251 Halftracks GB 1 October '08 - 8 June '09

Ditto Lewbud - I haven't even built one of my Bronco kits yet, but the initial perusal of the instructions was..."less than inspiring".

Lufty and Wingy - NIIIICE stuff! I figured you two speedsters had to be cranking something out. That radio rack is pretty sweet, as well as those scratched shift levers.

Well, as promised heres the 1st installment. And im WIRELESS!!! WOO HOO! The chassis went together fairly easily. As has been mentioned the front suspension can be a bit tricky but if your carefull and dryfit lots, youll be sweet.

Next up was the Radio and framework. I did the radio in a slighter darkened German grey with some X-22 mixed in to give me a good hard surface for detailing and drybrushing. I then gave each radio a 'wash' to pick out the smaller details.

In the last 2 pics the radio is positioned unglued and i realise the round thingy on the bottom isnt squared as nothing is glued together. On the dash the speedo decal shifted after i left it to snuggle down. When i came back it was as you see it. Do you reckon i could lift it without damaging the sucker?

Next mission is to start the side walls. 1st job has to be removing the 'pour stub marks' and geez theres a few of them.

Luckily not all of them are deep and most can be scraped. Is it just me? or are Dragon estructions fairly vague. Add to that trying to cross reference them to the Eduard instructions. This kit is giving me a headache.

More soon.

...Guy

It's the Ausf. C Flak 38.

I think I am gonna build the gun tonight Any one got some nice detail pics of the gun?

Marc,

Glad I could help.  Are you building a C or a D model?

Nice work Marc, Im at sort of the same stage as you really, eccept ive painted my Radio station. No wires yet though. Ill get some pics up, maybe tonight. I spent all yesty trying to sort out my wireless router. (The idea being to keep the laptop in the modelling room)

...Guy

Finally some progress.  Whole family is sick... or was I should say... so by the end of the day was dog (butt) tired.

Some PE stuff for the driver's area and I scratched the gear shifts and the brake levers.  the instruments are printed on paper But I wanted a glass face.  I took some thin clear sheet styrene and coated it with Future.  Then I put the instruments face down into the Future and then coated the back so it was impregnated with Future.  The white parts looks gray and wet but it dry all nice and white.

And big shout out to lewbud  THANKS DUDE for the timely warning about the front suspension.  A test fit showed he was dead on.  Setting it all in place, the locating pin is just visible in the hole that is in that raised rectacle over the suspension.  I just let it rest in place and put a few drops of Tenax in the hole and let it cure in place.  It kinda sealed the hole so it is hard to see in the pic.

Josh - you can do it! I know you can!

Steve - I will definitely be there (although probably a bit later in the morning) - have to go to a wedding near Boston on Saturday, part of the deal with me agreeing to go to said wedding was taking a side trip to Granitecon on the way home. Trying to finish up a couple of builds I'd like to bring here in the next week.

Lufty - any progress?

Crack the box open, already done that. First thing I do when I buy a model, lol.

As far as getting started ... AAAHHHHH!!!! I need to start, I want to start, I REALLY want to start and see it finished, I just need to get the ball rolling.

I will start soon though.

Josh

  Hey Dupes just wanted to let ya know I'll be starting the /22 right after Granitcon. Any chance you'll be there?

Day off? You must be building like mad!

Josh - when do you think you're going to crack that /17 open?  

Wow, thx Don. Thats some pretty comprehensive info you have there. If only there was the info that Dragon had, at hand. Then it might become a little cleareer as to what some of the doo dads are in the kit. Like you say some of the things appear to be a battery but it would be nice if they said so. Instead of expecting builders to build the stuff without realising what it actually is that they are building. It would also make it easier to guess what colour to paint the things.

Whinge, whinge, whinge LOL. Im grumpy cos i got the day off and i cant get my wireless router to work.

...Guy

Figured i'd post something. I've been trying to find motivation to start and think it's slowly coming 'round. Box art!

Josh

Luftwoller wrote:

Thx Don. I would appreciate any extra info you have regarding wiring on the 251/6. Im pretty sure there are similar radio arrangements in the 251/3 as well. Basically, all and everything you and anyone else has would be great.

OK Guy, here are a few additional radio sites for you to browse...

http://www.geocities.com/motorcity/pit/3515/251/radio.htm

http://www.tarrif.net/wwii/guides/german_radio_equipment.htm

http://www.armyradio.co.uk/arsc/customer/pages.php?pageurl=/publish/Articles/William_Howard_German/German_Radios.htm

http://www.laud.no/ww2/

http://www.tigertank-h-e-181.com/21_Radio_Equipment_.htm

http://halbketten.forumotion.com/sdkfz251-mtlschutzenpanzerwagen-f8/spw-radio-connections-t248.htm

   That should keep you busy for a while.  But here's what I've determined so far, given that I'm using the Dragon /6 kit as a base to build the 251/18.  But please understand that I'm not an expert and I'm presenting you my best guesses.  The /18 was equipped with FuG5 and FuG12 radios and possibly the Fu.Spr.F over the co-driver seat.  The FuG12 is comprised of the Torn.E.b receiver and a 80W transmitter.  These units seem to be represented in the /6 kit by parts G1-4 (Torn.E.b) and parts G17,21,22 (80W trans).  Part B17 is the Fu.Spr.F.  I'm not so sure what radio is represented by kits parts G13,15,18 and G14,16,23.  My plan is to use these to model the FuG5 in the 251/18. 

