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Modification of @thomas_jenkins_bricks fantastic A-wing design to better fit the blueprints and scale of inthert’s X-wing. Taking into consideration that the X-wing is 37 studs long and length of Lego A-wing=Length of Lego X-wing×Ratio=37 studs×0.552=20.4 studs, so the target length of the model ended up being ~20 studs long. Almost get a chibi vibe from it, the nose section could’ve been done a bit better imo but it’s alright. Also shoutout to @m_br1cks for his advice and support during the build process.
A Moorhen has taken over an abandoned Coots nest on Smithy Pool and is busy carrying out some modifications.
as you can see....I add some stuff to make them looks better
space batman : I add a little pad on it to make it looks more like the Lego Batman 3 version
Green Lantern : I put an green stud on his right hand and I pant the legs like....four sides and it looks pretty nice :)
Sinestro : same as the Green Lantern but the stud is in the left hand :)
If we make all our trees look exactly the same, it won't look natural. So let's look at some modifications that can be made to break the pattern. Some of these modifications can also help if you are short on certain parts, or want to use colors that doesn't have certain elements.
First some variations of the trunk. Instead of the standard telescope trunk, we could use technic connectors. It gives a thicker, straighter trunk, but is a bit more complicated to connect to your build. Another option is to use a regular bar, which gives a very thin trunk. We can also just use straight up 1x1 round bricks, and possibly mix in some 1x1 round plates in the mix. This works well if we want to do a tree with shifting colors, like a birch or similar.
There are also endless possibilities to modify the canopy. Instead of building an anchor shape from 1x2 plates we can use more round plates as in the top left. For colors like olive green we can't use a 2x2 round plate, but can instead use a 3x4 leaf element. The leaf is then hung from the top right hole of the leaf element. We can also just alter the orientation of the regular design, as shown in the bottom left, where we have put the anchor shape on the right side. It is a very small change, but still helps to break the pattern.
Also just want to point out that the 6 stem piece does come in different colors, so if you are building a canopy in dark orange, you may want to use a 6 stem piece in dark orange as well, as the green can sometimes be seen through the canopy.
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Read on Eurobricks here.
I guess you'va all heard of evil people doing bad things to innocent bricks. Cutting bits off with a fretsaw, poking holes, or grinding and sanding just for the fun of it.
This is nothing like that. Here we see Mike making careful modifications to two 1x1 bricks to imitate corrugated steel, because Lego doesn't make them like this - yet.
Addition to Toy Project Day 3559
Really loving this new dragon from Ninjago the Stormbringer. Gave it some of my own modifications :D Mod process is on youtube youtu.be/25tk0wNlqA0
I wanted to create a mohawk
and the rest was only waste
but then I notice that you can use it
as a hairline for helmets
Tada it looks Awesome ....
Just another hawk. Modification of agile hawk by tokyo tag team. His agile hawk was my way out of my dark ages (look at my first pics). In 2016 I build a first modified hawk, now same model but other color theme.
www.72dpi.com/gallery/j-marieboyer.
Site Web - www.fidjlin.com/jmboyer/
"Copyright © – Jean-marie Boyer
The reproduction, publication, modification, transmission or exploitation of any work contained herein for any use, personal or commercial, without my prior written permission is strictly prohibited. All rights reserved."A
Did this thing. Sawed the elbow nugget in half, inserted a piece of copper pipe inside and done: the joint rotates!
Now I'll need to figure out what to do to the legs and Iria will be even better. Though, I might not do anything at all.
Modification of the original #75182 and #7679 Lego sets.
The colour scheme has been adapted to urban conflicts by mixing light and dark blueish greys.
Additional details have been added in multiple places. Most studs have been hidden.
Some bricks were changed and the global shape has been slightly adapted to match available parts and become smoother.
Look at the size difference.
No Bothan died bringing you this information.
Modification of the original #75182 Lego set.
The colour scheme has been adapted to urban conflicts by mixing light and dark blueish greys. Marking of the 212th Battalion have been added.
Additional details have been added in multiple places. Most studs have been hidden.
Some bricks were changed and the global shape has been slightly adapted to match available parts and become smoother.
No Bothan died bringing you this information.
Et voilà!
Originally, I wanted him to be human. But like I said, his previous ears were already so beautiful, they just had to be refined! :D
Presenting; Feeple65 Roke, Elf version.
Modifications by the talented J&CEntangled. :)
My own modifications to the lego set 76124 War Machine Buster. Modified the articulation for the knees and arms :D The torso is relatively untouched.
