Got Hitched Campaign

You too? I’ll have to find something else, maybe a VSF/Steampunk railway gun…

(Actually, today I came home to a box which should contain a Celtic chariot amongst other guff; that should do…)

Cheers,

M

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Tasca Panzer II Ausf. L Luchs

Officially coming aboard with cool little tank.

A couple days ago, Asuka announced a new release of this old model. In the associated discussion, I made fun of myself for constantly purchasing new models instead of building ones already in the closet. In this specific case, I let the model sit for 20 years because it comes with soft plastic tracks.

A short time later, I found an old set of Techmod Panzer II Ausf. L tracks on eBay for about $14 US to my door. Deal!

Over the next few days, I found myself really wanting to build this model. Such enthusiasm does not come often. Yesterday, while washing up all the parts, I realized this tank has a tow hitch. Oh, hey!

The plan is to build this as a Luchs used near the end of Operation Citadel, probably with 4th Panzer Division, shortly before these tanks were withdrawn. I have not decided on a trailer but want to use something easy, exotic, and reasonably plausible. Italeri makes a set of two American trailers–cargo and water. Italeri also makes a pair of Anhanger 51s. MiniArt makes 4 different Ben Hur trailers and a bunch of farm wagons. A field kitchen might be fun.

I would really like to build a space howitzer and sculpt some alien dinosaurs but…better safe than sorry.

Edit: American trailers in the Italeri kit date from approximately 1952 so those are out. The Anhanger 51 was designed to haul 20mm ammunition so that is a good option.

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Keeping it period specific, IBG do a fuel trailer:

Bronco did the French UE trailer with a fuel cell:

For the others, these might be a good basis for alien dinosaur/reptiles:

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IBG 35082 Small German Fuel Trailer is a neat little model and is appropriate for a number of models in my stockpile. It will cost approximately $25 US via eBay.

Bronco AB3579 Universal Fuel Tank Trailer is also really neat but rare. I am hoping to find one on eBay.

Most of the Tamiya dinosaurs would make good pulling animals for a fictional project, with or without modification. That is a really good idea! The young dinosaurs pack is very economical and includes two fairly large animals.

I wonder if a Luchs could pull a Kubelwagen, SPW, or Schwimmwagen. Not sure how that would work. Run a chain through the tow hitch and wrap it around the front frame of the towed vehicle? Dangerous when stopping. Maybe use an improvised tow bar?

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The Italeri water trailer is OK for WW2 - it’s the open trailer that is post-war. Still, lots of interesting possibilities!

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Very true. Back in the late '70s when I was venturing into fantasy gaming I made use of the bendy plastic critters found on market stalls either as mounts, draught animals or beasts of burden. The early D&D bestiaries have drawings of some of these as specific critters in that universe. Airfix have also done dinosaur kits, somewhere around I have a Pyro/Lifelike purple Protoceratops part way through an upgrade head transplant, and lurking in the stash is a ginormous Revell Woolly Mammoth awaiting it’s day, although I suspect I will be extinct before that happens…
:mammoth: :sauropod: :t_rex: :bone: :headstone:
Cheers,

M

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The Kubelwagen had a tow point under the frame.

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@barkingdigger Ah! Thank you for that clarification. Online information led me to believe both trailers were post World War II. Now the question is, did the Russians get any?

@MoramarthT Whoa! Did not know Airfix produced dinosaur models. Last night, I discovered that many game companies sell beast of burden type creature miniatures in a wide variety of shapes and sizes.

@brekinapez Thank you for that information! After reading your reply, I went looking for pictures of vehicles towing kubelwagens and discovered the IF8 trailer. It turns out a number of 1/35 scale models come with IF8 trailers. They are also available for 3D printing.

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Did you come across this one?

Cheers,

M

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I am not fond of that sculpt. It looks very dated, like something from the 1980s.

Modern 3D resin printing technology allows artists to produce very elaborate models with lots of overhangs and undercuts. For example, on that animal, the horns were sculpted tucked tight up to the head, allowing easy extraction from the mold. Today, those horns would flare out in a complicated spiral with much more detail.

The underside of the animal is undefined. Again, that was a concession to mold extraction. Today, all that cloth would billow around the animal. The creature would stand a good distance off the ground with details all along the underside. The fur would include many complex cuts.

A search for “Wargame Warbeast” will turn up all sorts of weird and wonderful creatures.

I do a lot of sculpting but am currently looking for a 3D resin printer and expect to produce some crazy stuff starting in 6 to 12 months. :slightly_smiling_face:

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