(SELF PROPELLED ARTILLERY) FERDINAND 722, Kursk, Sch.Pz.Jg.Abt. 654, Oberfeldwebel Klarmeyer

[tankme]

You could always use a motor with a lead screw or something like the piston I used on the MLRS system:

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/32568086 ... in_prod%3A

The elevation pistons are small motors inside the sleeve with a lead screw. In this video, I'm just using a standard 7.0 transmitter/MFU. Connect the bottom to a mount that can swing back and forth with the barrel.

phpBB [video]

[HERMAN BIX]

Thats proper high level smarts there Mr Tankme.................I however have taken a much more simplistic route

An old H/L elevation unit that once lived in my PzIV 'B11 " in the turret stowage box was dragged out kicking & screaming from obsolescence and with minor modification was mated to a push/pull rod made from an old Tamiya aerial !!
As there is not a lot of radial movement required, this set up did the trick.
I also went into the spares/hoard/rubbish pile & found an old speaker that came out of God knows where
A new cable & plug, test run, happy daze
No need to burn currency on a new one when this will do.
I did need to make a cooky mounting box for it to be secured in the space at the front of the hull.
A bit of fenangling (go on HDP-look that one up!) with styrene sheet & its in. Still needs to be profiled to sit & mount the speaker frame, but its going to be secure & have reasonable sound once completed at least.
I ran an old standard H/L version to test the system & positioning before deciding on bunging the modified old one in with an enclosure.

Im getting that loving feeling now the barrel is in & the gearboxes & speaker are all running as they should.

[HERMAN BIX]

https://forums.kitmaker.net/t/ferdinand ... /43?page=2

Handy infor for an early Ferd

[HERMAN BIX]

https://en.topwar.ru/170461-ferdinandy- ... henie.html

Some great insight as to what the other side felt.
Note the mention of a hit from an anti concrete gun..................from 20kms.

[Stormbringer]

Theres a Jagdpanther pic there with similar wheel pattern to my 1 , pretty cool

[HERMAN BIX]

The other most visual difference from an Elefant to being a Ferdinand (no commanders cupola, smooth faced tracks) is the Kugelblende on the front.
This was part of the learnings from Kursk that was an install once the survivors were returned to Germany for refitting.
Be wonderful if anyone offered a printed version of the early Ferdinand front plate

Out with the razor-saw & removed the rivet bolt heads which got in the way of the blade.
I can use those to reinstate the repair patch once thats done.
Lots of dressing with sanding boards to tidy the hole & then marked out a bit of 2mm scrap styrene to fill it.
Superglued a backing strap across the gap after making sure the entire thing was the same fit to the hull as it was before the cut.
Then in with the patch

More sanding to flatten the patch & a smear of Tamiya putty over it to hide the carnage!!

Last night while watching the MotoGP sprint and F1 Quali, I got a smoker out of another project
It was just, JUST small enough to fit a gap in front of the gearboxes & behind the battery box if I stuck it in on an angle & carved off a mounting point thats not needed anyway. Shaped a couple of bits of brass tube ( thats Toobe to you left hand drivers!!) that were jammed into the correct position in the sponsons, then hose was secured with hot glue to ensure no accidental failures down the track.
It looks funny with smoke coming out above the tracks mid way along the side of the tank !!

[HERMAN BIX]

viewtopic.php?t=32381

And a big thanks to Mr Jee for his handy pictorial that helped me out getting things to look about right.

[HERMAN BIX]

And at last, the big unit is looking together 'er!!
Final tests of the electronics & gears passed so the engine deck went on as did the modified front plate.
Shame really that I know if I run this much its going to need the suspension repairing & probably everything else
Mind you, I do have a mate with lots of Tamiyas that he is reluctant to run in case they might break, we are equally in the same boat for different reasons!!

I trimmed the weather guard off the drivers hatch, that was a later fitting when the surviving Ferdinands were returned to Germany for refurbishment & became known as Elefants.
The jack block mounted on the rear hull under the casemate also is a later Elefant fitting that will be repositioned on the front left upper glacis in front of the driver.
As was the actual jack, but mine may not have it in place like the pictures.
Track links seem to be the norm for that space on the hull front.

The tool box that was relocated to the rear on the Elefant has been cut off the armoured vent cover.
I wanted to save it so a bit of careful slicing was in order.
Got it off mostly intact so it can be repaired & used on the right hand side of the hull.
722 has 2 of them, so I still need to make another one
Of course the gaping wound that was created by the toolbox removal needed repairing..........
Out with the styrene sheet to do an oversized wrap over the entire shape, then trimmed back along the edges to suit.
Looks ok I reckon.

[Stormbringer]

Wow mate thats really taking shape and looking great

[Panzermechaniker]

You are making great progress on the build. I didn't realize there is a second one in our club and it was running around last weekend on the field with no issues sounding great with an ElMod board. Perhaps yours will be issue free after all Unlike my Conqueror which is stuck in a limbo. I need a kick in the butt to get going on it