and visit friends.

[seadude]

Since I have two Rattes, I'm going to do mine as the following:
Ratte # 1 - Olive drab scheme. Add 4 anti-aircraft turrets on the back. No Maus turrets.

Ratte # 2 - Desert tan scheme. Add 2 Maus turrets on the back. No anti-aircraft turrets. Take the 4 anti-aircraft turrets from the second Ratte boxed kit and add them to the P1500 Monster Landkreuzer I plan to eventually build.

Have to do a bit of amending. My first Ratte will be as I originally stated. I was thinking of adding the anti-aircraft guns from the second Ratte to the larger P1500 Landkreuzer. But after test fitting and reviewing of parts, they'll be too big to put on the P1500. I still can't find any decent 1/144 howitzers to put on the P1500 as stated by Wikipedia. I know World Tank Museum made a 3-pack of anti-tank guns that could be used and modified, but the pack is scarce and #$%^&* damn near impossible to get. And I refuse to go to evil-bay also. The P1500 is also supposed to have multiple lighter machine guns for defense. I just bought a 1/144 Revell Landing Ship Medium model kit that I'll take the 6 machine guns from that and modify them to use on the P1500.

Now as for size.........
I plan to use a 1/35 scale T28 Super Heavy Tank hull to build the P1500 as shown in this pic on the right side:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/72147279@N06/17033918901/in/set-72157651415576566

I can either use one hull as shown here:
a) https://www.flickr.com/photos/72147279@N06/16846934448/in/set-72157651415576566
or.........
Use two hulls as shown here:
b) https://www.flickr.com/photos/72147279@N06/16848532219/in/set-72157651415576566

Using two hulls gives me extra space for catwalks, gantry loading cranes, ammo hoists, etc.  But if I use one hull, I may have to scratchbuild some extra length on to it. I'm undecided. 

[bluedonkey99]

Seadude

Its probably a bit late in your build, but if you look at Arrowhead miniatures (ex Wargames south) have a wide range of 1/144 items in white metal with great details - inc. the 15cm s FH18 Howitzer
http://arrowheadminiatures.co.uk/collections/wwii-vehicles-figures
http://arrowheadminiatures.co.uk/collections/wwii-vehicles-figures/German-Artillery

Look forward to seeing the endgame on the P1500 !!

BD99

[seadude]

There is also a nice build thread here: http://www.kampfgruppe144.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=3855 including how he has replaced the stock Takom supplied main guns and flak barrells with some metal 1/700 scale items!

Can't view the thread/site. Says I need to be registered.........which I don't plan to do.

[seadude]

Later this month, I plan to start building one or both P1000 Rattes for a contest in May. One will be in an olive drab green color, the other in a desert tan color. Since I'm not good at camouflage, I'll just paint them in single colors. I only tend to use Testor Model Master Acryl or Tamiya paints. Can anyone recommend good color shades from either of those two product lines?
Whenever I do the P1500 Monster, that might be in a German grey color.

[seadude]

Tank treads. What color are they?

I don't know how far I'll get, but I'd like to build both of my Ratte kits for a contest in 2 weeks. Camouflage is out of the question as I'm not good with camo and the time period is too short. So both tanks will just be built as "desk pieces" so to speak. No diorama, scenery, etc. to show the tanks in a forest, field, desert, etc.

[rickshaw]

Tank treads. What color are they?

Fresh from the factory?  A gun metal coloured shade with flecks of red (rust) and brown (dirt).  If, as you've intimated it's a desk top model, just plain gun metal would do the trick.

[Captain Canada]

2 hulls

[bluedonkey99]

Another Variant,
1/144 Imperial Navy-Shisei ultra class land battleship "Oyama"
http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/fumi_bnr32/63932261.html  (this time on an open blog posting)


The 1/144 flak guns are bonus items from the Takara 1/700 Ships of the World "Yamato" Series

The 1/144 Turret is a 1/144 IJN Yamato/Musashi 46cm Triple Main Gun by Pit-Road (https://www.hlj.com/product/PITSGF-07/Nav) - though the price of this is twice the base RAtte kit, so a bit rich for all but the hardcore enthusiats!?

BD99

[PR19_Kit]

THREE guns? 

I hope they don't try and salvo fire them, the darn thing would fall over, wide and heavy though it may be!

[scooter]

Probably needs a few more road wheels.