Build Video on youtube
Modified version of the LEGO Brick Bank (#10251).
There's now an ATM and the additional floor provides room for an insurance agent, who might not be the most respectable one.
I'm not sure why I spent the morning working on this but I did. Regarding the discussion here: www.flickr.com/groups/33116133@N00/discuss/72157603973680...
The question was posed by theBWproject "Has anyone looked into rewiring the Big Shot to be able to run a sync cord to a new flash?" To which TimmyToucan replied "Don't think so... I know next to nothing about how the magicubes work, but as far as I can tell the camera just shoots a little plastic nub into the flash to set off the charge.
No spark, no current, no metal contacts = no external flash."
TimmyToucan was wrong!
Basically, as shown above, you need to pop open a magicube and slice open the sync chord for your flash. Smash one flash bulb (I smashed mine in a Mello's Popcorn bag so that glass wouldn't go everywhere) and put the metal "post" back into the plastic. Wrap one of the copper wires around the post. Wrap the other around the metal paper clip business in the middle of the flash and WHAMO. It should sync with the shutter just fine. Got it?
Someone with a flash meter will need to figure out the next step: how much light the MagiCube puts out and thus how bright your flash needs to be.
It's not an elegant solution but it works. I don't have any film left at the moment. If someone uses this method please send me a link to the final photo result.
Hope I just saved you a TON of money on MagiCubes.
... and discharge into the slipstream for free distribution! For example, the Patent 4.412.654 patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect2=PTO1&Sect2=H...
Just thought I'd try to modify the Phase 1 Visor to look a bit more like the Phase 2. It's a bit rough though.
Prague (République Tchèque)
Website : www.fluidr.com/photos/pat21
www.flickriver.com/photos/pat21/sets/
"Copyright © – Patrick Bouchenard
The reproduction, publication, modification, transmission or exploitation of any work contained here in for any use, personal or commercial, without my prior written permission is strictly prohibited. All rights reserved."
"Helmut Werner Bönsch, BMW's director of product planning, and Alex von Falkenhausen, designer of the M10 engine, each had a two-litre engine installed in a 1600-2 for their respective personal use. When they realized they had both made the same modification to their own cars, they prepared a joint proposal to BMW's board to manufacture a two-litre version of the 1600-2. At the same time, American importer Max Hoffman was asking BMW for a sporting version of the 02 series that could be sold in the United States.
As per the larger coupe and 4-door sedan models, the 2.0 engine was sold in two states of tune: the base single-carburetor 2002 producing 75 kW (101 hp) and the dual-carburetor high compression 2002 ti producing 89 kW (119 hp). The 2002 Automatic, with the base engine and a ZF 3HP12 3 speed automatic transmission, became available in 1969.
In 1971, the Baur cabriolet was switched from the 1.6 L engine to the 2.0 L engine to become the 2002 cabriolet, the Touring hatchback version of the 02 Series became available with all engine sizes available in the 02 Series at the time and the 2002 tii was introduced (only 422 examples made) as the replacement for the 2002 ti. The 2002 tii used the fuel-injected 97 kW (130 hp) engine from the 2000 tii, which resulted in a top speed of 185 km/h (115 mph). A 2002 tii Touring model was available throughout the run of the tii engine and the Touring body, both of which ended production in 1974.
The 2002 Turbo was launched at the 1973 Frankfurt Motor Show. This was BMW's first turbocharged production car. It produced 127 kW (170 hp) at 5,800 rpm, with 240 N⋅m (177 lbf⋅ft) of torque. The 2002 Turbo used the 2002 tii engine with a KK&K turbocharger and a compression ratio of 6.9:1 in order to prevent engine knocking. Kugelfischer mechanical fuel injection was used, with integrated boost enrichment feature. The 2002 Turbo was introduced just before the 1973 oil crisis, therefore only 1,672 were built." - info from Wikipedia.
"The idea of founding AutobauAG came to the enthusiast and racing car driver Fredy Lienhard through a key experience. He guided the children of an elementary class to see his private car collection and saw the enthusiasm and joy of the children. From this experience, Fredy Lienhard has developed the idea of making her collection a museum open to the public. The renovated, high-quality plant - the old tanks factory - offers an exciting historical backdrop.
Visitors can safely approach the cars, and under the supervision of the guides, are allowed to enter many of the cars on display, taking pictures and looking under the bonnets. The museum is constantly evolving, includes over 100 vehicles, in addition to the special collection dedicated to the Sauber Formula1.
