Generator for German tank painters

Hello all, I am considering a scene with the MiniArt tank painter figures repainting a captured vehicle in the field and was wondering what kind of generator would be used to power the compressor? I know there is a GG 400 and a Zundapp in kit form, would either of these be used? Thanks for your time. Wayne

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Just a bump to see if anyone has any info. Wayne

No idea… but according to this nice site the GG 400 had 12v output:

Guess that in case of doubt, you can just leave the cable going to the edge of your scene :slight_smile:

Yes, I just thought it would look better with the compressor powered by something. No outlets handy in the field. Wayne

Wouldn’t it be something like this? A small petrol powered compressor as in this set:
Miniart – 35596 GARAGE WORKSHOP (miniart-models.com)

That’s an electrical powered compressor, which is why I asked about the power supply. Wayne

I don’t have any picture ref of this but couldn’t they have used auxiliary power from the machine that they were painting?

I believe that the Tiger tank had an on-board air compressor that the crews used to apply camo to their tanks. Not sure.

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verfopwielenspuiten_590


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I did a lot of digging for this info for my diorama in the Mini Art campaign. Couldn’t really find anything on it. Dang those guys for not being forward thinkers (of 76 years) and taking pics for us to use! :grin:

Jesse

Yes, very inconsiderate of them. You’d think they had a war going on or something! :grinning: :grinning:

In one of the old Squadron books there is a statement made that many (Tiger and maybe King Tiger tanks) had built in air compressors. Think these were mostly SS units. Where they hooked the hoses up is unknown to me.
gary

image
i think big panzer engine had air compressor inside to aid brake…i check!

or…

The original question was referring to field units repainting captured vehicles and not being around these other vehicles. An air compressor would be plugged into a generator of some kind.

I read an article stating there was a compressor inside the turret but somehow cannot find any foto pointing out its location.

Captured Soviet tanks like the T-34 and KV that employed the V-12 diesel engine also had built in compressed air starting systems that had, themselves, compressed air storage tanks, etc. The compressed air storage tanks were located in the forward crew compartment areas and external access to them would be through the normal crew hatches (driver’s hatch would be the most convenient for someone standing on the ground, but a turret hatch might be better for someone standing on the hull or turret).

I’m too lazy to search through all the operator and technical manuals (while trying to decipher the Russian language text), but I suspect that there was some method of hooking an air hose to the starting system to use on external compressed air equipment, like paint sprayers or to pump up tires on wheeled vehicles. The driver had a valve system at his station that he used to activate the compressed air starting system.

A simple threaded attachment connected to the air system’s drainage valve (if it wasn’t already so configured) would be easy enough for the German mechanics tasked with preparing any such captured tank for German service to fabricate or piece together in the field.

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Pure speculations by me:
An alternative reason for hooking an air hose to the starting system could be to let another tank provide air pressure to a tank that had lost its own air pressure.

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Maintenance units used trailer mounted air compressors like this one :

http://www.kfzderwehrmacht.de/Homepage_english/Trailers/one-axle_trailers/Grosser_Drucklufterzeuger/grosser_drucklufterzeuger.html

H.P.

Thanks Frenchy, this was the info I was thinking about. Wonder if there is a kit of one out there?
Wayne