DONE +++ 1:72 Sd.Kfz. 282 ‘Rampenwagen I’ mobile Natter launch unit, Aug. '45

[Dizzyfugu]

Well, it's not really armour, but since this... thing is based on a Jagdtiger I put it here. It's actually cross-linked with the Ba 349 Natter that I am building in parallel - after all, how should that tiny rocket fight start? This thought had been on my mind for quite a time, and I had the Brengun Natter stashed away for some time. But creating a mobile launch platofrm - or better: coming up with a concept that could be turned into a model somehow, took really long. First ingredient was a Fujimi steam catapult kit from WWII, which works with an external sled, towed by a cable, quite different to the launch catapults that were for instance used for the Fi 103 VI, which operated like aircraft carrier steam catapults with a sled in a pressurized tube.

Finding a suitable chassis was more complicated. First bet was "Karl Gerät" mortar, which turned out to be much too big and also not really compatible with the Fujimi catapult, and the project went into hiatus again. Until inspiration struck and I remembered the Jagdtiger that I had built last year or so, with an oversized  L/100 gun and the casemate moved to the rear of the hull (and the engine in a mid-positionj behind the drivers' compartment). That could work in size and arrangement!

Said and done, I procured an(other) Trumpeter Jagdtiger with the late Porsche running gear, with simplified and standardized elements that were intended for the E-Series of tanks, what would fit well into the model's intended time frame of mid 1945. And from that on things went straightforward, only that the catapult was shortened by 3" at the rear and modified to stand vertical - with the bonus that was able to construct a joint so that this is even functional. The launch sled, which was slightly tailored to hold the Natter, is movable, too. That area inside of the Jagdtiger hull had to be filled/improvised, but that worked well, too, thanks to some donor parts from a Modelcollect E-50 tank.


1:72 Sd.Kfz. 282 'Rampenwagen I', vehicle 'R(ampe) 02', attached to the Luftwaffe's JG 400; Nabern unter Teck (Southern Germany), mid-1945 (What-if/kitbashing) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Sd.Kfz. 282 'Rampenwagen I', vehicle 'R(ampe) 02', attached to the Luftwaffe's JG 400; Nabern unter Teck (Southern Germany), mid-1945 (What-if/kitbashing) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Sd.Kfz. 282 'Rampenwagen I', vehicle 'R(ampe) 02', attached to the Luftwaffe's JG 400; Nabern unter Teck (Southern Germany), mid-1945 (What-if/kitbashing) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Sd.Kfz. 282 'Rampenwagen I', vehicle 'R(ampe) 02', attached to the Luftwaffe's JG 400; Nabern unter Teck (Southern Germany), mid-1945 (What-if/kitbashing) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Sd.Kfz. 282 'Rampenwagen I', vehicle 'R(ampe) 02', attached to the Luftwaffe's JG 400; Nabern unter Teck (Southern Germany), mid-1945 (What-if/kitbashing) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Sd.Kfz. 282 'Rampenwagen I', vehicle 'R(ampe) 02', attached to the Luftwaffe's JG 400; Nabern unter Teck (Southern Germany), mid-1945 (What-if/kitbashing) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


The paint scheme caused the next headaches. This is supposed to be a special vehicle, (re)constructed from a Jagdtiger hull, and somehow I did not find Dunkelgelb to be a proper solution. Late in WWII many tanks received an overall Olivgrün factory finish, but I also did not like that idea for this massive thing. Luftwaffe vehicles were, at least during early war stages, painted in their own color, RAL 7016, a dark and rather bluish tone slightly lighter than RAL 7021 Panzergrau, but that did not appear suitable, either. Oxidprimer was another option, but rejected, too. Eventually I settled for a very simple overall RAL 7021 finish - a tone which was still available in considerable volume and applied to operational tanks - and in this case it would be a "2nd line vehicle". The dark tone would also work well to hide the launch platform's bulk in the shadows of trees or buildings, and it simply "looks German". Since the lattice girder catapult with the pressure piston inside was build before painting I used a rattle can - another argument for a uniform livery. After that the model was dry-brushed, decals and matt varnish were applied, and some dirt and dust was added with water colors and pigments.