    For your 251/6 build, there are more options since the /6 was equipped with a variety of radio sets.  The FuG12 is an option as described above.  Alternatively, you could model the FuG11 which had the same Torn.E.b receiver coupled to a 100W transmitter.  The 100W transmitter is represented by kit parts G5,19.  Outside of that, you have many options up to and including an enigma coder.  So it will depend on what you choose to model. 

    As for wiring, power was supplied to all units from a 12V DC source; sometime a small battery carried in an accessory box or mounted on the supporting framework of the radio.  This may be what parts F10,11 represent.  Alternatively from a larger 12V source, where I would guess that you would run the power cable under the flooring to the main battery.  The power supply runs from the battery to AC/DC converters (my guess is kit parts F12,13,14 and F15,37) and from there to the power inlets on the transmitter and receiver (see last link above).  Receiver and transmitter are connected by jumper cables (see schematic in the first link above).  Headphones, microphones and morse keys are wired as shown in the same link.

     Antenna cable runs from the transmitter through one or more relay boxes then to the base of the antennae.  There are a few kit parts added to the side walls that may represent these relay boxes; I'll have to look more carefully to see if I can identify more accurately.  The antenna wiring also depends on how you plan to model.  The /18 has just two 2 meter antennae; you have the 9m extendable option for the /6.

    Not sure what else I can say except that if I find any more useful info, I'll pass it along.

 Don

Loads of great photos but nearly enough on the 251/6 or /3. Just waiting to get hold of the missus's boy for your errr...reading material thats not half track related if you know what i mean LOL and its in the post.

...Guy

Thx Don. I would appreciate any extra info you have regarding wiring on the 251/6. Im pretty sure there are similar radio arrangements in the 251/3 as well. Basically, all and everything you and anyone else has would be great.

...Guy

Luftwoller wrote:

On my /6, im doing the radio. Could anyone repost the wiring/pics info. I looked but couldnt find it. I am a clutz and more blind than i realise LOL.

Is this what you were looking for?  This is the diagram for the FuSpr F mounted over the co-driver seat.

http://www.geocities.com/motorcity/pit/3515/251/251-radi.htm

I've got other radio links on another computer; if you want additional info, let me know.

 Don

On my /6, im doing the radio. Could anyone repost the wiring/pics info. I looked but couldnt find it. I am a clutz and more blind than i realise LOL.

...Guy

How do you know when a part cleaning session has gotten out of hand...

Here is a simple jig I made to hold these little idly track parts so they can be glued together with out me going completely insane.  The problem with these links is the guide horn is on the opposite side from the locating pins for the hinge point. 1st I glued 2, 3/8 x 1/8 balsa strips down to a wider piece.  I used the guide horns of a couple of links as a spacer.  A piece of double stick tape was pressed down the length and slit up the middle between the 2 balsa strips. Now the tracks pieces can be set, guide horn down, and be held firmly in place and the parts will overlap perfectly.  Just go back and carefully glue the pads over the hinge point and BOB'S YOUR UNCLE…workable tracks put together like any other indy link.

dupes wrote:

Bryan - thanks for checking in. Now we just need MPKev31b and Russamys and the whole gang is here.

Sorry, have not been on the webpage much the last several weeks.  Lots of projects to complete before the good weather goes south for the winter   I am still on board and plan to get moving on my kit within the next couple weeks.

Russ

Luftwoller wrote:

Got the chassis together and threw a couple of bits of PE at the dash. Im not going to use the PE dash panel as it appears from refs to be the wrong size LOL.

Could you elaborate a bit, Guy.  Is the the Eduard 251 detail set?  How exactly is the PE dash deficient?  I'm just gearing up to start my build so it will be useful to know what to expect.

 Don

I'm pretty sure I still do need that book...so long as A) you can assure me you haven't gotten too much drool on it and B) you can tell me what it cost. I'm a bit worried on both counts!

Glad to see you're rolling on this monster - reallllly looking forward to seeing what you're able to do with it.

Did you still need that book Dupes?" It is rather good. LOL.

Well i did a bit last night. Got the chassis together and threw a couple of bits of PE at the dash. Im not going to use the PE dash panel as it appears from refs to be the wrong size LOL.

...Guy

Lufty - pleaaaase tell me that you climbed up into the back of that 251 to hang out with the dummies... Very cool that you've actually touched what you're building.

Interesting that those fenders are so beat up...and the mufflers are all paint colored, with not a BIT of rust on them.

Ernest - your check-in has been duly noted.

Thanks for the help guys. There is a good page on 251 radios on the geosites site that someone posted a link to on page one. It does show what wires connected to what part of the radio and there is a pic of an installed radio in use, but this is on an early vehicle with the radio on the side of the hull. I think i am just going to put the cable going behind the radio rather than try to route in down the side of the hull.

Once i get the radio wired i will be ready to get the two halfs of the hull together. I managed to get the gun put together yesterday, its very fiddaly but it does look nice. I have taken some pics but like an idiot i seem to have left the cable that connects the camera to the computer at home, so i will get them all posted in a oner next weekend.

As for the track pads, i do believe they tried all metal tracks towards the end of the war because of lack of rubber. But from what i recall reading this caused problems with vibration so they went back to rubber pads.

Hi Marc, the rubber pads on this bad boy were almost black in colour and hard as concrete, but deffo rubber. Also, of note, was that nearly everyone was marked, cracked or damaged in some way or another. As for the wiring question, id reckon they would just route it directly behind the radio itself. Itwould only need a power and earth. The earth from the body or chassis of the radio and the power directly from the battery.