Asiatam StuG IV conversion kit...

[43rdRecceReg]

Nice work Roy, I went through the same process with my Panther A.

Yep, and thanks, Estniche. It's easy to overlook essentials like this in the feverish haste to buy a kit, and put it together. The Cromwell was the real eye-opener, though. Quite how I'd not anticipated the total lack of any internal studs, or fixing points, or pre-drilled holes, amazes me. After all, the kit was made of flat sheets of styrene.. Still, it was a lesson worth learning.
That Asiatam alloy hull has been hanging around for over two years now, waiting to be re-viscerated, so to speak. Like the Cromwell kit, this hull (barring suspension fittings) was a proverbial 'blank canvas'.

[43rdRecceReg]

Great update. Have you fixed the mechanism deck to the hull?

Ah, no, Soeren. The 'mechanism deck' is an interference fit. It doesn't need retaining screws, as such. The existing screw heads from the return rollers, and suspension units effectively hold in in place. Inserting and removing it involves canting it over at an angle, and sliding it in from the front. Best of all, it cost nothing.
Now I have to order a Tarr smoke unit for it, and make a retaining bracket for that. After which, the big challenge will be fitting the recoil unit in the upper hull.
I shall probably make a support bar for the Volume pan pot, as well as the battery on/off switch, so that they can be accessed through one of the engine deck covers. That's what I did with the Cromwell build.

[Raminator]

Neat work on the internal deck Roy, it's a good idea to have it semi-selfcontained like that. It made me realise how big most aftermarket boards are, though; the little Taigen MFU is a lot easier to squeeze into a compact hull than an Elmod or IBU.

[43rdRecceReg]

Neat work on the internal deck Roy, it's a good idea to have it semi-selfcontained like that. It made me realise how big most aftermarket boards are, though; the little Taigen MFU is a lot easier to squeeze into a compact hull than an Elmod or IBU.

Totally agree, Dan. If this had been a King Tiger, KV-1 or Challenger, the internal space would be much less of an issue. I have to say, I'm fairly impressed with the MFU considering the extra functions in this revised version, and the fact that it also incorporates a receiver. If this board had been around- with its potential add on sounds, and broader TX options, I don't think I would have bothered much about third party units for most of my tanks. Even now, the esc side of standard Taigen and Heng Long MFUs is pretty good, and allows for credible proportional movement (with practice)..

[43rdRecceReg]

This next stage is going to be the trickiest. For one thing, I've not had much luck with the Asiatam/Taigen all-in-one recoil elevation units so far. The one I bought for the Cromwell was too problematic to fit in the end, but simply wouldn't work properly. One of the motors was a dud; but I really couldn't be ar*ed to send it back. The one here is for the Tiger 1. I chose that one because it has a useful looking metal bracket with which to cobble together an internal fitting arrangement, in a casemate space entirely bereft of fitting lugs and flanges. Fitting one of these will be as difficult as it was with the scratch build Cromwell, as that was also devoid of all embedded fitting lugs.
Things haven't got off to a great start.. (The Asiatam Curse inflicting it's supernatural evil once more ), as the white and blue leads that are meant to connect to the units on/off switch managed to fall off when I unpacked it from the box it arrived in. The soldering on these units is diabolically bad.
Anyway, the first thing its to make a working breech and Saukopf (Sow's head) pivot support.
These are the bits supplied with the kit, together with the Tiger 1 recoil unit:

StuG IV - Gun assembly components

If you're wondering why I didn't buy the Pz 111/IV unit, the answer is simple: apart from the colour they're dimensionally identical. The Tiger 1 unit does come with the alloy bracket though. That's why.
This is how the breech unit fits into the Saukopf:

Asiatam StuG IV breech and Saukopf assembly pic A

The internal (f) lugs are meant to mate with the (m)boss on the breech, as per the red arrows.

StuG IV- Saukopf and breech unit coupled...

I'm trying hard to avoid the anatomical imagery, but it's difficult.

[43rdRecceReg]

Two things become immediately apparent. Firstly, when the breech unit is pushed into the old Sow she has the effect of clamping down on the barrel. Thus making it impossible to slide in and out...
Secondly, when offered up to its designated aperture in the casemate, there is not nearly enough leeway for the recoil unit. In fact, it won't fit.
Thus, some surgery was needed on the breech. I cut part of it off and bonded it into the snout as a sort of bearing for the barrel.

StuG IV- bearing for barrel in Saukopf snout.

Then shortened and trimmed the remaining breech unit drastically:

StuG IV-modified breech fitting

This was then bonded in place with Epoxy. Later, I filed and sanded the unit to allow the barrel to slide..with ease ( greaseless fit )
Put together, the assembly looks likely to intrude on the casement space a lot less:

Modified breech assembly bonded in place

[43rdRecceReg]

Breech assembly

and this is what it will attach to:

StuG IV- recoil unit in provisional position

The arrows indicate where I intend to make some plastic lugs to bond onto the Casemate, which will then serve support the Recoils's metal frame. That's the plan, anyway.

[c.rainford73]

Very nice and creative work

[43rdRecceReg]

I decided to keep the casemate roof semi-detachable, allowing me access the the recoil components from the roof and the hull side.
I've spent quite a while trawling the 'Net for successful installations of this unit in the StuG IV, and was surprised to find that that Arnie is probably just about the only guy to have had a measure of success. Correct me if I'm wrong.
I hope he won't mind my posting a pic of his assembly here. The ones from his thread were ransomed by the Photo highwayman, Dick 'Photobucket' Turpin Note that Arnie looks to have bonded his Casemate roof in place.
Note too how unbelievably limited the space is to work in. Miniature fingers are needed.Just remembered, that Painless also had some success with this unit too, although I cannot recall whether he got recoil and elevation (again..no anatomical allusions here ) He's a very resourceful fellow, though

Arnie's StuG IV recoil arrangement

Another contributor on RCU and here on RCTW had a solution using Tamiya recoil and elevation components; but while it had promise initially, I think it disappointed later. I might be wrong. I've seen numerous other attempts to make this unit work in this context, and they all failed, it seems. It's the Everest of recoil fitting

Asiatam StuG IV with a Tamiya recoil setup

[Ad Lav]

I still think a Clark recoil with elevation is one of the best units. However you do need an aftermarket board.

Good job so far