1:72 Sd.Kfz. 282 'Rampenwagen I', vehicle 'R(ampe) 02', attached to the Luftwaffe's JG 400; Nabern unter Teck (Southern Germany), mid-1945 (What-if/kitbashing) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Sd.Kfz. 282 'Rampenwagen I', vehicle 'R(ampe) 02', attached to the Luftwaffe's JG 400; Nabern unter Teck (Southern Germany), mid-1945 (What-if/kitbashing) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Sd.Kfz. 282 'Rampenwagen I', vehicle 'R(ampe) 02', attached to the Luftwaffe's JG 400; Nabern unter Teck (Southern Germany), mid-1945 (What-if/kitbashing) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Sd.Kfz. 282 'Rampenwagen I', vehicle 'R(ampe) 02', attached to the Luftwaffe's JG 400; Nabern unter Teck (Southern Germany), mid-1945 (What-if/kitbashing) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

More about the Natter's WiP here: https://www.whatifmodellers.com/index.php?topic=53476.0

[PR19_Kit]

Oh my life, that's REALLY going to look something else when it's done. 

I rather like the concept of a colour that 'simply looks German' too. 

[Wardukw]

This works so very well ..I freaking love it mate and yep it's still armoured Dizzy ..so yep this still counts 
This is gonna look so cool ..that's a certainty 

[Dizzyfugu]

Thank you! 

[killnoizer]

Great !   Very good idea.

[NARSES2]

Great !   Very good idea.

Indeed 

[sandiego89]

Great idea.  Love ZELL type stuff. 

[kerick]

Strange and wonderful! Just the way I like it!

[killnoizer]

I want to join the Copyright of this ❤️ .

[Dizzyfugu]

Glad you like the concept! And after some delays (water main break AND heating malfunctions last weekend and on 24th of December, even unrelated!) I was able to conclude a photo session for the model combo. 

[su27rules]

    

[Dizzyfugu]

Pics have been selected from the shooting and editing has started, too. 

[Dizzyfugu]

Finally, the last one for 2024: the Rampenwagen I that accompanies the tiny Natter fighter:


1:72 Sd.Kfz. 282 'Rampenwagen I', vehicle 'R(ampe) 02', attached to the Luftwaffe's JG 400; Nabern unter Teck (Southern Germany), mid-1945 (What-if/kitbashing) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Some background:
The Bachem Ba 349 Natter (English: Colubrid, grass-snake) was a World War II German point-defence rocket-powered interceptor, which was to be used in a very similar way to a manned surface-to-air missile. In 1943, Luftwaffe air superiority was being challenged by the Allies over the Reich and radical innovations were required to overcome the crisis. Surface-to-air missiles appeared to be a promising approach to counter the Allied strategic bombing offensive; a variety of projects were started, but invariably problems with the guidance and homing systems prevented any of these from attaining operational status. Providing the missile with a pilot, who could operate a weapon during the brief terminal approach phase, offered a solution.


1:72 Sd.Kfz. 282 'Rampenwagen I', vehicle 'R(ampe) 02', attached to the Luftwaffe's JG 400; Nabern unter Teck (Southern Germany), mid-1945 (What-if/kitbashing) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Sd.Kfz. 282 'Rampenwagen I', vehicle 'R(ampe) 02', attached to the Luftwaffe's JG 400; Nabern unter Teck (Southern Germany), mid-1945 (What-if/kitbashing) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Bachem Ba 349 'Natter'; 'Weisse 4 (White Four)', s/n 120097, of the Deutsche Luftwaffe's JG 1./400; Nabern unter Teck (Southern Germany), August 1945 (Luft '46/What-if/Brengun kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Bachem Ba 349 'Natter'; 'Weisse 4 (White Four)', s/n 120097, of the Deutsche Luftwaffe's JG 1./400; Nabern unter Teck (Southern Germany), August 1945 (Luft '46/What-if/Brengun kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


