V2 - Vengeance From Above

[BigGreg]

Allen... happy that i mdr u laugh... drive safely
Greg

[SimonT]

Hi Allen,

I don't know if of use but I have made louvred panels in the past using a chisel type blade ground to the correct width - line it up and punch it through the pewter

Once you have the slots cut slide a blade through each hole and bend up the side of the slot to form the raised louvre

That panel looks a bit more challenging though as the louvres vary in width

Wouldn't it have made more sense to scratch the cable reels for the back of the Steyr using the flak ones as a pattern rather than robbing them from the kit? :thinking:

[Guest]

Allen,
Just caught up to your build, lots of interesting scratch work going on, with lots of chopping and changing. Louvres, not loofers, the excess brass that comes with the etch, you know that stuff left over that forms the frame. Two bits of plasic square strip with slight grooves cut in at the angle you want, then cut the brass to length (the width is nearly always what you want), slot the brass into top and bottom groove and once dry add the others. Hope this helps.
500 mile drive, not bad, did you sleep for the rest of the day? :hugging-face: I know how you feel, I used to do it and more every day untill I finally retired a couple of years ago, it wears you down, take it easy.
Cheers, MikeC.

[Steve Jones]

Hello mate

Great update. You have alot going on so dont go stcking rocket fins on Opel side panels. Unless you have been at the beer again:smiling5:

Steve

[Allen Dewire]

Sorry for the late replies fine folks as the tropical heat and work has cooked the brain a bit. There seems to be no end in sight either. Over 30° C everyday with no rain in sight. BTW, No driving last Friday as we got a 40 ft. container full of tires (approx 700) to play with…So,

Jim - Thanks Sir and I am wanting to retire in 2 years so I will hopefully get more table time. I did the Dresden trip on Monday and it was only 688 kms total...

Fernando - Thanks my friend and the Maultier is going well. The only prob is the heat and wearing the optivisor. Your forehead sweats like crazy with it on and you can only play for an hour or two as it is so hot.

Scottie - Thanks Buddy! I'm still highly Mojovated, but I wish it was a bit cooler!

Guy - Welcome aboard and pull up a chair. Cold ones in the fridge and an update coming soon. Just hope it doesn't grow any more.

Greg - You da man Buddy. I still have to laugh about it. I always try to drive safe, but there are just too many idiots out there on the highways…..

Simon - Thanks Simon! I did spend a few hours doing measurements and marking out some scrap alu sheet from a salad dressing package. with all the different widths, I just had a brain meltdown and decided the best way I could do this (and remain sane) was to score the plastic cover I made. After painting I will do a black wash into the scores and it should? look the part. Yea, it was a snap decision to rob the Flak. In total, I will need 7 reels so I will scratch the rest and put the scratched ones in the trunk and the good ones in the Steyr....

Mike - Thanks Sir and I too thought of using scrap etch frames for them. The bad news is it was just all too small for me to handle without going totally bonkers doing it. It's funny, but when I get home after a long drive, I might nod off for an hour, but that's it. Only a couple of more years...……..

Stevie Wonder - Thank you too Stevie and I do have to be careful. My prob is trying to measure everything for cutting and keeping it square. I usually have to make the part more than once or when I do get it square, it's to big and I have to make it smaller (and keep it square)…..Oh, and the beer helps, trust me!

I actually did make pics for an update, but forgot to post one. I will try and fix that and post one in the morn. It's a holiday here in Bayern on Thursday so I can play at the table and sling glue around some parts!!! I also need to catch up on the great builds here too. I'm always behind the power curve on that.
Thanks again for the great support and help!!!

Prost
Allen

[tr1ckey66]

Hi Allen
Really looking forward to the progress on this.
I too have the Takom kit and a few Lead warrior vehicles to create the same scene. What I'd really like to see is a 1/35 towed fuel bowser - may have to scratch build one.
Keep up the great work!
Cheers
Paul

[Jim F]

Hi Allen,
Great work so far, shame you used the reels out of the 88mm but I think you did it deliberately to justify buying the PE update for it, looking forward to the next update
Jim

[Allen Dewire]

Good Late Afternoon All Fellow Rocketeers (and Headbangers*),

I'm finally going to post this update before the weekend building blast begins and the fridge is out of cold ones...But first,

Paul - Thank you Sir for coming along on my madness. I wouldn't worry about scratching the bowser unless you plan on depicting one of the 3 test launches done by the British in October, 1945. They were the only ones to use the bowser for fueling. The bowser was a Luftwaffe item. Operational V2 units never used them. They used Opel Blitz 3t Tankwagens, F 404 for B-Stoff and F 405 for T-Stoff. I wish I had seen the Leadwarrior kits sooner as I got some from Azimut. When are you planning to start yours if I may ask?

Jim - Thank you too, but it was (kinda) a bad case of laziness on my part. I just ordered the Gen set and a set of Opel Blitz resin tires too. I am not sure how many reels I'll need in the end though. So far it looks like at least 7 - 8...

