Global Scale Modeller

I've had a nice break so I thought I'd get this one lined up for tomorrow.

Bit of bumf about the Rhino:

Wikipedia

The Nashorn (German "rhinoceros") initially known as Hornisse (German "hornet"), was a German tank destroyer of World War II. It was developed as an interim solution in 1942 by equipping a light turretless chassis with the Pak 43 heavy anti-tank gun. Though only lightly armoured and displaying a high profile, it could frontally penetrate any Allied tank at long range, and its relatively low cost and superior mobility to heavier vehicles ensured it remained in production until the war's end.

After the first German experiences with the newer Soviet tanks like the T-34 tank during Operation Barbarossa, the need for a Panzerjäger capable of destroying these more heavily armoured tanks became clear.

In February 1942, the Alkett (Altmärkische Kettenwerke GmbH) arms firm of Berlin designed a tank destroyer using their recently developed Geschützwagen III/IV which as its name indicated used components of both the Panzer III and Panzer IV tank. The 8,8 cm Panzerjägerkanone 43/1 L/71, a long-barreled anti-tank gun more commonly known for what would become the main armament of the Tiger II, was mounted on the rear of the chassis complete with its gun shield and an open-topped superstructure was built up around the gun to give the crew some protection. The gun had the same traverse and elevation as if it had been on its carriage: 15° to either side and between -5° to +15° elevation. To accommodate the long and heavy gun, the hull had to be lengthened and the engine moved from the rear to the centre of the chassis. The amount of armour provided for the crew compartment was limited. The shielding provided was adequate to protect the crew from blast and small arms, but not armour piercing rounds. Thus, like the Marder series weapons, the vehicle was not intended to engage in tank fights, but to provide mobility to a powerful anti-tank gun.

This model was presented for approval to Adolf Hitler in October 1942 and entered production in early 1943. It had numerous official designations, such as 8,8 cm Pak 43 (L/71) auf Fahrgestell Panzerkampfwagen III/IV (Sf) or 8,8cm Pak43 (L/71) auf Geschützwagen III/IV (Sd. Kfz. 164), though it was also known as the Panzerjäger Hornisse (in English "Tank-hunter Hornet")

During the first half of 1943, a new model of the Hornisse was introduced into production. This model altered the driver's front armour plate, along with other minor differences. This model and its predecessor, the few early production vehicles, were almost indistinguishable. It was renamed Nashorn by Hitler in 1944.

Total production of the Nashorn amounted to some 494 vehicles, most of which were built in 1943. In January 1944, Hitler favored production of a newer, fully-casemated tank destroyer, the Jagdpanzer IV, which had a much lower silhouette, thicker frontal armor (60 mm frontal plate), and an effective though less powerful 7.5 cm gun. Though still primarily an ambush weapon, this vehicle was better built for armoured engagements. Production of the Nashorn continued into 1945, although at a slow pace.

Now for the kit

Its another new tool from Tamiya. Looks like a beauty of a kit, comes with a full crew in winter kit so this may be another winter warmer.



Tricked out with an Aber metal barrel (actually 2 barrels) and muzzle break along with a bag of brass shells, some spent, some with unfired. Plastic looks beautiful and I cant wait to get started.



I've got various options with the tracks. I can use the kit ones and try and recreate the sag using pins, I have a set of Kaisen workable tracks I could build or I could nick some indy link tracks off a Pz4 flak wagon and build them that way.

Should start building in the morning.

Looking forward to seeing this, are you going winter cammo?
Paul

Very nice.

That looks very nice indeed. Going to be interesting following the build on this one...

Should be a beaut kit and especially with the extra goodies.

Looks a nice kit and will be watching

digger303 wrote: Sun Aug 09, 2020 2:23 am Should be a beaut kit and especially with the extra goodies.

I did consider an allied kit but I've wanted to build this for a couple of years now and its become a bit of a stash queen. Time I dusted her off and got going on her.

Quax wrote: Sat Aug 08, 2020 5:32 pm Looking forward to seeing this, are you going winter cammo?
Paul

Hi Paul. It all depends on whether I use the crew or not. They're in winter kit so that will be the decider. The fighting compartment looks really good and the gun breach and attachments look stunning so its a case of display all the detail or add drama with the crew. At present the jury is considering its verdict!

BigWall wrote: Sat Aug 08, 2020 6:11 pm Very nice.

Hawkmoon wrote: Sun Aug 09, 2020 8:34 am Looks a nice kit and will be watching

RangerNeil wrote: Sat Aug 08, 2020 6:16 pm That looks very nice indeed. Going to be interesting following the build on this one...

Thanks guys, nice to have you along for the ride.

