RESIN Project - 20mm MG151/20 3D Prototypes 190212

[Rubicon Models]

New project for Feb 19... 20mm MG151/20 Fla SL 151 in resin & pewter!

- highly details yet simplified for quick assembly & painting
- can adjust cannon elevation & gun rotation of your choice
- come with gunner seat and shoulder-strap option
- will include SdKfz 251/21 parts for conversion









Enjoy!

[Pinky]

It's pointless, I know, but - please don't keep doing metal and resin hybrids.  Or, if you must, stick to large models rather than smaller, more intricate things like this.

[Tracks]

I don't know if I would call it "Pointless", but probably not high on a lot of people's lists including mine.

Of all the things they could be spending time on, this is what they pick?

I have to ask, who at Rubicon Models decide which projects to start working on?

[ripley]

Hmm , very cool . Don't quite get what Rubicon is doing  with these small multi piece resin kits , but I like this gun . Yes , it would be much better as a plastic kit , but the cost of making it in plastic ( molds etc ) might be more than the expected $ return . How many guys who play the game are going to want one ?  Yes us model builder guys probably would , but then again we're not limited in number of vehicles on our shelves like the game guys are with vehicles on the table . The model guys I know have 50 - 75   28mm plastic & resin tanks/ vehicles  , the game guys have at the most 10 .  Here's a few pictures of the Drilling mount . I didn't know it also came on a trailer like the 2omm flak , might be a nice expansion kit idea for Rubicon . I'm also showing a couple of model versions , as I can't find pictures at the moment . But as this gun was self contained on its mount  ( like the Russian quad Maxim ) it could be mounted on almost anything ( seen pictures on one mounted in turret less T-34 )

[johan]

As a lot of the halftracks of Kampfgruppe Peiper in Stavelot / la Gleize during the battle of the Bulge were drilings, I very welcome the mere fact that it exists to build into a 251 c or d (propably mostly d) Up to now none was available in 1/56 except through small obscure companies who mostly printed these.

[Tracks]

But as this gun was self contained on its mount  ( like the Russian quad Maxim ) it could be mounted on almost anything

Like on a German SdKfz 10? 
Sorry, I couldn't resit.

[ripley]

Why not install it in the 10 . It looks to be easy to bolt on anywhere . Here's a drawing of the 251 mount I found



Pretty simple to kit bash , just have to find a load of 20mm ammo boxes to use as reloads for those large 1000 round cans . This thing fired 700 rounds per minute per gun , so it had just under 90 seconds of fire before you had to hide somewhere and reload those 3 cans which I would assume would take a while  to lay the ammo belts in there without kinking them .  I'm in for one of these gun mounts for a 251 kit bash with the kit sight unseen , and if it lives up to Rubicon's high standards ( going by their latest kits it should  ) , probably a couple of others , and I'm going to start looking for information on the transport trailer to built / kit bash one

[ultravanillasmurf]

I don't know if I would call it "Pointless", but probably not high on a lot of people's lists including mine.

I think, and Pinky can correct me, that he was referring to asking for Rubicon to concentrate on the plastic kits.

Of all the things they could be spending time on, this is what they pick?

I have to ask, who at Rubicon Models decide which projects to start working on?

I get the impression (and once again I may be wrong) but these "side projects" are something that is assigned to "new" staff.

As has been discussed previously, there are bottlenecks in their process of delivering a complete boxed kit to the warehouse. Some of them are out of their hands (contract work and availability of moulding machines are two that have been mentioned).

As they expand they will have to have projects for staff to work on. The big complex kits will require a lot of work from their skilled designers. New staff will have to prove themselves, I suspect by being given a project (or even choosing and getting one of their own approved). Some of them might not see the light of day, others may be reviewed and be found to be suitable for release.

The non plastic kits avoid the production bottleneck (as well as being being more economic for small scale production).

[johan]

Another "easy" resin conversion part would be the 57mm gun that was installed in the SU57 basically a US M3 halftrack. All you need is the gun with pedestal and a new front window. So resinteam @ Rubicon, go for it.

[Rubicon Models]

I get the impression (and once again I may be wrong) but these "side projects" are something that is assigned to "new" staff.

As has been discussed previously, there are bottlenecks in their process of delivering a complete boxed kit to the warehouse. Some of them are out of their hands (contract work and availability of moulding machines are two that have been mentioned).

As they expand they will have to have projects for staff to work on. The big complex kits will require a lot of work from their skilled designers. New staff will have to prove themselves, I suspect by being given a project (or even choosing and getting one of their own approved). Some of them might not see the light of day, others may be reviewed and be found to be suitable for release.

The non-plastic kits avoid the production bottleneck (as well as being more economic for small scale production).

This is all so true... thanks UVS for explaining this to the other guys! 

[Rubicon Models]

While we are at it... here is the 3D prototype of the MG151/20.

You might not aware that the MG151/20 is a hard-sought item in 1/56 scale and requested by many BA gamers...









Enjoy!

[ultravanillasmurf]

That looks good (turned metal barrels would be nicer and more robust).

I was just going to mention one of Ripley's photographs showed a shoulder traverse/elevation system.

Does the seat version have a powered (hand cranked or electrical) traverse/elevation mechanism

[ripley]

From the pictures I've found of wartime mounts , it looks to be man powered . The mount has bike type handle bars for traverse left and right , with a bike type brake lever hooked up by wire  to all 3 guns as the trigger . In the vehicle mount ( with seat ) the elevation is controlled by the gunner pushing up with his feet ( must be a well balanced weapon ){  . On the other mount , the gunners shoulders in the U and O ring control the elevation . Some British tanks had a U shaped shoulder piece for elevation as well IRC . Looks to be  easy to change out the pieces if needed .





While I can lots of ground mount and the back of truck / trailer pictures , most 251 pictures are either blocked by crew or vehicles that are too damaged to make out much detail , hence the drawing ( all pictures from the net )

[Pinky]

I think, and Pinky can correct me, that he was referring to asking for Rubicon to concentrate on the plastic kits.

Yes, I was.  I recognise the bottle neck in production of plastic kits, but that doesn't make metal/resin hybrids any more attractive. 

[Rubicon Models]

More variety for the MG 151/20...













Enjoy!