Author Topic: Death-trombone of Marseilles – fact or fiction? (Read 14957 times)

MaxHeadroom · « **Reply #25 on:** February 01, 2015, 12:23:06 AM »

Thank you uarkram for your interesting characterization!

And thanks for being interested in my project.

I'm only following the german tradition of "mad scientist" (greetings from Dr. Strangelove).

Weren't a number of the german Wunderwaffen a product of walking on the fine line between genius and madness?
Thats why I think, it isn't totally absurd to concieve of the possibility, german engineers in WW 2 hadn't tried to construct a ray gun or a sonic gun.

Norbert

elmayerle · « **Reply #26 on:** February 01, 2015, 11:06:09 AM »

Beautiful piece of "interpretive engineering" in trying to figure out what such a legend might look like.

*wry chuckle* It probably says something unpleasant about my sense of humor that the title of this topic always makes me think of the song "76 Trombones" that starts with "76 trombones met the morning sun..."

MaxHeadroom · « **Reply #27 on:** February 02, 2015, 03:28:44 AM »

Why "unpleasant", elmayerle?
O.k., I must confess, I don't know the song you told about.
Please explain.

"Interpretative engineering" is well said; you also can use the term "experimental archeology".

I like such things: thinking over how it might have works, how it might have looks and trying...
NO!! I don't want to build it in 1 to 1 scale!

Norbert

elmayerle · « **Reply #28 on:** February 02, 2015, 07:48:12 AM »

"76 Trombones" is from the musical, and movie, "The Music Man", about a fast talking (and less than ethical) musical instrument salesman in a a small town (River City, though I don't remember what US state it's supposed to be in, Indiana, I think) and it's somewhat his master sales pitch; he ends up falling for the town librarian and reforming. That something so light hearted could be associated with a weapon is why I said "unpleasant".

I do enjoy how this is going and, given some of the other odd items the Germans were working on, such a weapon concept is not implausible.

MaxHeadroom · « **Reply #29 on:** February 03, 2015, 12:44:44 AM »

thx, elmayerle

MaxHeadroom · « **Reply #30 on:** February 04, 2015, 01:13:58 AM »

Now an overview with all the components of the sonic gun train:

(I've tried to hide the most of my chaotic worktable.

)

The parts are primed with ordinary grey primer by spraycan (from a hardwareshop) and coloured with "german dark yellow" as the base for the camouflage.
Above you see the parts of the funnel for the later folded transport version, the white (only primed) cones are for inside the funnel(s), cause the sonic gun is not simply a horn, it's a giant "Druckkammerlautsprecher" (I don'know the english word for; maybe: "pressure-chamber speaker"? "loud-hailer"?).
In the middle, you see the lower part of the StuG III still for the friction drive. This will be cut off and closed with plastic sheet.
On the left, you see the "pyramid" of the "ready to use"-funnel with the hinges, important for folding it. Two sides have it's hinges outside, two sides have it's hinges inside.

Any questions?

Norbert

MaxHeadroom · « **Reply #31 on:** February 18, 2015, 05:33:01 AM »

Now pics of the trombone on the trailer in both conditions: folded and ready to rumble (both without the final camouflage until now).

First the unfinished folded version to show the cone inside:

and

And the other version:

and

(as I'd said: 4 to 4 meters in a square)

The hydraulic jacks are made by toothpicks. Putting the toothpicks into a Dremel's collet and sliding with a fingernail-file over it's surface, I'd made the typical view of hydraulic columns.
Both versions have it's own hydraulics to change them as the trailer's load and use it as the fixation on the trailer and its holders, and to show the different views of the heights of both conditions.
On the trailer's left side of the platform you see the electric pump with the cover of the electric engine and the pressure tube/barrel of the hydraulic oil pump.
There won't be a lot of oil needed, because the hydraulic columns having walls massive enough to fullfill it's 2nd task: stabilising the speaker on the trailer during the transport.
Because the highspeed of the Stug III in armed version only was 30 kms/h it maybe will have a Vmax of 20, maybe 25 kms/h with both trailers, the electric powerplant trailer and the trombone trailer: so there won't be strong forces to the structure.
(Don't worry: if the trombone-train will be transported by the Reichsbahn, the speaker will be secured additionally on the trailer and on the car! There were specific instructions for.

)

Norbert

Buzzbomb · « **Reply #32 on:** February 18, 2015, 09:45:37 AM »

This is interesting to see develop

Every time I read this thread I think of Back to the Future and huge amplifier scene

MaxHeadroom · « **Reply #33 on:** February 21, 2015, 04:05:51 AM »

Thanks, buzzbomb, and thank you remember me to Back to the Future (could at scene out of BttF be an inspiration for a build?