After a rather fast and troublesome development phase the Natter was rushed into production. The SS ordered 150 Natters, and the Luftwaffe ordered 50, and the first serial production aircraft, now designated Ba 349 A-1, reached operational status in April 1945 with the Erprobungskommando (EK) 349. An operational launch site under the code name "Operation Kroku"s was being established in a small, wooded area called Hasenholz, south of the Stuttgart to Munich autobahn and to the east of Nabern unter Teck. Around the end of February and the beginning of March the Organisation Todt had been in action, constructing each set of the trios of concrete foundations (or "footings") for the stationary launch towers. These three launch pads and their towers were arranged at the corners of an equilateral triangle, 120 m per side.

By August 1945, 91 aircraft had been delivered to EK 349 and the first operational unit, the JG 400, into which the test unit was soon integrated. But a persistent lack of fuel, staff and maintenance resources kept most of them grounded. It was clear that the original plan for a huge network of Ba 349 bases that protected important locations would never be realized, and the idea of stationary bases made this network vulnerable to air raids, too. As a consequence mobile launch rigs for the Natter were developed, the so-called "Rampenwagen I". This self-propelled vehicle was based on repurposed Königstiger battle tank hulls that had their engine moved into a mid-chassis position behind the driver's compartment. This arrangement offered enough space at the heavy chassis' rear section to carry an erectable ramp and two vacuum pumps that powered the launch sled for a single Natter that ran on rails on the ramp. The Natter interceptor was hooked with the ehlp of a crane into the erected ramp and started vertically. Beyond the Ba 349 this device could also be used to start the Messerschmitt E-4 "Enzian" anti-aircraft missile in a similar fashion, as well as the unmanned Fieseler Fi 103 "V1" cruise missile at a shallow launch angle.


1:72 Sd.Kfz. 282 'Rampenwagen I', vehicle 'R(ampe) 02', attached to the Luftwaffe's JG 400; Nabern unter Teck (Southern Germany), mid-1945 (What-if/kitbashing) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Sd.Kfz. 282 'Rampenwagen I', vehicle 'R(ampe) 02', attached to the Luftwaffe's JG 400; Nabern unter Teck (Southern Germany), mid-1945 (What-if/kitbashing) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Sd.Kfz. 282 'Rampenwagen I', vehicle 'R(ampe) 02', attached to the Luftwaffe's JG 400; Nabern unter Teck (Southern Germany), mid-1945 (What-if/kitbashing) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


Adapting the existing Tiger II chassis turned out to be relatively easy, and unfinished hulls could be modified without major problems. A side benefit of the new mid-engine layout was that the driving shaft to the gearbox in the Jagdtiger's front hull was shorter, saving material, weight, and internal space behind the engine bay. As a drawback the access to the engine compartment was limited through the low and long launch ramp – it had to be erected or even removed before the engine could be changed. Another characteristic feature of the modified hull was a different running gear. It used elements of Porsche's original Tiger I running that was rejected for the heavy battle tank but adopted for the heavy Ferdinand/Elefant SPG that was based on Porsche's Tiger I design. It consisted of four wheel-units per side made from pairs of 700 mm diameter steel road wheels and a longitudinal torsion bar suspension that remained outside of the hull. While its off-road performance was not as good as the original interleaved running gear with torsion bars inside of the hull, the Porsche system offered a production advantage over the Henschel running gear: it took a third less time to produce than Henschel's system, reduced the hull construction time as well as machining time, required less maintenance, and could actually be completely replaced in the field without (theoretically) removing other parts and without the use of a jack. The Porsche system also saved about 1,200 kg in weight, 450 man-hours of work time, gained 100 mm more ground clearance, and saved RM 404,000 (Reichsmarks) in cost per vehicle. Much more importantly though, the use of this suspension freed up space inside the vehicle, an entire cubic meter extra! A few standard Jagdtiger SPGs were finished with this running gear, too, but it only became a standard on refurbished vehicles.


