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That looks excellent, Alan. Can anybody answer the question posed on PSR as to what the stand of three figures carrying the big pole are supposed to be doing?
I suspect they are meant to be shoving the shell into the breech though the setup clearly wont work as the loading mechanism is missing from the gun....
1.Four (not two) guys, one on each handle facing in the direction of the shell carry it in a device broadly similar to the one shown here:
http://www.strelets-r.com/Pages/ContributionImage/12506.jpg
2.This is then transferred to the loading device(missing, basically a hinged tray) mounted on the trail behind the breech.
The device is raised to the breech and the shell shoved home... presumably using a rammer...
without the loading device the three figures serve no purpose as far as I can see....
I cannot be absolutely certain about this though as all the pics I have only show these men at the ready not going through the motions and I dont have the manual..
edit found a sequence here courtesy of PDA, see at about 0:42 on...
It would seem my guys are poking the wrong end of the barrel then ....but the three figures will not sit at the right end anyway, and that`s a shame, more joined up thinking required me thinks
Well, no, I think you were right, Alan. I have seen footage of men swabbing the barrel (I think it removed some of the residue and lengthened the life of the barrel). I'm not 100% that I've seen a German crew doing it - I think I've seen it, but haven't been able to locate it in my collection yet. Definitely seen British gun crews and British tank crews swabbing their guns.
Although I do agree that the sequence shows three guys ramming a round into place, I think the rammer looks rather different to the swab.
Might be wrong; wonder what Strelets had in mind when they were sculpting?
I doubt the chain track would have worked as a kit of parts or rubber belt, perhaps some kind soul will produce an etched set to complete the details on the model... failing that could always add a set of simple plates to the wheels with strips of plastic card joining them not perfectly accurate but should look ok