What if

This is a build of the AMG Spheroid tank (https://www.scalemates.com/kits/amg-35203-bt-102-spheroid-soviet-road-tank--1139298).

(https://www.scalemates.com/products/img/2/9/8/1139298-13385-55-720.jpg)

During one of his daily visits to the model closet, Felix:

(https://i.imgur.com/clUBW2J.jpg)

thought this one smelled like a good new project. Maybe Felix thought the kit smelled "off", because while the boxtop and instructions are for the "BT-102", the B sprue (which defines the particular boxing) was for the German variant (https://www.scalemates.com/kits/amg-35206-pzbef777-r--1272005)

(https://www.scalemates.com/products/img/0/0/5/1272005-27767-80-pristine.jpg)

Moving on, the kit is a pretty uneventful build. I very quickly got to this point:

(https://i.imgur.com/niiGr9k.jpg)

The biggest issues I've found so far are the small rollers:
(https://i.imgur.com/8Hf4M0J.jpg)

The rollers have pins that fits perfectly into the holes in the main body. If assembled that way, the rollers prevent the round sides from mating to the body. So I had to cut the pins off and mount the rollers flush. Another option would have been to make the holes in the body larger, but the plastic around the existing holes is too thin to support a larger hole. I'll have to do some touch up paintwork.

And the fuel tank:
(https://i.imgur.com/clHKSkH.jpg)

There's no positive location for the fuel tank - it's just supposed to attach... somewhere. The spheroid tank is very small and fuel tank can get into the way of the driver, so I used a copper wire (looks like a fuel line) glued to the back of the seat to hold the tank next to the driver and mostly out of his way.
I modified the propeller shaft (this was modeled as an amphibious vehicle...) to be the exhaust pipe for the engine.

Next up is a replacement gun. I found a Puteaux SA 18 gun from an old RPM FT-17 kit. It's pretty basic, so I'm modifying it to look more like the real thing. I have to figure out a mount for it and some ammo containers.

I'm tempted to add "training wheels" to the exterior shell as well.

Here's a good article on spherical tanks (https://www.tankarchives.ca/2019/05/in-search-of-perfect-sphere.html).

Oh that's cute 😄 and also quite cool 😎
I'll be watching this mate 👌

This is one of those devices where you worry that  a minor mishap would cause a situation known as "Gerbilling"  or "Hamster Wheeling"  where the unfortunate occupant is whirled round inside the spheroid  as it rolls on its way

Quote from: Rheged on July 26, 2023, 11:29:27 AMThis is one of those devices where you worry that  a minor mishap would cause a situation known as "Gerbilling"  or "Hamster Wheeling"  where the unfortunate occupant is whirled round inside the spheroid  as it rolls on its way

Like going down steep hills  :o

Going up/down hills, Gerbilling, keeling over if one wheel goes over a rock or the driver passing out from the heat and the fumes.

Daleks twirl n sympathy

Quote from: frank2056 on July 26, 2023, 11:59:55 AMGoing up/down hills, Gerbilling, keeling over if one wheel goes over a rock or the driver passing out from the heat and the fumes.

Daleks twirl n sympathy

This thing would be classified in the "Not such a bright idea " folder I think .

Looking good.  :thumbsup:   I fancied this one, along with Miniart's Sharotank.  The price put me off though as they're pretty small models.

I got this tank at a pretty good price, straight from Ukraine. It looks like they're around $20 on Ebay, which is a lot more than what I paid. The Miniart Sharotank is much larger, although I still can't see fitting that many people in it.

On to today's work. I made some changes - added a hatch that was included in the German version - just to get some ventilation into the sphere. I added a PE mesh (barely visible), some generic instrument dial decals and pretty much finished the gun:

(https://i.imgur.com/61aBMxc.jpg)

Gun detail, with telescopic sight:

(https://i.imgur.com/wcnQnWD.jpg)

Fuel tank is now on the sphere wall (not perfectly lined up in this picture) The fuel dial is just a sprue pip painted black, with a generic instrument dial face on it:

(https://i.imgur.com/qn6VqwQ.jpg)

Here's "Nigel" (who's seen better days) giving a sense of scale to the Spheroid tank. You wear this tank:

(https://i.imgur.com/Imb5P9f.jpg)

Obviously you can't be over 4' - 11" to drive this thing!

