At the end of WWII, the Germans were working on an armored personnel carrier, the
Kätzchen (Google search), based on the Hetzer chassis.
This whiff is based on the design, exported and developed by either Spain or Argentina, shortly after WWII, hence "El Gatito Blindado" - the armored kitten.
The base model is the Academy 1/35 Jagdpanzer 38(t) Hetzer "Late Production Version". The interior uses many parts from awesome Tristar Panzer 38(t) Full Interior set. Since this is an open top vehicle, I had to create the complete superstructure.
Using the line drawings I found online, I used Rhino3D to make a quick outline as a "sanity check", then printed it out of thick paper. I noticed that the walls would be a bit short, so I increased them slightly. I also made the engine and radiator covers. On the original Katzen, the radiator seems to face forward. Since I had the engine and radiator from the Tristar kit, I decided to keep the 38(t) orientation with the radiator to the rear. I then printed everything in ABS... many, many times (I'll show the pile of rejects after I finish the model).
Here's everything tacked on. It turned out to be easier to print four separate walls rather than a single unit (I tried...):
There are few - if any - printing artifacts, in part because I chose a printing orientation that would minimize it, but largely because I painted acetone on the surfaces with a brush, slowly moving the melting plastic around. Once dry, I sanded the parts until they were smooth. I used some of the brim used to hold the print onto the print surface to thicken the back wall. It has a nice, regular pattern that looks like it could be anti-spalling material.
Here's the engine and radiator cover assembly, with the Tristar transmission:
I used Meng bolds, Archer resin cover decals, Eduard PE hinges and parts from the Tristar and Academy kits. The engine and radiator just barely fit in this space, with some room at the top for oil or fuel tanks.
I switched the transmission from right hand drive to left. The control lever is a complex series of PE strips and bits - I ended up using some solder paste to solder them together. The floor is the underside of the brim generated by my 3D printer software to hold parts down. The underside has a pattern that looks like a tread pattern.
This is the engine in place:
This is where I am at the moment. The engine compartment and three of the sides are glued in place, and the drive shaft is connected to the transmission. The driver's seat is just sitting on its support:
The left side wall is a little bowed in; I may be able to fix that. The access port on the floor behind the driver is to cover a spot where I spilled a drop of glue.
Now, there are some issues with this design that make me wonder if it would have been a viable APC. The engine protrudes slightly into the doorway (my fault, but I think it's minor) but where do the troop sit? It's a very tight, knee scraping fit, even on the original:
There's also little room left over for things like fuel tanks (the Tristar kit comes with both) which seem to be behind the troop bench. I have to find room for other equipment, like batteries. I may cram as much as I can by the right side of the compartment and maybe add some bench seats as well.
Thanks for looking!