15 cm sIG 33 on Panzer II

[hansolo]

Hi guys,

I started a new 'oddling'!
This time it's the prototype for the 15 cm sIG 33 on Panzer II.

Here's some info:
The 15 cm sIG 33 (Sf) auf Panzerkampfwagen I Ausf B built in time for the Invasion of France in 1940 had proven to be too heavy for their chassis as well as enormously tall.
The same gun was mated to the Panzerkampfwagen II chassis in an attempt to drastically lower its height while using a stronger chassis. The prototype used a standard Panzer II Ausf. B chassis when it was built in February 1941, but this was too cramped for use.[1] The chassis was lengthened by 60 centimetres (24 in), which required adding a sixth roadwheel, and widened by 32 centimetres (13 in) to better accommodate the gun while preserving its low silhouette. 15 millimetres (0.59 in) plates formed the front and sides of the open-topped fighting compartment,[1] which was also open at the rear. Its sides were notably lower than the front which made the crew vulnerable to small arms fire and shell fragments. Large hatches were added to the rear deck to better cool the engine.

I looked around for a kit of the 6 wheeled production model. And found one made by Dragon.



Here are some pictures of a 6 wheeler version, someone else built.
They will serve as a great reference for my build. There's one awesome paint job!







There was no challenge to build that one. So I chose to build the 5 wheeled prototype.
There is no kit of that model, so it will be a genuine 'oddling'! Plus only one actual prototype has ever been built.

Here's the only picture I could find of the actual 5 wheeled prototype.



So there will be a lot of interpretation involved in this build.
But I can use the 6 wheeler as a building reference too.

I bought this kit of the gun from ARK Models.



And this oldy from Tamiya of the Panzer II.
This is a downloaded picture of the box. Mine hasn't arrived yet.



I started building the gun.








That's it for now folks.
This gun is ready to be implanted.
Waiting for the Panzer II to arrive....

cheers

[Donkeywalloper]

Great idea and can't wait to see the build and its conclusion.
Ace job mate.
John

[hansolo]

Hi guys,

My Panzer II arrived.



I started with the lower hull


This is the upper hull in one peace


I had to hack away most of it for the conversion


I made a floor in the lower hull


Started rebuilding the upper hull


fit the gun in


built the sides




That's where it's at at the moment.
More building coming up..

cheers

[Coen]

[hansolo]

Hi guys,

Tiny update here.
Did some more construction work on the upper hull.




That's all for now. Back soon.

Cheers

[Coen]

You're killin me Han!!!
Too much cool and awesome dude!!! haha.

[hansolo]

You're killin me Han!!!
Too much cool and awesome dude!!! haha.

No harm intended.
I'm a builder, not a killer.

Cheers

[hansolo]

Hi guys,

I finished building the prototype.
For the most part I tried to resemble the photograph of the actual prototype,
but I added some details that are not on the real thing, because I just like to dress it up a bit more.
There are also parts that can not be seen on that one photograph, so I improvised there.
I used most parts of the two kits that it is comprised of, added structural parts from plate material
and added some old leftover parts.

Here are some shots of it with building finished and without tracks.

















Next up is painting.

Now I know that this was a prototype and that it never saw action. Because only the final elongated and widened version did.
But I choose to ignore this fact, in order to be able to paint it in desert colors and weather it as if it has seen action.
It's not historically accurate, but I really wanna dirty this puppy up!
So in my little fantasy world, I'll just say that it did go to war.

Until then....

cheers

[Coen]

It's a work of art Han!
I might suggest one thing before you put paint to her. It's just a simple thing I think.
The driver could maybe use a hatch and a vision block.

[hansolo]

It's a work of art Han!
I might suggest one thing before you put paint to her. It's just a simple thing I think.
The driver could maybe use a hatch and a vision block.

Oops!
You're so right! This looks more like a remote controlled vehicle.

I'm going to facilitate the driver and put a vision block in there and a hatch.

Thanks for being so sharp, Mike!

cheers

[hansolo]

Hi guys,

Mike pointed out to me that the poor driver of this vehicle would be unable to see what's in front of him and would have a very hard time to get in and out of the drivers seat. So I've corrected these errors and I think I'm good to go now.

Closeup of the corrected area


And I also added a commander and the tracks




Next up: Painting!
Special thanks to Mike for his contribution to the project.

cheers

[Coen]

Not that sharpe Han... It took 10 minutes for me to notice it. Haha.

[hansolo]

Not that sharpe Han... It took 10 minutes for me to notice it. Haha.

I'm so proud that you looked at my images for 10 minutes. That's to much honor.

Cheers

[TheWeasel]

Amazing work as always!



Your recent projects actually made me fear scratchbuilding less. Seeing you build whole tanks or trucks makes me feel silly for not trying to get smaller things done

[hansolo]

Amazing work as always!



Your recent projects actually made me fear scratchbuilding less. Seeing you build whole tanks or trucks makes me feel silly for not trying to get smaller things done

There is a first for everything, but there is no failing.
I wish you lot's of fun, scratch building!

cheers

[OliveDrab]

That's really awesome how you breathe new life into some of these old kits, of course your modeling skills are off the charts too

[hansolo]

Thanks olivedrab!

cheers

[hansolo]

Hi guys,

Painted the primer color layer in grey and the hairspray layer


Than the final color. A lightened sand color


Chipping




Detail painting and decals




I did the worn paint effect with a shortened brush. With very little paint, tapping very lightly with the tip of the brush.
An easy and quick way to get this effect. And very controllable.




That's it for now folks.
Up next: Washes and oil paint rendering....

cheers

[rcfanuk]

Great job

[hansolo]

Hi guys,

Small update again.

I did some washes. Black and some some patches of yellow.
Oil paint rendering. Dust color and black.
And pigments with white glue for mud on the suspension and dry pigments on the hull for dust/sand.









That's all for now folks.

Next up is more pigments, oil stains, bare metal effects (with graphite) and the tracks.

cheers

[Coen]

More awesome! Every time with the awesome!

[hansolo]

Thanks Mike! Thou art to kind!

cheers

[spock1701]

It must have taken a great deal of planning to pull of that kind of modification. It looks professional. I admire your work.

[hansolo]

It must have taken a great deal of planning to pull of that kind of modification. It looks professional. I admire your work.

To be quite honest, I just kinda planned as I went along.
Trying not to cut away what I could use and don't throw away what I could reuse.

cheers

[hansolo]

Hi guys,

The model is finished!
You can check out the final reveal images here: http://intscalemodeller.com/viewtopic.php?f=46&t=12365

cheers

[Gav0909]

Awesome build mate, will go check your final pics now. Good use of hairspray to create the chips. During the early desert campaigns the vehicles were painted in the dark grey, then washed with any light colour they could find, hence great scope for variation in early DAK vehicles, and weathering as the paint wore off easily.

[hansolo]

Awesome build mate, will go check your final pics now. Good use of hairspray to create the chips. During the early desert campaigns the vehicles were painted in the dark grey, then washed with any light colour they could find, hence great scope for variation in early DAK vehicles, and weathering as the paint wore off easily.

Thanks Gav.

Good to know about the variations. That gives me even more freedom.

cheers

[Gav0909]

If the vehicles are post 1942 production then they would most likely be painted Middlestone (dunkelgelb) as a base colour, but anything prior would have been grey overpainted with a sand mix.

[brickfan8]

That tank is really cool

[hansolo]

Thanks Brick!

cheers