That's fascinating, great work as well  :thumbsup:

I'd heard about this idea before and seen illustrations, but I didn't realise the "wheels/rims" were canted, I'd assumed it was a sphere and that they were an equal distance apart all the way around. Modelling can be educational, maybe we can get a grant  ;)  (second time I've mentioned that idea this morning  :angel: )

Great shot of Felix as well  :thumbsup:

There seems to be this style or the type with one big tread or tire going around the center. Either way I'm thinking stability would be a problem. Has anyone ever designed a larger one with perhaps two crew, a driver and a gunner? I could just see one of these firing a larger caliber gun or a long burst from heavy machine gun and tipping backwards!
But they are fun to whiff!

Ken I believe the Brits and the US did try or yry to design 3 man versions...of course the idea was stupid and so problematic it wasn't really takin anywhere ...when ya think that a little creek 4 ft wide would stop one and a shell hole would bury it..it's a pointless design..still not as bad as a US design for a jumping one legged tank  :o ..and that was in the 40s 🤪😳

Quote from: frank2056 on July 26, 2023, 06:22:56 PMI got this tank at a pretty good price, straight from Ukraine. It looks like they're around $20 on Ebay, which is a lot more than what I paid. The Miniart Sharotank is much larger, although I still can't see fitting that many people in it.

Unfortunately the cheapest I can find here is about $25 with another $10 for postage.  They've quickly become unavailable here.  Cheapest I can find the Sharotank is around $60 with postage.

Your build is looking great, crazy machine.  :thumbsup:

There were some designs that looked like a can rolling on its side. The only one built:

(https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KVCsjNLlcUU/XNiObJ6ZInI/AAAAAAAAbLg/J9j3hDrfWc0VtJJzkMSM1GjOB5gTwK2EgCLcBGAs/s1600/sharotankidev06-354e82b912afd1fd7d32156845144ba6.jpg)

Moosie - I just checked the prices for the AMG tank and they're through the roof! It must be OOP. There's one seller in Ukraine selling it for $20. The Miniart tank seems to be out of stock everywhere as well.

I think I'm done with the interior of this tiny tank; here are the three main components. I used a Miniart wooden crate (cut down) to hold the ammo for the Puteaux and some beer bottles painted in brass to act as rounds. 12 rounds should be enough.

(https://i.imgur.com/g1TszgN.jpg)

I had to remount the gun a couple of times because the stock would have been in the driver's face. It's very close quarters as it is!

I tacked the sides on with poster putty, and used the included blocks to steady the vehicle. The disheveled John McEnroe figure is from a Masterbox zombie set, with a new head:

(https://i.imgur.com/xZoy6kE.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/gDnObHh.jpg)

And here is the second spherical tank from the Das Werk Kugelpanzer kit. It looks gigantic in comparison:

(https://i.imgur.com/uc4lS8t.jpg)

Now comes the hardest part - coming up with a paint scheme. The easiest would be some sort of green. I may try Middlestone instead.

They look terrific and the figure gives them a sense of scale  :thumbsup:

When it comes to weird tanks I've always thought the Tsar Tank takes some beating.

Tsar Tank (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsar_Tank)

Quote from: NARSES2 on July 28, 2023, 06:02:20 AMThey look terrific and the figure gives them a sense of scale  :thumbsup:

When it comes to weird tanks I've always thought the Tsar Tank takes some beating.

Tsar Tank (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsar_Tank)

Brother Narses is (as usual) correct!   The figures DO help appreciably;  and the Царь-танк  (Tzar tank)  looks like a full scale whiff.

Yeah is what you expect to find as a fairground attraction not stuck in the mud somewhere in russia..it's still around I think or that could be a while back now.

Quote from: Wardukw on July 28, 2023, 12:46:04 PMYeah is what you expect to find as a fairground attraction not stuck in the mud somewhere in russia..it's still around I think or that could be a while back now.

I'd love to see it today, festering slowly in a Russian forest in the middle of nowhere, but Wikipaedia  sayeth "Until 1917, the tank was guarded at the test site, but then, due to the outbreak of the Russian revolution, the vehicle was forgotten.......... the huge structure of the vehicle rusted for another 6 years in the forest some 60 kilometres (37 mi) from Moscow until 1923, when the tank was finally dismantled for scrap.

I decided to set this in the Rif War (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rif_War), early 1920s. It'll be a Spanish or French vehicle. No one really wanted to lay claim to this idea.

The weathering has started, but I think I have to change it - the dirt looks like rust, so I'll have to tone it down or change the color a bit. The decals (2307) look silvered, but that'll get fixed. Zombie John is joined by a new addition, the Puzzled French Mechanic:

(https://i.imgur.com/fjqrvoX.jpg)

"What fresh hell is this?"
(https://i.imgur.com/psKUtqX.jpg)

The best thing that mechanic can do is find a big hill..push it down it and claim it ran away from him  ;D

Well you have made the wild and wacky into a creditable model, well done.