Fredy Lienhard, well-known and appreciated in the racing world, founded in 1968 Lista Racing racing in many categories (Formula 2, Can-Am, IMSA, 24 Hours of Daytona, etc) active until 2008.
His company LISTA produces drawer systems and other furnishing components for offices and mechanical workshops, and nowadays almost all car manufacturers use these equipment, including the various Formula 1 stables such as Ferrari, McLaren and Sauber." - info from Automotive Museums.
During the summer of 2018 I went on my first ever cycling tour. On my own I cycled from Strasbourg, France to Geneva, Switzerland passing through the major cities of Switzerland. In total I cycled 1,185 km over the course of 16 days and took more than 8,000 photos.
Now on Instagram.
Become a patron to my photography on Patreon.
A heavy modification of the 10265 Mustang Fastback. I wanted to pay tribute to one of my favorite movie cars of all time. (Update: less than 24 hrs old and already made numerous improvements)
Limiting discipline to behavioral modification by a system of rewards and punishments may be effective in the short term, but may well lead to rebellion in the end. Children are not laboratory rats that can be conditioned by stimuli to behave in a certain way – they are precious and unique creatures of God, who has vested them with personal worth and dignity. If we respect and embrace this larger relational context, we stand a much better chance of reaping a relationship with our child that continues far beyond the childhood and growing-up years. - Andrea Kostenberger
This Sony RX100-II camera was in a carton of items given to me by someone reducing their photo equipment inventory. A problem with the protective slats that open and close over the lens corrected itself after several sessions of shooting. The camera works great but was a bit disappointing when used for macro work, having a somewhat limited range of magnification. Plus... without a viewfinder it's difficult to use in bright sunlight. Here it's shown after having some work done to enhance its usefulness for really close macro work.
To get more magnification I wanted to use supplemental lenses mounted on, or in front of the primary lens. The instructions that came with a Sony VFA49R1 lens filter adapter kit mentions that nothing weighing more than 30 grams can be mounted on the front of the lens. Hanging a heavier load can result in damage to the lens drive mechanism and its alignment. This situation was avoided by modifying an objective retaining ring from a junk Hanimar 135mm f/2.8 lens to allow mounting onto the Sony's function ring. This ring (58mm) holds the Hanimar's objective, and because of it's unusual construction... 5/8" deep and fully threaded, I was able to bore it out (while retaining half of its threaded portion), to allow press fitting onto the slighter larger "function" ring on the front of the Sony's body. My often-used method of applying super glue or epoxy wasn't an option because these materials would have crept into places where they shouldn't go, disabling the ring's function selection feature. The ring still had to function... not be locked in place.
Viewing the image large, the added rings are, moving out
from the Sony's lens ID ring (small red "T"):
* Hanimar 135mm f/2.8 objective ring,
* 62mm-62mm reversing ring ( knurled edges, orange dots),
* 62mm-58mm step-down ring,
* 58mm empty filter rings from junk filters (4),
* 58mm-52mm step-down ring... allows fitting a variety of supplemental lenses... all rigged with 52mm mounting rings. The black finish was wire-wheeled off the rings to brighten things up a bit. When the camera is turned on its lens extends to within 6mm of the front of the outermost ring, leaving enough room to stay clear of supplemental lenses that might be mounted. To operate the camera's function ring you simply turn the whole ring "stack". Press fitting the Hanimar ring onto the function ring had to be done VERY carefully to prevent cracking or disabling the playback screen. The inside of the Hanimar was bored out to be nearly, but not quite the same as the knurled Sony ring. A "scary" amount of force was required to bind the two rings together. The fit is so tight that only explosives will ever separate them.
Anyone wanting to try working this modification, using the camera's function ring as an anchor point for a supplemental lens mount "kluge", should do so carefully. It will definitely void any warranty, and you could trash a perfectly good, fully functioning camera before your work is done.
DSC-6166G
Modification of an earlier upload. I have cropped it a little and added a little colour. Its just a flash shot of a dripping tap (faucet). The secret is in the timing.
Any Ideas to make it look any more Russian (other than "loose the rails").
It's the German-made MP5 modified to fire the 7.62x25 round and fire slightly faster at 900 RPM. It has an 80 round drum magazine.
Work in progress:
modifications of 'Taiga' face mold, sculpting on the cast porcelain part - progressing.
Рабочий процесс:
модификации модели лица "Тайга", изменение скульптуры на фарфоровой отливке - продолжение.
