On the Drawing Board - UPDATED 160830

[Rubicon Models]

As we are busy packing our bags (and TOP SECRET prototypes) for Spiel 15 (Essen, Germany), here is our weekend teaser for the week! If you happened to be at the show, be sure to drop by the Warehouse Games booth (Hall 2, Booth C-118) to say hallo!




Enjoy!

[ripley]

Awesome , my favorite SPGs . Please use your dish road wheels from your T-34 / 76 on these kits  . No SU was issued with the shown style of road wheel . Yes they did get the odd Spider style wheel to replace damaged wheels . And those crazy  Russians even retro fitted Panther wheels on a few T-34s  , just one or two per tank  . But no SU ( 85 / 100 / 122 ) used Spider wheels on the complete tank .

[Rubicon Models]

Awesome , my favorite SPGs . Please use your dish road wheels from your T-34 / 76 on these kits  . No SU was issued with the shown style of road wheel . Yes they did get the odd Spider style wheel to replace damaged wheels . And those crazy  Russians even retro fitted Panther wheels on a few T-34s  , just one or two per tank  . But no SU ( 85 / 100 / 122 ) used Spider wheels on the complete tank .

Thanks Ripley!  These are just preliminary drawings, will check with studio staff.

[Pinky]

I'm as happy as Ripley is to see these - especially the SU-122!   

I wasn't aware of the point Ripley makes regarding the wheels (he's a mine of details like this!).  However, the SU-122 shouldn't have the smoke cannisters on the rear.  These started to appear in about mid-1944, by which time the SU-122 was out of production (they shouldn't be included in the early T-34/76 kit either).  They do seem to have appeared on some SU-85s.  It would be good if this kit didn't have slots in the rear engine deck for these cannisters, as it's a bit of a pain to remove them if you're not fitting the cannisters. 

[Rubicon Models]

Pinky, this is why we have a sneak preview of the SU tank destroyers on the forum.  Will met with studio staff again after the Spiel event and discuss.  Thanks!

[ripley]

The SU 122 never had smoke canisters  . I think the smoke canisters appear on post war Czech built SU 85 / 100s . All pictures in the Wydawnictwo Militaria  SU-85 / 100 / 122 book  I have show  no mounts or even the piping for the smoke  canisters on late 1944 and Berlin  May 1945 pictures of SU 85 / 100s .  And for those of you who love the SU 122 like I do , Miniart has CAD drawings up of a 1/35 scale kit with full interior . Don't know when it's going to be released but  hopefully I'll find one of those under my Christmas tree this year

[Rubicon Models]

Notes taken.  This is still very early stage of the project.  Will publish more 3D drawings later on for comments.

[Pinky]

Photos of SU-122s and SU-85s in WW2 are actually relatively rare.  I agree that none of them appear to show either of these vehicles with smoke cannisters.

Would it be possible for this kit to also include parts to build an SU-100?  It's basically a revised roof and another gun and mantlet.  This would also mean you could include the late model SU-85M.

I found some good photos of SU-85Ms - note that some do indeed have replacement spoked wheels, but the dished wheel is standard.

[Rubicon Models]

The SU-85 & SU-122 are basically similar in hull structure except for the gun and some notable features.  The SU-100 is a very different, would rather do a SU-100 / SU-85M later.  Will continue to discuss with studio team on the possibilities.

[Pinky]

After seeing the number of variants you've squeezed onto the M10/M36 sprues, I bet you could include the parts for an SU-100 in this kit...

[ripley]

I think a kit of the SU 122 / 85 / 85M / 100 is really pushing it , Pinky . I would really love one , but ... . Looking at the scale drawings in my book , you would need 2 front plates , 3 different right ( commanders ) side plates , 3 rear casement plates and 3 roofs . Not to mention parts for the  pistol ports and vision slits which were placed different in each version , and all the bits for the guns and mounts . A SU 85 / 85M /100 kit is much more practical parts count wise  . And I guess a separate SU 122 kit  if the demand is there. I'm thinking Rubicon would rather keep the sprue and parts cost a low as possible . A 3 or more sprue kit would have to  be pretty special ( Rubicon 3 in 1 Tiger ) for guys to fork out the $40 or $50 bucks it's going to cost them at the local hobby shop. As it is now , with our low Canadian dollar, kits are hitting $40/ 45. And with paints touching the 5 dollar mark your hobby cash only goes so far 

[Pinky]

That seems to be Rubicon's view as well, Ripley / but they've shown increasing ingenuity when comes to providing options.  If you think about it, this kit would only need one set of tracks, so the options you mention are about equivalent to what they've done with the M10/M36 (which includes 3 different turrets, 4 guns and 2 hull tops).  My concern is that I don't think an SU-100 kit would sell that well, so it's better folded in as an option in an SU-122/SU-85 kit.  I may be wrong, however - the SU-100 did see significant service post-war.

Let's see what they do...

[Rubicon Models]

Something we have not done for a while...



Enjoy!

[Pinky]

Looks like a Jeep wheel....

[ultravanillasmurf]

Looks like a Jeep wheel....

I hope it is a Jeep wheel.