Beyond The Sprues
Modelling => Ideas & Inspiration => Land => Topic started by: Jeffry Fontaine on May 10, 2014, 10:04:01 AM
-
This seems to be a favourite subject of mine lately and I have been acquiring a variety of 20mm FlaK 30 and Flak 38 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2_cm_Flak_30/38/Flakvierling) kits in addition to the 20mm anti-tank rifles chambered for the 20X138B Solothurn cartridge. It seems that it was not just post war NATO countries that used this weapon but also many of the countries that were part of the Cold War nations affiliated with the Warsaw Pact. So the 20X138B Solothurn (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/20x138mmB) has a long history of military use and as such can be modeled for many nations and eras.
FlaK 30
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/53/Bundesarchiv_Bild_101I-301-1953-24%2C_Seine-et-Oise%2C_Soldaten_mit_Flak-Gesch%C3%BCtz.jpg/300px-Bundesarchiv_Bild_101I-301-1953-24%2C_Seine-et-Oise%2C_Soldaten_mit_Flak-Gesch%C3%BCtz.jpg) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2_cm_FlaK_30)
Clicking on thumbnails will open up the Wikipedia page for the FlaK 2 cm 30/38
FlaK 38
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/26/Bundesarchiv_Bild_101I-219-0597-15%2C_Russland-Mitte-S%C3%BCd%2C_leichte_Flak%2C_Josef_Niemitz.jpg/220px-Bundesarchiv_Bild_101I-219-0597-15%2C_Russland-Mitte-S%C3%BCd%2C_leichte_Flak%2C_Josef_Niemitz.jpg) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2_cm_FlaK_30)
I would also like to add this additional link devoted to the 20mm Flak and Kwk weapons called FlaK 2cm (http://212.178.67.161/avx/sites/flak2cm/) which has a lot of interesting images of the various weapons chambered in 20mm that were in use during WW2. There is also a very nice gallery of images showing the many variations on how this ammunition was loaded into various size boxes ranging from one 5-round magazine to an ammunition box containing 100 rounds in individual cardboard tubes. It amazes me that much of this work was done by some very skilled carpenters and that work shows in the few surviving boxes seen on the various pages at Flak 2cm (http://212.178.67.161/avx/sites/flak2cm/)
-
This certainly has been a popular area. Here's one that is a little less common: Israeli TCM-20 utilising two 20mm Hispano-Suiza HS.404 cannon in a M45 mount:
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/72/TCM-20-hatzerim-2.jpg/1024px-TCM-20-hatzerim-2.jpg)
-
Is M139 relative to this thread object?
-
Is M139 relative to this thread object?
Yes.
-
(https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/j340/ysi_maniac/M113-M139_parts.jpg?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds) (https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/j340/ysi_maniac/M113-M139_parts.jpg?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds)
(https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/j340/ysi_maniac/M114-A1E1_03.jpg?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds) (https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/j340/ysi_maniac/M114-A1E1_03.jpg?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds)
(https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/j340/ysi_maniac/M114-A1E1_04.jpg?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds) (https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/j340/ysi_maniac/M114-A1E1_04.jpg?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds)
(https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/j340/ysi_maniac/M113_M139.png?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds) (https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/j340/ysi_maniac/M113_M139.png?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds)
(https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/j340/ysi_maniac/M114-A1E1_02.jpg?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds) (https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/j340/ysi_maniac/M114-A1E1_02.jpg?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds)
(https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/j340/ysi_maniac/M114-A1E1_01.jpg?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds) (https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/j340/ysi_maniac/M114-A1E1_01.jpg?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds)
I am plannig to install something equal or similar on a M8, subtituting turret, or on a M20 (two superimposed rings, first one fixed to the vehicle and second one that slides over the first one and supports the gun and magazine).
Do you think a reinforced version of the ring used in RW for 12.70 machine gun could cope with recoil of M139?
(https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/j340/ysi_maniac/M8_20_m139.png?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds) (https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/j340/ysi_maniac/M8_20_m139.png?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds)
NOTE: drawings do not refer exactly to what I wrote above.
-
If you are mating the M139 20mm weapon with the turret from the M8 Greyhound it might be better to modify the front of the turret and cut away some of the material from the turret in order to make room for the 20mm cannon mount. This would address the interference issues that appear in your modified images showing the gun above the driver's hatches.
Another option might be to use the M20 Armored Utility Vehicle instead of the M8 Greyhound as your starting point. This would give you a larger area to work with that in turn could be covered with a flat plate and the entire commander's cupola/M139 20mm cannon could then be mounted on top of the vehicle with little to no interference with the driver's hatches.
As for your concerns with weapon recoil. I would imagine the weight of the M139 would address the recoil issues and it would not be a problem for the M20 or M8.
-
Thanks a lot! :smiley: