March 2023
Overall, this looks great. Very nice attention to details and I like the way he disconnected the wings.
One issue I see though. How would the wings be loaded with the big parts against the rear of the bed? They could not be slipped into the wooden frame from the rear due to the larger part being forward. The way they are now, the whole wooden cradle, with wings installed, would have to be lifted into the truck bed by a crane. I think it would be more realistic to have the wings and wooden cradle turned around (180 degrees) in the bed. That way the wings could be slid in from the rear.
1 reply
March 2023
▶ HeavyArty
Turning the wings around could possibly put too much weight behind the rear axle.
Redesign the cradle or have the top cross members removable
1 reply
March 2023
▶ Uncle-Heavy
Good point. I hadn’t thought about the weight.
Also, how does the tail wheel of the plane attach to the bed of the truck? If it is allowed to swing as the truck turns, it would strike the wings, potentially damaging them. If fixed and not allowed to swing, turning would be very difficult.
Bottom line, real-world physics is a bitch.
2 replies
March 2023
Amen, Brother
The Nemesis of many a model builder …
March 2023
▶ HeavyArty
No tight turns …
Maybe it could work on an airfield with long sweeping curves and big open spaces.
For regular roads I would suggest a one axle dolly towed by the Blitz.
This would also take a few pounds off the load bed.
Maybe re-purpose one of the Sd.Anh 51 used for light flak like the 20 mm?
It comes with gear to raise the load and everything.
This trailer has way more payload capacity than required for that tail wheel
BUT
it should be readily available on or near an airfield.
March 2023
I found something similar, though the wings are somewhere else:
March 2023
I managed to find a page from a real manual, telling this is the way to tow the plane:
1 reply
March 2023
▶ Uncle-Heavy
That is for sure… The ropes to the landing gear are missing with the model…
1 reply
March 2023
▶ golikell
I get the impression from that diagram that the rudder and tailplanes have been removed from the tail.
If the rudder has been taken off there will be less stuff sticking out behind the tail wheel pivot, i.e. facing towards the truck cab. With the tailplanes and rudder gone the tail of the aircraft will need less space to swing when the truck turns around a corner.
The fixture for the tail wheel would be somewhere halfway between the tail gate and the center of the Opels rear axle. Maybe slightly closer to the tail gate.
1 reply
March 2023
▶ Uncle-Heavy
You are right… They might be very well positioned behind the plane in their own cradle…
March 2023
It would be interesting to see how it actually worked in real life. Definitely no tight turns.
March 2023
I found the full manual:
On pages 181 to 184
The tail plane:
The tail wheel:
This way of transporting was used to bring the plane from the factory to the nearest railwaystation if no railway connection was available. A person should be positioned in the bed of the truck to keep an eye out and if the distance to the railway was more substantial, the wheels should be changed for special transport wheels.
March 2023
as someone who is in the logistics trade i thought the wings were loaded correctly. at least someone has found images in a training manual to back this up.
1 reply
March 2023
▶ Klaus-Adler
My pleasure… The only remark which I am not sure of with the model (apart from the aforementioned ropes) is the length of the bed: this should be 5 m. according to the manual.
1 reply
March 2023
▶ golikell
The bed on the 3-ton Opel Blitz is 3.5 meters long, i.e. too short by 1.5 m
This causes the wing tips to stick out waaayyy too far behind the tail gate and since the
tail wheel is on the load bed it is too far “inboard” on the wings which severely restricts
the turning ability of the combination.
Compare the model photos with the diagrams
1 reply
March 2023
▶ Uncle-Heavy
Plus, the prop should not be on. This dio is a mixture of situations: if the plane had an accident, it would not be transported like this with the elaborate crating of the wings.
But more like this:
https://falkeeins.blogspot.com/2014/04/
But if it would be transported to a railway station/junction, the propellor would not be on…
1 reply
March 2023
To Golikell: GREAT reference that should silence the nay sayers. And GREAT work here!
As to turning radius; is it possible you have located the pivot block for the tail wheel too far forward in the Blitz bed? Seems like it should be on the very rear edge of the bed.
Regards
1 reply
March 2023
▶ 165thspc
Thanks Michael… I like to dig in to these things… I figure that one does not make up those setups and that some reference must be somewhere to be found…
The builder did use some artistic license, however. That is fine, of course, but this leads to these kind of discussions… Which is very educative btw. 
March 2023
What scale?
I presume 1/48th
1 reply
March 2023
▶ 165thspc
If I look at the part number, it is 1:35
It also says on the bottom of the image 
March 2023
▶ Uncle-Heavy
Great find… Nice with the 1:35 Border Emil… 
Edit: Pretty affordable at $60,-
March 2023
Does someone make a 109 in 1/35th?
March 2023
There may be some issues with physics etc but this is fun and eye-catching. It’s also been a great conversation starter!
March 2023
JPTRR
Senior Editor
The great models and concept, or the education you have all contributed to - I don’t know which I am most impressed with.