On the last episode of Slice and Dice, we had plugged up the parts for the van body for the Maultier. We had also narrowed the floor too. While still on a roll and a few cold one left in the fridge, we hacked away at the Maultier cab to give it a little used look. The one side louvre will show a glimpse of the motor. I also got rid of the Opel Blitz emblem on the radiator grill. Late war Opels didn't have them...
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I then went back to the Steyr louvre/vents for the generator and played with some measurements on salad dressing foil. After 2 hours, I gave up as there would be no way for me to slice all the louvres into the foil and remain sober sane!!! I will etch the plastic piece and do a black wash after the paint is on it...
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Back at the Maultier van body, I decides to cut all the pieces for the roof and the roof trim. The body also has an extension on the roof too. Looking again at my reference pics, I noticed that the vents (left and right) over the side panel windows had to go too. Sliced them off and cleaned up the mess as best as I could. I then laid out the pieces for this holiday photo……….
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Next up was gluing the four panels together and keeping them square. That went well and after they dried for a while, it was time to glue on the roof. Did a test fit and...DOH!!! It wasn't wide enough because I didn't take the curve into account while making it. What the hey, I cut out a new one and by George, it fit. So we glued one side and waited………………..
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I then glued it on the other side. One of the times in life when you wished you had three hands as other side panel was warped……………….
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Sorry for the blurry pic, but it all held together and we have curved roof. In the meantime, I had also glued the roof extension together and was letting it dry too. The big moment had arrived and it was time to see if they fit together……………...
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Boy, did I get lucky. It's not glued on yet, but you can see the marks for where it goes. There is still lots to do on the main roof and the body anyway.
Trim has been glued on the main roof. It needs some tidying up with putty. Now we went back to dicing more plastic sheet. We needed to make the wheel well storage locker doors and the window shades for the body windows. The cable exit flaps were also conjured up...…………..
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We just have to put it all together now and add the little bits to it. When I'm finished, I only hope it looks like this………..
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I might just throw a camo net on top to cover up all my butchery scratch work!!! Thanks for stopping in and have a great plastic weekend. Remember, weekend = beer garden bench time!!!!!!!!
Prost
Allen
* This weekend is "Rock Im Park" and "Rock Am Ring" here in Germany. 3 day festivals for headbangers of all ages……………………………………….

[scottie3158]

Great work mate keep it up. have a great weekend.

[Allen Dewire]

Hey Paul,
Thanks my friend! Still hotter than hell, but the show must go on. You have a fantastic weekend too!!!

Double Prost At Ya!
Allen

[Mini Me]

Allen,
Been following this project since your first posting on MM. Am impressed as well as inspired.
I can't wait till you start the Hanomag and LOX trailer. I've been wanting to build one in 1-87 scale
for some time now. Keep up the god work!

Rick H.

[Si Benson]

Evening Mr D,
Terrific work with the roof...your quite good at this chopping and sticking lark
Si

[JR]

Guten Abend, Herr Dewire.
Ich liebe die Dachschaberei, Schade um es zu vertuschen.

Enough of that, took me all of 3 minutes !
Great work my friend.
Dude 2

[Steve Jones]

Great update mate! I dont know how much of the engine you want to show through the grill but there are plenty of photos showing holes in the slats if that helps. Also have you thought of putting on a horse shoe on the slats as this seemed quite popular on the opel also?

Steve

[Allen Dewire]

Good Evening Once Again Rocketeers,

I started writing a post yesterday and for some reason I hit the wrong key and off it went to Alpha Centauriville. The temps here in the Fatherland are still too warm for maximum production. We have 30° C temps every day and have had no rain at all. I have been doing my best to keep going, so without further ado……...

Rick - Thank you Sir! I would love to have started LOX trailer, but my kit was missing a couple of parts. Without the fourth leaf spring, we can't build a trailer. I am hoping to have them shortly and after the Maultier and the Steyr (basic part/scratch pieces test fits), I will start the LOX kit. I do have 2 Hanomags to build and will probably do them together. Does anyone make these kits in 1/87 scale??? I know there are 1/72 scale kits for most all of the primary vehicles in the V2 battery.

Si - Hey my friend, I'm trying my darndest to scratchy up whatever I can. I am really enjoying it too, even if I have to make a lot of things 2 times as the first one was not right. Thanks and Keep Mardering!!! (No, I didn't say murdering). My best to the family too!!!

Dzhon - Buddy, you ought to be arrested!!! Only kidding John...Just don't get too crazy with the gurgle translator. Thanks Sir!!!

Stevie - Thanks too my man! On a Blitz, you won't see really anything behind the grill except the radiator. I thought about opening both side panels, but I'm not going to super detail the motor. On the left side you will see the carb with air cleaner and the exhaust manifold only. If I had opened the other side, then I would have to scratch a distributor, spark plugs and other things. Gonna use the KISS method here or I will never finish this project in this lifetime. The horse shoe is a good idea and I will kick it around a bit. Thanks for that......Be good!

A small update if I may,
While knocking up pieces for the van body I almost forgot the electric terminal on the right side in front of the door. Made 2 grab handle out of copper wire for the side and back. OOPs, I need to fill the 2 holes ASAP. I also threw together a spare tire and fuel can rack for the roof of the Opel cab. I used the upper wood slats from the Maultier bed side panels and some more sheet plastic...……………….
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Moving on, I added the 2 cable exit doors that are on the back along with the other wire handle...……….
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I made up the fuel can rack by measuring a fuel can from Dragon. The 3 fuel cans and the PE center pieces came from kit 6434, 38T with full interior. As I attempted to put the cans together with the etch middle piece, this happened...……….
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The etch and the can are not compatible. It looks like I'll have to go through all my Dragon kits and spare parts to see if I can get something that works together. I have honestly never see this happen before. We all know about the wonky instructions, but never part probs. I do have a lot of fuel cans from many manufacturers to fill the rack. In the end, the roof rack came out looking like this……………………….
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I'm pretty happy with it and it should look good over the cab. That's all for today Fine Folks!!! See you on the other side and thanks for stopping in...
Prost
Allen