Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 30, 2009 20:25:34 GMT
Have you ever come across a kit which you immediately fall in love with and just have to buy it and build it? ... Well, this is one of those kits I just had to have ... ... the Trumpeter KZKT-537L Tractor. The photo above shows the state of the build after 3 days at Beltring, there's a few more bits and pieces to glue together as yet but I didn't want to go any further before starting painting, so I left further construction until I could get it home. This kit is a dream to put together, there are a couple of awkward sections, but nothing too taxing for a reasonable modeller, more when I get the chance over the next couple of days.
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Post by seangb on Jul 30, 2009 21:48:57 GMT
She does look rather nice Nick looking forward to seeing some more ;D
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Post by Deleted on Aug 8, 2009 16:07:32 GMT
Following the continuous build at Beltring and the subsequent first posting about this kit, I've not really done anything else with it, until now. First of all, like many of the projects I undertake (and yes, the modelling world does not end with Wallace & Gromit, I do enjoy the more serious side), reference material is essential in order to have a reasonable understanding of the subject and to be able to build a resemblance of the real thing. Just to show how slow I can be in starting some of these projects, I bought the Trumpeter Tank Transporter kit, the MAZ-537G, whilst at Beltring last year. I also bought a couple of books on the subject from author Jochen Vollert at the same show, well, you need a little light reading on the long nights in the caravan between walking around endlessly taking photographs before the sun goes down ... ... the above reference books are superb, printed in German but with a full English translation. The MAZ-537L is basically the same as the 537-G, but instead of a 5th wheel, it's fitted with a ballast body. Used primarily as an airfield tow tractor, it can pull loads of up to 200 tonnes at approximately 20kmh on concrete, and approximately 5kmh on soft ground. The kit depicts a late variant from about 1976.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 8, 2009 16:37:18 GMT
As I've already constructed the majority of the chassis, I can't really do a step by step photo build, but I can go through the steps of construction. There are 431 pieces to this kit, when it's totally constructed it's 261.5mm in length (for those still counting old money that's about 10 inches long). The completed height is 87.9 mm and width is 96.1mm. Although my preferred scale is 1/24 and larger, this kit, at 1/35 is a nice size and I'm looking forward to building the Tank Transporter, but before I open an even larger box, on with this one.
The instruction booklet is well laid out and easy to follow, although one of the stages caused me to scratch my head a little, but that could have been a combination of the heat and a senior moment, more on that later.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 8, 2009 18:13:37 GMT
Into the instruction sheet then with a look at the parts list ... 9 sprue's of grey coloured plastic, plus a plastic packet of suspension parts which are handed (more about those later), a superbly cast 1 piece cab, equally detailed engine cover, which incidentally is different to the engine cover of KZKT-537G. 8 detailed rubber tyres, 1 sprue of clear parts, 1 very crisp decal sheet, a sheet of self adhesive painting masks for the clear parts and a length of line for the winch rope. There's also two beautiful sheets of etched brass.
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Robin
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Post by Robin on Aug 8, 2009 18:23:24 GMT
Hi Nick
Very nice, looks a little different to what it did at Beltring, (Not a Lot), you should have it on display for next years W and P.
Robin.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 8, 2009 18:34:35 GMT
Ayup Robin, I hope to have this one built for SMW and the tank transporter built for Beltring 2010. I have ideas about retirement (again) so possibly will now be able to spend the majority of my time doing what I wanted to do originally, we'll see.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 8, 2009 19:54:57 GMT
I don't propose to go through the instruction sheet step by step, as the main chassis construction is already complete. However, the photograph of the progress of the model in the original posting, apart from the main chassis which is glued together, the rest is simply clipped together and I've already removed the cab, engine cover, winch, rear bed and all the wheels and stripped down the rear suspension in order to go through the final construction here. The front suspension is a completely different processes to the rear and has to be cemented in place. So, this is what we're left with ... ... and it's now the starting point.
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Post by seangb on Aug 9, 2009 0:36:10 GMT
Looks pretty good to me Nick as it did at the show , I'll be watching this one with interest ;D
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Post by cosmosman on Aug 9, 2009 6:17:53 GMT
This is the book i've got on same subject.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 9, 2009 7:32:08 GMT
Mike, that book is well out of print and certainly worth hanging on to as it covers the early version of the transporter from around 1960. Ian Sadler and I have a long chat with the author Jochen Vollert each year at Beltring, he's a really nice bloke and open to suggestions about new subjects. I bought the Trumpeter Faun Tank Transporter whilst at Beltring this year as a future project, unfortunately the Tankograd volume appertaining to that vehicle is now sold out, but may be reprinted at some point.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 9, 2009 7:53:15 GMT
Looks pretty good to me Nick as it did at the show , I'll be watching this one with interest ;D Cheers Sean. After finally reading through the Tankograd book and looking at the photographs I took of the early 537G at Beltring, I've discovered a little mistake with the rear suspension on the kit and will be attempting a slight mod in due course.
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Post by cosmosman on Aug 9, 2009 8:14:44 GMT
Its a good book, includes 1/35th scale drawings. I bought the Trumpeter Faun tank transporter when it first came out. Got these books as reference.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 9, 2009 8:46:12 GMT
The Tankograd publication on the MAZ is superb, (Tankograd Russian Special No.2005) two sets of drawings are included in 1/35 of the intermediate and late 537G and a drawing of the ChMZAP-5247G 50 tonne semitrailer. I have the WWP book of the Faun, another excellent publication, but I'm looking for the Tankograd publication. Hopefully, I'm in the shed later for a spot of plastic fettling, the rear suspension on the MAZ requires a modification as it seems Trumpeter have got it slightly wrong. I'll post a couple of photographs shortly.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 9, 2009 9:03:38 GMT
The rear suspension of the Maz has caused a bit of a headache, and yesterday I discovered why. First of all, have a look at the rear suspension construction instructions ... ... now have a look at the kit parts ... ... and now a photograph of the 1:1 taken at Beltring ... ... spot the mistake with the kit parts? ... I'll leave you with that little conundrum for a while as I attempt to do a spot of modification.
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