I'm pulling up my chair mate

Kevthemodeller wrote: Sun Aug 09, 2020 11:21 am I'm pulling up my chair mate

With a nice cigar and a glass of brandy?

Got started this morning. Its all very Panzer 4ish on the outside lower hull. All the road wheels, suspension, drive sprockets and idlers are straight off its tanky cousin.

Its Tamiya so its swiss watch construction . Unlike the standard Pz4 the engine is in the middle to make room for the gun and crew, you can see the lengthy exhaust pipes down both sides of the hull.





Rear end with the brackets for the spare road wheels.



All the surface detail is nice and crisp.



Test fitting the floor for the gun compartment



Floor detail is nice. Should look great weathered.



Side panels test fitted



Anti-skid detail is stunning



Happy so far


A very pleasant first session. Forward hull and greeblies next, then it will be the rear compartment and that honking 88mm cannon.

Off to a good start there mate that's the beauty of Tamiya they just do what it says on the tin

Looks like you’re off to another great start on a lovely looking subject/kit.

at the ready.

Great start. I was curious that you have all the idlers on, wouldn't it be difficult to paint all those double rubber tyres after it is all assembled.

Thanks Gents,

digger303 wrote: Sun Aug 09, 2020 3:24 pm Great start. I was curious that you have all the idlers on, wouldn't it be difficult to paint all those double rubber tyres after it is all assembled.

The wheels are all on polycaps so they can be removed. I'll mount them on sticks for painting.

Carried on this afternoon, fitting the front of the hull and starting on the rear compartment.

Lots of nice detail on the forward hull with all the hatches and vision ports.



Starting to look like a Nashorn



Started on the rear compartment with one of the side panels. Nothing is glued down because I am going to paint as much of the fighting compartment while it is in separate sections. A few injection marks to get rid of



I added the ammo storage bin to finish, it will look nice and busy when complete with the shells and the folded up front panel sat on top.

The floor plate looks sharp still a bit surprized there are so many ejection points. The general detail is pretty good except maybe the mg barrel, but that will probably be hardly noticeable tucked away down there.

Ooh - I'm a bit late and missed the start of the show again!

Count me in for this one though - love the way it's just flying together for you

Started off by sorting out the ejector pin marks



Then it was on with building the fighting compartment walls. I'll build them up as much as I can without actually attaching them as I plan to paint the interior before the walls are are attached. It would be madness to attach everything then try and paint it.





Both shell lockers will be shown open as I have a bag of brass 88 mm shells from Tamiya which will look great in their racks.



You can see the high profile of the vehicle. No wonder it wasn't popular with the crews, especially since the fighting compartment walls weren't armoured



Then it was on to the gun. Aftermarket barrel and muzzle break from Aber. Its a huge and detailed barrel so I thought, why not?







Cradle and breech



Shield, sights and gunner's position done. Breech block isn't in yet as its positioning depends on whether I use the crew or not.







Its a weathering dream, I just need to work out the right colours! The colour call out is dark yellow for the interior with various detail colours. Reference pics are unclear however.



Travel lock attached. The whole gun assembly comes out in one piece so it will be painted separately along with the interior.









Still a bit more construction to do but I reckon one more session then its painting time.

Coming along nicely!

All looking good and very nice work sir

Wow! The gun assembly looks amazing. It's got some great detail! I can't wait to see what you do with it.

Looking right up to your usual excellent standards. Nice work

Just catching up with this - it looks really good so far! I've been itching to get this kit for a while myself, so I'll be watching with interest.

ElCapitan wrote: Sun Aug 23, 2020 11:42 pm Just catching up with this - it looks really good so far! I've been itching to get this kit for a while myself, so I'll be watching with interest.

Thanks. I can highly recommend the kit. Fantastic detail, instructions that make sense, everything fits. The only thing you need to think about is how to paint the interior.

Stokesy44 wrote: Mon Aug 24, 2020 8:07 am

ElCapitan wrote: Sun Aug 23, 2020 11:42 pm Just catching up with this - it looks really good so far! I've been itching to get this kit for a while myself, so I'll be watching with interest.

Thanks. I can highly recommend the kit. Fantastic detail, instructions that make sense, everything fits. The only thing you need to think about is how to paint the interior.

Yeah, that's the only issue with open-top tank destroyers - still love them though!

Love that barrel, smashing work

Coming along nicely, the barrel looks superb

Although the crews weren't too keen it was feared and respected by allied tank crews, as it could sit off at range and pick them off with it's Pak43/1 gun same as fitted to the much later Tiger II. In mid/late 42 and until mid 44 this was the most powerful gun on the battlefield.

Looking great so far mate!