Still cannot get my head around the concept and why anybody ever thought this was a practical idea, but then, there are so many other things and gadgets in the same category that actually existed, you give a Gallic Shrug and move on.

Good Work :thumbsup:

Love the mechanic scratching his head  ;D

Quote from: NARSES2 on July 29, 2023, 06:39:45 AMLove the mechanic scratching his head  ;D

You can hear him sucking through his teeth, "it's not gonna be cheap Guv'.

Haha , this is high level of stupid design to beat . . .   :thumbsup:
Place a sticker on the side ,, this side up ,, .

Think about dozen of them airdropped with parachutes .  Or traffic jam at the rush hour . Crazy ,   

Great build Frank 👌
It does make you wonder what those designers were drinking or smoking or both.

Quote from: Mossie on July 29, 2023, 08:34:52 AM

Quote from: NARSES2 on July 29, 2023, 06:39:45 AMLove the mechanic scratching his head  ;D

You can hear him sucking through his teeth, "it's not gonna be cheap Guv'.

 ;D  ;D  :bow:  ;D  ;D

Since this is going to be set in the Rif Wars, with both Spain and France involved (and the mechanic is as 3D scan of a French guy) the options are:

"C'est quoi cette connerie? Ça va être le bordel."

or

"¿Qué es esta mierda? Va a ser un desastre."

As he's talking to John McEnroe shouldn't he be saying 'Tu ne peux pas être sérieux!'  ;D

Being a mechanic, he's probably saying " Zut alors monsieur, ca va couter tres cher!"   

I'm calling the spheroid tank done. I'm still working on the French mechanic and his tools, but I'll use those in future projects.

(https://i.imgur.com/4IHejfh.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/z4iDJ94.jpg)

With the bored French guy:

(https://i.imgur.com/fIPFCI6.jpg)

With the French mechanic (who's in the process of getting painted) and his workshop. The bench is scratchbuilt, the tools are from a Miniart tool set:

(https://i.imgur.com/ZYofQ30.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/iijPkfw.jpg)

Here's the French guy, George Bush and the Inspector with the Spheroid tank and the much cooler Indian motorcycle:

(https://i.imgur.com/BgioFNC.jpg)

For the back story - during the 1920s chapter of the Rif Wars, both the Spaniards and the French were throwing men and equipment into the war. They had some FT-17 and Schneider CA 1 tanks, but they needed a way of crossing valleys and open fields to reach the Rifian fortifications - without suffering WWI levels of casualties.

Since getting enough tanks and trained crews was an expensive proposition, engineers from the two nations designed a spherical tank, built around a two cylinder motorcycle engine. The spherical tank provided adequate protection against small arms fire and it's small size provided a small target. It ran well on flat surfaces (paved roads, good dirt roads, well graded gravel roads). Unfortunately, the small internal volume limited the choice of weapons. Early designs used either a  Chauchat or a Mle 1914 Hotchkiss machine gun, but field tests showed that the tank could not fire accurately while underway and the heat, engine vapors and gun smoke were greatly impairing the driver. Modifications included an air vent over the engine and gun and the use of a Puteaux SA 18 as the main weapon, with 12 rounds of ammunition. This would allow (in theory) for the spheroid tank to cover open ground quickly, reach the enemy fortifications and use the Puteaux to decimate gun emplacements, trenches and small walls.

In practice, dirt, dust, pebbles and uneven (and hilly) terrain meant that the Spheroid tank spent most of its service time under repair. When it worked as intended, the Rifians just shrugged and moved their positions further up hill, or added rocky berms to their gun emplacements and trenches.

 :thumbsup:  :thumbsup:  :thumbsup:..awesome 😊😊😍

Vous savez que vous ne pouvez pas obtenir les pièces pour ces...
 ;)

Absolutely wonderful  :bow:

Thanks, guys! It was a fun project.

Crazy story for a crazy invention! Works wonderfully! :thumbsup:  :thumbsup:

I finished the mechanic figure, which is a 1/35 3D scan from Reed Oak (http://reedoak.com/#!/1-35-Modern-mechanics-or-farmer-in-dungaree-in-trouble/p/100869198/category=13308143)

"Jeez, shoulda worn a hat!" (I accidentally broke off the screwdriver and handle he was holding in his left hand)

(https://i.imgur.com/zQy5KcT.jpg)

"Yup, shoulda worn a hat..."