).

Now, busy by connecting all the parts, I'd realized, I'd forgotten two connections: the mouthes for the trailers' towbars - one at the StuG, the other at the power-plant-trailer.
O.k., the problem in 1:76 is...: you're right; the problem is 1:76!
Using other words: making the mouthes tiny enough to make them as realistic as possible, on the other hand making them big enough to be workable.
I got it!

But now the "eyes" of the towbars were much too big to fit into the clutch (is "clutch" a correct word [in german, we say "Kupplung" = clutch]?).
Now, I'd maked new eyes.
Pics will follow.

Norbert

MaxHeadroom · « **Reply #34 on:** February 22, 2015, 02:19:59 AM »

Now the pics.

The winding train:

Now the connections fits:

Thank of the new "eyes":

The couplings with their fixing bolts:

I think, to have cut off the coupling from the trailer's backside and glue it a bit higher again.
Sorry for seeing it so late.

Norbert

Buzzbomb · « **Reply #35 on:** February 22, 2015, 11:59:55 AM »

This is coming along terrific

MaxHeadroom · « **Reply #36 on:** February 25, 2015, 05:29:10 AM »

O.k., more terrific.

Or better: two more little things (but nevertheless quite important).
Two ladders.

To climb on the generator's platform, the crew needs a ladder.
And to climb to the solenoid, to plug in or to plug off the power-cables, the operator needs a ladder, too.

First both ladders at one view:

The left one is fixed and stabilized with two bars below the platform.
To build the right one, I was forced to make it movable, because I only have one trailer for the two funnel conditions.
On the pic above, you see the transport status.

2nd; trombone-trailer-ladder freezed in motion:

3rd; same ladder in ready-for-use mode:

If someone likes to know, how I have made it movable and what kind of hinge, I have puzzled, just ask and I will do a sketch and show it.

Norbert

Buzzbomb · « **Reply #37 on:** February 25, 2015, 06:03:26 AM »

and of course one of these somewhere

The big red button

MaxHeadroom · « **Reply #38 on:** March 05, 2015, 08:29:43 AM »

With the exception of a base, the death-trombone of Marseilles now is ready!
Airbrushed with german dark-yellow, camouflaged with the correct shades of green and brown and after applying some few decals, I proudly present my version of one of the most mysteriously and unknown Wunderwaffe of the Wehrmacht.

Under transport-condition:

Ready to "shoot":

And at last, because it was invisible some pics before, the speaker's cone inside:

The icon-decal at the left side shows a bat in front of a halfmoon and a cloud, symbolizing the silent hunter ---> the unhearable death and destruction, the death-trombone was invented for.
O.k., bats are hunting for their victims by ultrasound and the trombone works with infrasound, but nevertheless: silent!

With the base, I will add a crew.

Norbert

Buzzbomb · « **Reply #39 on:** March 05, 2015, 01:05:30 PM »

Love it

nice work all around

MaxHeadroom · « **Reply #40 on:** March 07, 2015, 02:21:28 AM »

O yes, it was fun!

But now, I have a problem about the road-train's base.
'Cause I really don't know how the base might look; the mediterranian coast of France is characterized by a Karst topography and known for farming for frangrances...
Should I build a rocky landscape with a street alongside a scarp or a macadam-covered street across a field of lavender...? I really don't know!
And: how to make rocks? How to make lavender (in 1:76)?

Hmmm..., time will come and brings enlightenment. :)

Norbert

Dr. YoKai · « **Reply #41 on:** March 08, 2015, 03:40:04 AM »

It certainly looks the business! In any case, a natural setting is probably easier to model than a reviewing stand full of Heer High-ups in Headphones...

Antonio Sobral · « **Reply #42 on:** March 08, 2015, 04:58:08 PM »

Hi Norbert

Really really great!

I would vote for the rocky landscape option!
As for lavender @ 1/76 I would suggest consulting the catalogue of some
Railroad modelling brand (Noch is my favorite). They have very interesting stuff
That can be used.

Brian da Basher · « **Reply #43 on:** March 15, 2015, 12:39:39 AM »

That's certainly the deadliest trombone I've ever seen!

You really turned this one into a prize-winner with that excellent camo!

Brian da Basher

Camthalion · « **Reply #44 on:** March 17, 2015, 03:06:07 PM »

Very nice


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Author Topic: Death-trombone of Marseilles – fact or fiction? (Read 14957 times)