The Lake Placid Tower in Lake Placid, Florida, formerly named Placid Tower, Tower of Peace or Happiness Tower, is a closed observation tower 240 feet (73.2 m) tall according to early sources (before 1982) or 270 feet (82.3 m) tall according to late sources (after 1986). However, no physical modification of the tower occurred in the interim that would explain a 30-foot increase in height. It rests on ground 142 feet (43 m) above sea level (NAVD 88). As a warning to aircraft, the top of the tower, including antennae, is stated to be 392 feet (119.5 m) above sea level by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Thus, the height of the tower above ground, including antennae, is 250 feet (76.2 m) (392–142=250), which excludes a 270-foot architectural height, allowing only a 240-foot architectural height. Counting the tower's 8-inch (20.3 cm) courses yields a height above ground of 235–236 feet (71.6–71.9 m), so the lowest few feet of the 240-foot height, those resting on the foundation, are underground, providing space for an elevator pit.
According to early sources the tower has three observation levels, at 192 feet (58.5 m) behind windows, at 200 feet (61.0 m) on an open air balcony, and at 225 feet (68.6 m) in the open air crow's nest, Eagle's Nest, or Birds eye vantage point on top of the elevator shaft but below roof tracery. The apex of the tower is a flashing red aircraft warning light. The tower is 360 feet (110 m) above sea level according to two late sources, the latter stating that that elevation applies to the eagle's nest, which is consistent with the crow's nest elevation of early sources (142+225=367≈360). The tower offered a 40-mile (65 km) panoramic view.
Earnest Oakley Hunt dreamed of building an observation tower when he moved to Orlando in 1938, then moved to Sebring in 1947 and found the perfect location in nearby Lake Placid. He and Robert Gray formed Air View Corporation to build the tower. The tower was designed by architect A. Wynn Howell of Lakeland, built by Ridge Builders of Sebring in 1960 for $350,000 (equivalent to $2,300,000 in 2018), and opened January 1, 1961. Most sources state that it was the tallest concrete block structure in the world when it opened, with 90,000 concrete blocks, but the magazine Florida Architect states that it was built of reinforced concrete. One source states that the tower included 100,000 limestone blocks from Ocala while another states that it was faced with ceramic tile, implying that the tower has a facade of limestone tile.
The tower below the balcony is 25 feet 4 inches (7.72 m) square, with its four vertical corners replaced by grooves (each 8 inches (20 cm) per side). The section above the balcony is 21 feet (6.40 m) square, also with corner grooves. Each wall is divided into vertical thirds. The outer thirds are composed of reinforced concrete blocks with a facade of limestone tile.
The middle thirds are composed of decorative breeze or fence concrete blocks. The tower has a foundation made from 520 cubic yards (400 m3) of concrete reinforced with 80,000 pounds (36,000 kg) of steel. The tracery atop the tower is made of gold anodized aluminum.
Because of low ticket sales, the tower closed in 1982 when the owner would not pay their Internal Revenue Service taxes, but it was re-opened in 1986. The small group of owners still faced sluggish sales, and the tower and its restaurant continued to struggle, despite features such as a petting zoo in its plaza, and a pay phone at the top billed as the "highest pay phone in Florida."The last owner who operated the tower as a tourist attraction was Lake Placid Tower Group owned by Mark Cambell since 1992. He sold it to CHL Tower Group on November 6, 2003 which has operated it as a cell phone tower ever since. Even though the tower closed about 2003, it still has two red "OPEN" signs at its top, facing north and south
Originally, the tower above the balcony had the same basic design scheme as that below it. But after the tower closed, the portion of the tower from the balcony up was redesigned with a white and cyan (blue-green) color scheme. The limestone tile of the outer thirds of the walls was covered with white stucco, and the middle thirds were covered with thin cyan-colored panels which blocked the bird's eye view. These panels covered the two opposing triangular openings in the middle third of each wall and the breeze or fence blocks between them. The roof tracery above and the balcony below them were also painted cyan.
The Tower View restaurant at the base of the tower closed in 2015. The tower is among 35 designated Lake Placid historic structures. It is one of three towers in Central Florida, including the Citrus Tower, built in 1956, 100 miles (160 km) to the north in Clermont, and Bok Tower, built in 1929, 50 miles (80 km) to the north in Lake Wales.
Credit for the data above is given to the following website:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Placid_Tower
© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.