(https://i.imgur.com/7G9z8Hz.jpg)

Discussing the finer points of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance with his buddies:

(https://i.imgur.com/QxRMzBs.jpg)

Damn mate you know how to paint a figure  😊🤙👍

Quote from: Wardukw on August 02, 2023, 09:48:06 PMDamn mate you know how to paint a figure  😊🤙👍

Absolutely, fantastic work  :bow:  :bow:

But where are the underarm sweat stains on the singlet, or the black, brown, red & blue oil & grease stains on the overalls? :unsure:

Quote from: Wardukw on August 02, 2023, 09:48:06 PMDamn mate you know how to paint a figure  😊🤙👍

Second that.
 :thumbsup:

He looks familiar.  I think I used to work with him...

Quote from: frank2056 on July 27, 2023, 08:36:28 PMAnd here is the second spherical tank from the Das Werk Kugelpanzer kit. It looks gigantic in comparison:

(https://i.imgur.com/uc4lS8t.jpg)

Now comes the hardest part - coming up with a paint scheme. The easiest would be some sort of green. I may try Middlestone instead.

The smaller one is clearly for the Hitler Youth who could squeeze into it. Just what you give to a scared 13yo lad who can barely hold a rifle. A tin can that can be stopped by knocking it over or putting two large bricks under the wheels.

I do like your figure painting, they look like people. It's all in the shadows and lines that make their features pop.

Thanks, guys! It's really mostly blind luck with the figures so far. I'm slowly figuring out which techniques work best for me. A wet palette and acrylic glazes have done most of the work so far.

@Guy - you're right; I completely forgot about the sweat stains and oily overalls. I'll add them next time I use him for a model "model"

@Nick - the Spheroid tank would be an OK fit for a child or a small woman. I saw a build that featured a woman tanker figure, but I think she's probably too top heavy for the vehicle.

Quote from: frank2056 on August 03, 2023, 01:53:13 PM@Nick - the Spheroid tank would be an OK fit for a child or a small woman. I saw a build that featured a woman tanker figure, but I think she's probably too top heavy for the vehicle.

 ;D  ;D  ;)

Quote from: Old Wombat on August 03, 2023, 03:53:13 AMBut where are the underarm sweat stains on the singlet, or the black, brown, red & blue oil & grease stains on the overalls? :unsure:

First time on, it was a present from the Wife/Daughter/Girlfriend/Mistress etc  :angel:

Well, there are these:


(https://www.bnamodelworld.com/image/cache2/1000x1000_contain/catalog/defmodel/DEF-DF35012.webp?v=53)
https://www.bnamodelworld.com/model-figures-def-model-def-df35012-1:35-modern-idf-female-soldier (https://www.bnamodelworld.com/model-figures-def-model-def-df35012-1:35-modern-idf-female-soldier)

(https://www.bnamodelworld.com/image/cache2/1000x1000_contain/catalog/royalmodel/RM848.webp?v=53)
https://www.bnamodelworld.com/model-figures-royal-models-rm848-1:35-idf-woman-soldier (https://www.bnamodelworld.com/model-figures-royal-models-rm848-1:35-idf-woman-soldier)

(https://www.bnamodelworld.com/image/cache2/1000x1000_contain/catalog/miniart/MA37076_6.webp?v=53)
https://www.bnamodelworld.com/model-figures-miniart-models-ma37076-1:35-idf-tank-crew-4-figures (https://www.bnamodelworld.com/model-figures-miniart-models-ma37076-1:35-idf-tank-crew-4-figures)

(https://www.bnamodelworld.com/image/cache2/1000x1000_contain/catalog/royalmodel/RM695_1.webp?v=53)
https://www.bnamodelworld.com/model-figures-royal-models-rm695-1:35-israeli-woman-tanker-call-from-my-boyfriend-1-figure (https://www.bnamodelworld.com/model-figures-royal-models-rm695-1:35-israeli-woman-tanker-call-from-my-boyfriend-1-figure)


I have one of the figures as per the first image above for a post-apocalyptic diorama.

Quote from: NARSES2 on August 04, 2023, 01:36:56 AM

Quote from: frank2056 on August 03, 2023, 01:53:13 PM@Nick - the Spheroid tank would be an OK fit for a child or a small woman. I saw a build that featured a woman tanker figure, but I think she's probably too top heavy for the vehicle.

 ;D  ;D  ;)

Wouldn't be one of these ladies, would it?  ;D
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/384453159504

After clicking on that link I'm probably on some Met Police watch list  ;)

Looks like the sculptor put all his effort on the body of the one on the right... then lost interest and grafted on some dude's head.

Quote from: frank2056 on August 05, 2023, 10:39:33 AMLooks like the sculptor put all his effort on the body of the one on the right... then lost interest and grafted on some dude's head.

Oh, that's harsh! Maybe true, but.....