Landships II

Roger Todd · Legend

Shades of the Killen-Strait...?

Tim R · Hero

Take a look at the members galleries on the armorama site, there is a gentleman who built one 'Tumbleweed Tank'� , and placed it in a diorama.

It looks very nice, not 100% accurate, but none the less very impressive. And the figure is awesome as well. He based it on the cover of �the Modern Mechanix magazine.

All the Best

Tim R

-- Edited by Tim R at 21:36, 2007-04-25

Roger Todd · Legend

Tim, that sounds very interesting, thanks! Do you have a link or even just the name of the modeller? I tried using Tumbleweed Tank (and just Tumbleweed) as a search term, but got bugger-all. I find the Armorama site a pain in the arse to navigate, to be honest...

EDIT: Found it! Great model!

-- Edited by Roger Todd at 00:04, 2007-04-26

Tim R · Hero

Hey Roger
�� Sorry for the confusion, I could not remember his name.. It is a good model of the Tumbleweed Tank, I just wish he would have added more detail..

What did you think of the figure..?

By the way I do agree, the Armoroma sit is at some times difficult to navigate. wink

All the Best

Tim R

-- Edited by Tim R at 00:22, 2007-04-26

Roger Todd · Legend

I agree, the figure is simply awesome! I reckon a ping-pong ball would do at 1/72 scale...

creading · Private

Gentlemen,
My name is Charles Reading and although I'm a little late to post on this thread I thought I would anyway.
I'm the builder of the "Tumbleweed Tank" Dio as seen on Armorama. Thanks for your comments. When I saw the Popular Science cover I thought it begged to be built and when I came across the Andrea figure (whose pose was nearly exact to the magazine) I immediately started planning.
Although the finished piece doesn't represent the cover exactly, there were several other artist renderings in the article and each was somewhat different in detail so I used a bit of artistic license on my version. I wanted to be close to 54mm in scale (size of the figure) and I found a clear 4"dia. plastic Christmas ornament at Michael's Craft Store. From there I used Evergreen plastic and bits and pieces of whatever to make the finished model.
I'm really glad I have found this site as I have several other WWI diorama ideas (non-fictional) that I am interested in persuading.

Cheers,
Charles

Ironsides · Legend

Hello and Welcome Charles, Please post a link to your model....

Cheers

Centurion · Legend

Something not unlike the tumbleweed was built in WW2 by the Germans. The only known example sits in a Russian museum somewhere. I've seen a photo and �will try and find one if I can persuade my old PC to transfer files.

BTW in the cutaway drawing of the Tumbleweed no one appears to be driving! The man with a steering wheel is busy firing a machine gun (isn't that as dangerous as texting whilst driving ?)

Centurion · Legend

Here you go

http://strangevehicles.greyfalcon.us/KRUPP%20KUGELPANZER.htm

creading · Private

oops, sorry I should have provided a link in the first post!

http://gallery.kitmaker.net/showgallery.php?cat=19339

Cheers,
Charles

James H · Legend

Since this appeared in 1930-odd, doesn't it confirm the old saying about armies always preparing to fight the last war?

compound eye · Colonel

Having loved the Tumbleweed Tank design for sometime - and having downloaded the Popular Science cover and article complete with cut-away drawing - I have one rather BIG question,- look at the width of the exposed portion of the static inner sphere, bearing in mind that the engine plus intake and exhaust are�central and to�the rear of the vehicle, - how the chuff would you get in?!

Unless the sponsons hinged outwards... biggrin

-- Edited by compound eye at 19:42, 2008-09-23

-- Edited by compound eye at 19:43, 2008-09-23

Centurion · Legend

compound eye wrote:

Having loved the Tumbleweed Tank design for sometime - and having downloaded the Popular Science cover and article complete with cut-away drawing - I have one rather BIG question,- look at the width of the exposed portion of the static inner sphere, bearing in mind that the engine plus intake and exhaust are�central and to�the rear of the vehicle, - how the chuff would you get in?!

Unless the sponsons hinged outwards...

-- Edited by compound eye at 19:42, 2008-09-23

-- Edited by compound eye at 19:43, 2008-09-23

And even more vital how would you get out in a hurry? Looking at the Kugelpanzer photo how did the driver get in or out. (perhaps they just sealed him in and his dessicated corpse is still in there).

compound eye · Colonel

Centurion wrote:

compound eye wrote:

Having loved the Tumbleweed Tank design for sometime - and having downloaded the Popular Science cover and article complete with cut-away drawing - I have one rather BIG question,- look at the width of the exposed portion of the static inner sphere, bearing in mind that the engine plus intake and exhaust are�central and to�the rear of the vehicle, - how the chuff would you get in?!

Unless the sponsons hinged outwards...

-- Edited by compound eye at 19:42, 2008-09-23

-- Edited by compound eye at 19:43, 2008-09-23

And even more vital how would you get out in a hurry? Looking at the Kugelpanzer photo how did the driver get in or out. (perhaps they just sealed him in and his dessicated corpse is still in there).

Of course, the more plausible explanation is that the Kugel Panzer and Tumbleweed tanks were not crewed by men at all�but by teams of extremely talented and dextrous ferrets that could squirm in through the vision ports...

...but then 'driving' is hardly an applicable term for the Kugel Panzer which was about as controllable as an old tractor tyre shoved down a hill, if slighty better armoured.