For the last two weeks i've been working on this Lego 10255 Assembly Square modification. I managed in getting three original sets. The last set was delivered yesterday and so i could go one with this build. As you can see the ground floor is still a large hole. Only the corners are both the original café! Left side is mirrorbuilt. I had to add few tan plates to get a sturdy floor. Still working on the backside.. i made a bay window, but i'm not sure about that yet, so no pictures from that side yet! The rest of the building will be revealed soon.. i hope my idea gives a lot of people inspiration for modifying this set into a slightly different street! So far the whole MOD is 136 studs wide... but i will add another 16 studs to that, so the total will be 152 studs wide!
Any comments, suggestions?
The Mark I was the world's first tank - a tracked, armed, and armoured vehicle - to enter combat. The name "tank" was initially a code name to maintain secrecy and disguise its true purpose. The Mark I entered service in August 1916, and was first used in action on the morning of 15 September 1916 during the Battle of Flers-Courcelette, part of the Somme Offensive.
British heavy tanks in World War I were distinguished by an unusual rhomboidal shape with a high climbing face of the track, designed to cross the wide and deep trenches prevalent on the battlefields of the Western Front. Due to the height necessary for this shape, an armed turret would have made the vehicle too tall and unstable. Instead, the main armament was arranged in sponsons at the side of the vehicle. Females were armed only with machine-guns; males were fitted with cannons in the sponsons (or barbettes as some describe them).
The Mark II incorporated minor improvements over the Mark I. With the Army declaring the Mark I still insufficiently developed for use, the Mark II would continue to be built, but would be used only for training. Due to this intended role, they were supposedly clad in unhardened steel, though some doubt was cast on this claim in early 1917. Initially, 20 were shipped to France and 25 remained at the training ground at Wool in Dorset; the remaining five were kept for use as test vehicles. As the promised Mark IV tanks had not arrived by early 1917, it was decided to ship the 25 training vehicles in Britain to France, where they joined the other 20 Mark IIs and 15 Mark Is at the Battle of Arras in April 1917. The Germans were able to pierce the armour of both the Mark I and Mark II tanks at Arras with their armour-piercing machine-gun ammunition.
The Mark IIs were built from December 1916 to January 1917 by Foster & Co and Metropolitan (25 Male and 25 Female respectively). The chief external differences from Mark I lay in the tail wheels, which were not used on Marks II and III and later heavy tanks, the narrower driver's cab and the 'trapezoid' hatch cover on the roof.
The sole surviving example of a Mark II, seen above, was originally built as a Male Tank, No. 785 and it took part in the Battle of Arras. Various features, in particular a hinged hatch on the cab roof and internal modifications show that this tank subsequently served in the supply role.
The vehicle returned to the UK after the war and was exhibited as a gate guardian at Chertsey for some years. Around this time it was modified to resemble a Mark I, complete with tail wheel assembly and fitted with sample male and female sponsons. In this guise it was subsequently delivered to the Tank Museum, bearing the name HMLS (His Majesty's Land Ship!) Dragonfly.
With the arrival at the museum of the Mark I Hatfield Tank, the above vehicle reverted to a Mark II, although it remained a hermaphrodite, and was later renamed Flying Scotsman when the lettering was detected beneath later layers of paint. Strangely there is no trace of the name Flying Scotsman in 6th Battalion records.
+++ DISCLAIMER +++
Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based on historical facts. BEWARE!
Some background:
The Sd.Kfz. 124 Wespe (German for "wasp", also known as Leichte Feldhaubitze 18/2 auf Fahrgestell Panzerkampfwagen II (Sf.), "Light field howitzer 18 on Panzer II chassis (self-propelled)"), was a German self-propelled gun developed and used during the Second World War. During the Battle of France in 1940 it became apparent that the intermediate tank of the German forces, the Panzer II, had become unsuitable as a main battle tank and outdated. Though mechanically sound, it was both under-gunned and under-armored, and its small size prevented heavier armament and armor so that its development potential was limited. The chassis, however, proved serviceable for providing mobility to the 10.5 cm field howitzer, and important artillery weapon.
The design for the Wespe was produced by Alkett, based on the Panzer II Ausf. F chassis. Among other modifications the Panzer II's engine was moved forward, and the chassis slightly lengthened to accommodate the rear-mounted 10.5 cm leFH 18 howitzer. The boxy superstructure was left open at the top and rear and only lightly armored, with 10 mm armor plate, which was just enough to stop small arms fire. The vehicles were produced by FAMO's Ursus plant in Warsaw from February 1943 until June 1944, when Soviet forces approached the frontier. By that time, 676 had been produced. An additional 159 gun-less Wespe Munitionsträger were produced, too, to serve as mobile artillery ammunition carriers.