Would you need to use some sort of counterweighting if you didn't use the travel lock? Just wondering with the weight of that gorgeous-looking barrel!

Tomcat64 wrote: Mon Aug 24, 2020 2:48 pm Looking great so far mate!

Would you need to use some sort of counterweighting if you didn't use the travel lock? Just wondering with the weight of that gorgeous-looking barrel!

Cheers. The mechanism is quite intricate with metal rods running into poly caps inside what look like pistons. I haven't actually checked whether it will hold the gun or not because I cant do that until I cement the gun mount into the floor! Its also very tight in terms of actual movement and I don't want to break the mechanism by testing it too much.

Kevthemodeller wrote: Mon Aug 24, 2020 11:09 am Coming along nicely, the barrel looks superb

Although the crews weren't too keen it was feared and respected by allied tank crews, as it could sit off at range and pick them off with it's Pak43/1 gun same as fitted to the much later Tiger II. In mid/late 42 and until mid 44 this was the most powerful gun on the battlefield.

That's pretty much what I read. They loved the gun but didn't like the vehicle.

digger303 wrote: Mon Aug 24, 2020 10:42 am Love that barrel, smashing work

They were certainly going for big is beautiful.

SMAddict66 wrote: Sun Aug 23, 2020 10:20 pm Looking right up to your usual excellent standards. Nice work

BigWall wrote: Sun Aug 23, 2020 7:51 pm Wow! The gun assembly looks amazing. It's got some great detail! I can't wait to see what you do with it.

Thanks Guys. I cant wait to paint the gun assembly either!

Minor update this bank holiday weekend.

Greeblies done and she's now ready for painting.



The gun travel lock is a strange one. The bracket round the barrel is fixed to the barrel on the real thing. The gun comes free from the lock frame by a wire pulled by the crew. The wire will be added at the end but you can see the moulded part of it on the hull. The actual wire will feed from there on the hull onto the lock frame. The bracket slots into the frame via a pin, which I assume forms the lock with a bolt on the end of the wire. Supposition on my part and not much in the way of reference pics. I definitely saw the pin in one pic though, so I'm happy its accurate.

All the walls of the fighting compartment done. There are a few bits to be added to the brackets on the walls but they would get knocked off at this stage so they will go on at the end - periscopes etc.



Ammo bins have their folded front covers now



All the gun detail without the shields. You can see where the gun anchors into the floor of the hull, its loose for now and will be glued in right at the end.





A few small grab handles on the outside of the side walls then its priming time

very nice looking kit... can't wait to see the paint being applied

Looking lovely. Can’t wait to see it evolve as you prime, paint and weather.

So nice! The details on this kit are amazing. You're doing a great job!

That's looking really good!

That gun really is a work of art isn't it!

Great work mate

Tomcat64 wrote: Thu Sep 03, 2020 3:52 pm That gun really is a work of art isn't it!

Great work mate

Cant wait to paint it. Hopefully this weekend for priming AND painting for all the interior stuff.

And I tell you what. Making that gun got me all excited about some kits with interiors I've got!

Finally got the interior sorted and fitted.

Painted with Tamiya desert yellow then weathered with black for chipping then oils for washing.





The brass shells need painting for the storage racks. The racks are removable so the shells will be done last.



The side walls look a different colour but that's just the sunlight!







Tested the gun elevation mechanism. Nice to see it works and holds the gun up without the travel lock. If I put the crew in I will need to show the gun free of the lock because they cant exactly fire the thing if the gun is still locked down.

Nice progress. It's looking great!

Looking great

Interior looks great!

That stock and that barrel look great. I really like the result you are getting !!

Keep it up.

Jose

That breach looks superb mate as does the rest of the gun platform

great work so far. I have a Wespe to build at some point, it will be grey (and probably green) with PE, metal barrel and AM tracks to complete the build (and if I can find some decent figures I may add them as well)

great build so far Stokesy, I'm looking forward to seeing how you mask it all!

Paul

great build and the paint plus weathering has a great balance.

Thanks everyone, apologies for the delay in posting any progress.

Primed with Ultimate black last weekend. Lovely smooth coverage, testament to the primer, not my technique!





Then it was painting time yesterday. Tamiya desert yellow cut with a little Tamiya white.












Then it was clean up time for the running gear. Vallejo black cut with a little white. I also added base colour to the hubs. I had mixed the base in the pot itself with the white and thinner so it was easy to use it for a little brush painting





And finally the rubber band tracks. I'll be able to create a little sag using the old CA glue technique but I'll take them off and paint them before that.



Next up is the camo then weathering. AND I need to decide about the crew. The figures look great so I really should put them in.

Thanks for stopping by