1/35th Ersatz Neubaufahrzeug [PzKpfw V/VI (A)]

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Reference: video in this post http://beyondthesprues.com/Forum/index.php?topic=653.msg195234#msg195234

I found this early VISMOD (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vismod) M3 training tank fascinating, as it was obviously based on the Neubaufahrzeug (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neubaufahrzeug). When I started reading up on the original, two things stood out; 1) Pictures of the Neubaufahrzeuge were displayed with different turret models and orientations to fool allied spies and 2) American and Soviet agents independently reported that the Germans had two new heavy tanks, the Panzer V and VI.

So if more than one American copy for training purposes were fabricated, chances are that they mirrored the differences the Nazis released in their propaganda.

I'd been examining the Elements of Style used on the movie star version.

See what I mean?

Fast forward - uncovered a sad TAMIYA M3 Grant (1974) build by someone else.   

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Breaking it down, I started to see where this could go - TAMIYA Centurian sideskirts, a TESTORS M3 Lee Cupola...

A riveted box superstructure to replicate the faux main turret.

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So with the first pile of donor parts laid out, it went from British to fake German colors.


Then the sub-components were roughed out, the VVS suspension requiring spacers on the upper arms to the side skirts would mount verticle.

One thing I notice in that video, the left side of the VISMOD never appears. Hmmm. 

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So, as with any of these cockamammy projects we reach the first real hurdles.

The ersatz glacis is roughed out thusly


... but I'm stuck on what to use to replicate that riveted box that replaces the 75mm sponson.

There's also the issue of the fake sub-turret and the 'main turret guns'.

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So that's where I've stopped. Open to suggestions.

[Frank3k]

You can briefly see the left side: https://youtu.be/taHFUKKKmJM?t=464

For the rivets, take some thin styrene sheet (0.10 or 0.20") put it on neoprene or a self-healing cutting mat and use either a pin, nail or better yet a fine point pen to emboss the rivets from the back.

Sad fact -the guy in the video, Dick Purcell didn't even live to see the end of the war.

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I really need to find that little Panzermann with the goofy beret in my stash.


Ooooooooooooooooooooooooh, now I see it.

Sad fact -the guy in the video, Dick Purcell didn't even live to see the end of the war.

Thank you for this nuclear hand grenade useful in WAIT WAIT DON'T TELL ME or Happy Hour Trival Pursuits.

Has the distinction of being the first man to play Captain America on the screen.

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Placeholder post -

If *I* was tasked with cobbling up something like this in the era, I'd find a 37mm M1916 to use as a big noisemaker.
https://www.forgottenweapons.com/m1916-37mm-gun/
Per the manual, blank rounds were a thing https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USA/ref/FM/PDFs/FM23-75.pdf

Recuperator's on the bottom. Damn.
https://www.hayesotoupalik.com/FT_17_Renault.htm

UPDATE
Going to hypothesize that the primary noisemaker would have been an M1917 37mm, since most of them had cascaded to National Guard units by the time of America's WW2 mobilization but were hopelessly obsolete. Also, I'm lazy and the recuperator's on top of this one.
https://www.forgottenweapons.com/anti-tank-riflescannon/bethlehem-steel-37mm/
 

[finsrin]

Most everything here at BTS is 'different' and this be one of them !

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Most everything here at BTS is 'different' and this be one of them !

[Frank3k]

I don't think any of those are real guns. Maybe a broomstick or pipe or a spare 37mm barrel. The M3 based M31 recovery vehicles had dummy guns that looked real.

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That's the beauty of BTS - the latitude for interpretation is wide and deep.

While the exterior lines of this build follow the intent of the movie star tank, I put myself in the Depot O.I.C.'s size 10s and think "how would I meet the requirements?"

"Need to make a noisy copy of a Nazi tank to shake up the trainees. Ok, what do we got?*"
Sounds just like kitbashing, don't it?

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Character studies for figure builds.