The Panzer II chassis also found use for the design of tank hunters: Existing chassis were converted to self-propelled artillery vehicles, such as the Marder II ("marten" in English). The latter was built on the basis of the original Panzer II chassis (with the engine at the rear) in two versions, the first mounted a modified Soviet 7.62 cm gun firing German ammunition, which had been acquired in significant numbers during the German advances the Ostfront, while the other mounted the German 7.5 cm PaK 40 gun. Its high profile and thin open-topped armor provided minimal protection to the crew, though. Nevertheless, the Marder II (as well as the similar Marder III, which was based on the Czech T-38 chassis) provided a great increase in mobility and firepower over contemporary German tanks during 1942 and into 1943.
By early 1944 the war situation had worsened for Germany and ever heavier tanks, esp. at the Eastern Front, appeared. The PaK 40 was effective against almost every Allied tank until the end of the war, only struggling to penetrate heavier vehicles like the Russian IS tanks, the American M4A3E2 Sherman 'Jumbo' assault tank and M26 Pershing, and later variants of the British Churchill tank. More firepower was needed, but the powerful new 88 mm PaK 43 was in short supply or earmarked for use in heavy battle tanks, which had received priority from the Oberkommando. An alternative anti-tank was the 7.5 cm KwK 42 L/70, the main armament of the Panther medium battle tank and of the Jagdpanzer IV self-propelled anti-tank gun. On the latter it was designated as the "7.5 cm Panzerabwehrkanone 42" (7.5 cm Pak 42).
The modified 7.5 cm gun had a longer barrel that increased muzzle velocity and operating pressure, resulting in much improved range and penetration. However, the new gun required a new armor-piercing projectile, the PzGr. 39/42. Apart from the addition of wider driving bands it was otherwise identical to the older 7.5 cm PzGr. 39. The wider driving bands added a little extra weight, from 6.8 kg for the old PzGr.39, to 7.2 kg for the new PzGr.39/42. The gun was fired electrically, the primer being initiated using an electric current rather than a firing pin. The breech operated semi-automatically so that after the gun had fired, the empty shell casing was automatically ejected, and the falling wedge type breech block remained down so that the next round could be loaded. Once the round was loaded the breech closed automatically and the weapon was ready to be fired again. Three different types of ammunition were used: APCBC-HE, APCR and HE.
This 7.5 cm Pak 42’s performance was almost equal to the bigger 88 mm PaK 43, and achieved a penetration of 106 mm hardened steel plate angled at 30° from vertical at 2.000 m (vs. 132 mm with the 88 mm PaK 43).
To increase the output of vehicles armed with the new 7.5 cm Pak 42, the Oberkommando ordered the conversion of existing vehicles, so that these reinforcements could be sent to the frontlines as quickly as possible, esp. at the East where the German troops were more and more caught in defensive battles. The chassis that appeared most suitable for this task was the Sd.Kfz. 124 Wespe, due to its internal layout. The 7.5 cm Pak 42’s long barrel (it was almost 5m/more than 16’ long) required a fighting compartment at the vehicle’s rear, with the engine in front of it – and the Wespe turned out to be suitable to accept the long weapon with relatively few modifications.
For the use on the open-top Wespe, the 7.5 cm Pak 42 was combined with the mount and shield of the old towed 7.5 cm PaK 40 gun, and this new construction simply replaced the Wespe’s original 10.5 cm leFH 18 howitzer. The superstructure’s armor was only minimally modified: the front opening was narrowed, because the longer 7.5 cm Pak 42 had a more limited field of fire than the 10.5 cm leFH 18. As a positive side effect, the superstructure’s walls could be slightly reduced in height (about 10 cm/4”) due to the 7.5 cm Pak 42’s lower gun carriage and front shield.
The vehicle’s internal layout and most of the equipment remained the same, just the crew was reduced from five to four, one loader was omitted. To cope with the slightly higher overall weight and the heavier front due to the long barrel, and the necessity to traverse the vehicle to aim, the gear ratio was lowered from 1:7.33 to 1:8 to reduce the stress on final gears and the wheels were replaced with reinforced alternatives that also used less rubber. Due to the smaller rounds, the internal ammunition supply rose from the Wespe’s forty 10.5 cm rounds to fifty-one 7.5 cm rounds, even though space for the crew became scarce when the Jagdwespe was fully loaded. No other armament was carried, even though a defensive 7.92 mm MG 34 machine gun was frequently installed at the commander’s position to the right of the gun, sometimes with a protective armor shield.