1:72 Sd.Kfz. 282 'Rampenwagen I', vehicle 'R(ampe) 02', attached to the Luftwaffe's JG 400; Nabern unter Teck (Southern Germany), mid-1945 (What-if/kitbashing) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Sd.Kfz. 282 'Rampenwagen I', vehicle 'R(ampe) 02', attached to the Luftwaffe's JG 400; Nabern unter Teck (Southern Germany), mid-1945 (What-if/kitbashing) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Bachem Ba 349 'Natter'; 'Weisse 4 (White Four)', s/n 120097, of the Deutsche Luftwaffe's JG 1./400; Nabern unter Teck (Southern Germany), August 1945 (Luft '46/What-if/Brengun kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


In service the Rampenwagen I received the official designation of Sd.Kfz. 282, and only a handful of these complex and bulky vehicles were build oer deilevered to frontline units until late 1945. In practice the Rampenwagen I was operated in combination with other vehicles to from mobile launch units for the Natter - plans envisioned groups with Sd.Kfz. 282s, accompanied by trabsporters for the tiny fighters, two cranes to lift them onto the launch sled on the ramp, plus fuel bowsers, a command and radio unit, plus supprt vehicles for staff and pilots as well as other equipment, and ideally even a mobile radar system that could guide and coordinate the interceptions. This, however, never materialized, due to the lack of resources, and only the Luftwaffe's JG 400 became operational enough to make some Ba 349 starts in the defense of the Stuttgart area, with very limited success.


Specifications:
    Crew: 2 (Driver, Radio operator/ramp engineer)
    Weight: 59.5 tons (131.050 lb)
    Length: 14,04 m (45 ft  11 ¾ in) overall
                    7,80 m (25 ft 6 ½  in) hull only
    Width: 3.625 m (11 ft 10 ½ in)
    Height: 4.97 m (16 ft 3 ½ in) with launch sled
                    14,54 m (47 ft 7 ¾ in) with erected ramp
    Ground clearance: 56,5 cm (22¼ in)
    Suspension: Longitudinal torsion bars
    Fuel capacity: 860 Liter (190 imp gal, 230 US gal)

Armor:
    20–180 mm (0.79 – 7 in)

Performance:
    Maximum road speed: 34 km/h (21 mph)
    Operational range: 120 km (75 mi) on road
                                  80 km (50 mi) off road
    Power/weight: 10,08 PS/ton

Engine:
    V-12 Maybach HL230 P30 with 600 hp/441 kW

Transmission:
    Maybach eight-speed OLVAR OG40-1216B gearbox

Armament:
    None installed


1:72 Sd.Kfz. 282 'Rampenwagen I', vehicle 'R(ampe) 02', attached to the Luftwaffe's JG 400; Nabern unter Teck (Southern Germany), mid-1945 (What-if/kitbashing) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Sd.Kfz. 282 'Rampenwagen I', vehicle 'R(ampe) 02', attached to the Luftwaffe's JG 400; Nabern unter Teck (Southern Germany), mid-1945 (What-if/kitbashing) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Sd.Kfz. 282 'Rampenwagen I', vehicle 'R(ampe) 02', attached to the Luftwaffe's JG 400; Nabern unter Teck (Southern Germany), mid-1945 (What-if/kitbashing) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Sd.Kfz. 282 'Rampenwagen I', vehicle 'R(ampe) 02', attached to the Luftwaffe's JG 400; Nabern unter Teck (Southern Germany), mid-1945 (What-if/kitbashing) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

[zenrat]

 

[PR19_Kit]

Very impressive Thomas. And wholly believable too.