Like its basis, the “Jagdwespe”, how this makeshift vehicle was unofficially called, was only lightly protected, but this was intentionally done in order to reduce the overall weight and speed up the production as much as possible. The armor thickness was also limited in order to not adversely affect the vehicle’s overall driving performance, as this was the main point of this vehicle. The use of the Panzer II light tank chassis was another reason why the armor thickness had to be kept minimal, as the added weight could significantly affect its performance.
The front armor of the hull was 30 mm thick and placed at a 75° vertical angle. The sides were 14.5 mm thick, the rear 14.5 mm at 10° horizontal and the bottom was only 5 mm thick. The front superstructure armor was 15 (or 20 mm) thick and placed at a 30° vertical angle. The sides and rear of the superstructure were 15 mm and the top 10 mm thick. The fighting compartment was protected by only 10 mm thick all-around armor. The front armor was placed at 66°, side 73°, and rear 74° vertical angle.
Strangely, the “Jagdwespe” was allocated an individual ordnance inventory designation, namely Sd. Kfz. 125. This was probably done to keep the practice of the Marder family of light Panzerjäger’s taxonomy, which had received individual Sd. Kfz. Numbers, too, despite being based on existing vehicles. Initially, mostly unarmed Wespe artillery ammunition carriers were converted into Jagdwespe SPGs, but later on Wespe SPGs – primarily damaged vehicles that were refurbished – were also modified, and a few of the final newly build Wespe hulls were finished as Sd.Kfz. 125, too. However, since battle tanks still had priority, Jagdwespe production and output was only marginal, and less than 100 vehicles were completed until early 1945.
Like the various Marder versions before that fought on all European fronts of the war, there was a large concentration of the Jagdwespe on the Eastern Front. They were used by the Panzerjäger Abteilungen of the Panzer divisions of the Heer and served as well with several Luftwaffe units to defend airfields. Like the Marders before, the Jagdwespe's weaknesses were mainly related to survivability. The combination of a relatively high silhouette and open-top fighting compartment made them vulnerable to indirect artillery fire, aircraft strafing, and grenades. The armor was also quite thin, making them vulnerable to enemy tanks or infantry with more than light machine guns or pistols.
Operationally, the Jagdwespe was best employed in defensive or overwatch roles. They were neither assault vehicles nor tank substitutes, and the open-top compartment meant operations in crowded areas such as urban environments or other close-combat situations weren't a valid tactical option. But despite their weaknesses, they were more effective than the towed antitank guns they replaced, and the 7.5 cm Pak 42 with the extended barrel meant a significant improvement in firepower. The vehicle was small, easy to conceal for an ambush and relatively agile, so that it could quickly change position after a shot, and the Panzer II chassis was mechanically reliable, what made it popular with its crews.
Specifications:
Crew: Four (commander, gunner, loader/radio operator, driver)
Weight: 12.5 tonnes (27,533 lb)
Length: 4.81 m (15 ft 9 in)
6.44 m (21 ft 1 1/2 in) overall
Width: 2.28 m (7 ft 6 in)
Height: 2.21 m (7 ft 3 in)
Suspension: Leaf spring
Fuel capacity: 170 L (45 US gal)
Armor:
5 - 30 mm (.19 - 1.18 in)
Performance:
Maximum road speed: 40 km/h (25 mph)
Operational range: 220 km (137 mi) on roads
100 km (62 mi) cross-country
Power/weight: 12.7 PS/tonne
Engine & transmission:
6-cyl petrol Maybach HL62 TR with 140 PS (138 hp, 103 kW)
Armament:
1× 7.5 cm Panzerabwehrkanone 42/L 70 (7.5 cm Pak 42) with 51 rounds
1× 7.92 mm MG 34 machine gun with 2.000 rounds
The kit and its assembly:
This relatively simple German WWII what-if SPG was spawned from the thought that the light Wespe artillery SPG might also have been used for an anti-tank SPG, with relatively few modifications. The long-barreled 7.5 cm KwK 42/L70 appeared to be a suitable weapon for this kind of vehicle around 1944, so I tried to build a respective model.
The basis became the Italeri 1:72 “Wespe” kit, which is in fact a re-boxed ESCI kit. It goes together well, and you can build upper and lower hull separately for a final “marriage”. To change the Wespe’s look a little I exchanged the solid OOB wheels with those from a Panzer III, left over from a Revell/Mako kit. They are perfect in size, but due a lack of depth of their attachment openings (I only used the outer half of the Panzer III wheels) I glued them onto the hull before painting, normally I finish them separately and mount them in a final assembly step.
For the gun I had to improvise a little, because the open casemate would allow a good look at it. I settled for a straightforward solution in the form of a Zvezda 1:72 PaK 40. The gun was taken OOB, I just removed the wheel attachment points from its chassis and replaced the short gun barrel with a muzzle brake with a aluminum 1:72 L70 barrel for a Panther Ausf. F (with a Schmalturm) from Aber. Both elements were relatively easy to combine, and the gun shield could be taken over, too. Once the gun mount’s position in the Wespe hull was defined I narrowed the front opening a little with styrene wedges, added a deflector at its base, and reduced the height of the side walls for a coherent look. All in all the transplant looks very plausible!
Since the kit provides the option I decided to leave the driver’s hatch open and install the OOB driver figure on a raised seat. For the long barrel I scratched a support that was mounted to the front hull. Looks a bit awkward, though, because it obscures the driver’s field of view – but I could not find a better solution.
The only real trouble I had with the Italeri Wespe were the tracks: they were made from a really strange (and effectively horrible) vinyl material. This material repelled EVERYTHING with a kind of lotus effect – paints of any kind, even superglue! My usual method of mounting such tracks on the main wheels did not work at all, because the track would not hold at all. During these trials I also recognized that the tracks were too long – rather unusual, because 1:72 vinyl tracks tend to be too short so that some tension is needed to lengthen them properly. Two molded “links” had to be cut away, and on the kit’s box art you can see the overlength problem when you are aware of it! I guess that the ESCI designers once assumed that the tracks would be closed into a loop (= closing the track and using heat to literally weld it together) first and then forced onto/over the wheels. I was eventually able to outsmart the tracks through the massive use of superglue under the mudguards – while the tracks still do not really stick to the glue, the large surface of the dried instant adhesive keeps the tracks in place and under light tension. Not perfect, but the tracks remain in place…
Painting and markings:
Conservative, once more a variation of the Hinterhalt scheme. Once completed, the still separate hull, gun and shield received an overall base coat with RAL 7028 Dunkelgelb (TS-3 from a rattle can). On top of that I added vertical fields with Olivgrün (RAL 6003, Humbrol 86), and finally I applied branch-like thin stripes with a dark brown (Humbrol 98, which is darker and less reddish than the authentic RAL 8012, for a stronger contrast). The idea was to mimic dense brushes during spring and summertime, and to break up the vehicle’s outlines esp. through the brown lines. Following official camouflage practice the running gear area remained uniform Dunkelgelb, as a counter-shading measure against the upper hull, and to avoid “rotating” and therefore attention-catching color patches on the wheels when the vehicle moved.
Once the camouflage was completed the main wheels received rubber rims (with Revell 09 Anthracite) and the model received a dark red-brown washing. After that, the few decals were applied and overall dry-brushing with a mix of light grey and earth brown acrylic paint was done to emphasize edges and surface details, also on the gun and in the interior. Before their tedious fitting, the vinyl tracks (which came OOB in a metallic grey finish that looked really nice) had received a washing with black and brown acrylic paint as well as dry-brushing with medium grey, too.
A relatively simple and quick project, realized in a couple of days. The concept was quite clear, and thanks to good ingredients the result looks surprisingly plausible, with relatively few and little modifications. The different Panzer III wheels were not a necessary mod, but I like their look, and painting them while being already attached to the hull posed less problems than expected. The only real trouble came through the kit’s vinyl tracks, which I’d call rubbish and recommend a replacement. If they’d be made from a less repellant material, they’d be much easier to mount (and usable). However, the small Jagdwespe really looks like a juvenile Nashorn SPG!
Working on fitting this into a layout I have and the original Castle was too wide for the space so I followed the basic instructions and just about kept everything (had to add in some darker mason bricks to stretch it) to fit in a 4 x 20 space.
I have attended a photography workshop today. We have been shooting with two models down in a secret passage towards the Nymphenburg Castle in Munich. Outside it was 35°C, in this cellar, it was probably around 20°C, so it was a pretty good way to spend this day. Great location, great models, great crew, big time fun.
You might want to check out the whole set: www.flickr.com/photos/svenpetersen1965/sets/7215763482278...
new modification
new faceup
new lens!
next is new wigs,clothes & eyes ~ though I need to plan how my incoming Unoa will look so I can buy it all at once :)