42cm Marinekanone L/16, Gamma-Gerät 3D printed

[EPOCH3]

I have always liked the big 42cm guns used by the Germans in WWI and WWII. Ugly for sure but a big piece of art in their own way.
There is very little technical data available for these weapons so I never quite had enough information in order to do them accurately.
I basically finished up with my M1 and K3 designs and some new data became available that answered a few technical questions I had wrt the design so I decided to take a crack at Gamma-Gerät.
I attached a few pictures showing some initial work in progress and one showing Gamma-Gerät relative size as compared to the Rheinmetall M1 and K3 guns.
I decided to build Gamma in both 1/72nd scale and 1/35th scale and even in 1/72nd scale its a pretty large little model

happy modeling

[EPOCH3]

A quick screen capture / graphic showing the assembly crane (WIP)

[EPOCH3]

Hi - part of the benefits of modeling subjects from a technical perspective (as opposed to modeling for purely illustration or gaming purposes) is that it sometimes allows you to analyze the mechanical aspects of a design and figure out it's mysteries. A case in point. Gamma has this bracket arm assy looking thing with a cylindrical object connected to it towards the rear of the gun mount. I don't like adding a geometry to a model that I have no clue as to what it was for. I have tried to confirm and figure out what the object was used for and I think I now have a good guess. The large circular object is a counterweight and the bracket arm thing it is attached to flips 90 degrees when the barrel is being inserted to provide a roller so the barrel has something to rest on as is it slid into the mount/Wiege. The whole assy flips down and is secured into a stored position after the barrel has been inserted and as the rear deck platform is added. The counterweight just enhances balance that makes the effort of flipping it less difficult (since the assy has to be structurally heavy enough itself to support the heavy barrel).

[danmodels]

Dear Sir , my name is Dan Silvestru I am from Romania ( Dan Models Co. ) and I will be interested to make this superb big gun in resin . Please PM me or contact by facebook to tell your conditions. Also I will be interested on the 24 cm K3 too . Dan

[EPOCH3]

Just a picture of some old master/rejected/junkyard parts. These were laying about
and I thought it was sort of cool being able to show the relative size between
them (all in 1/35 th scale) . Wieges/gun cradles are for the for 38cm Siegfried, 21cm K12 V, 42cm Gamma
and 24cm K4/K3 and Dave (the little figure guy). More Gamma pics coming soon
Happy Modeling!

[slug]

Hi, Found an image of 38cm Siegfried on Panzer Concepts site. Is it yours? Really really need to lean on BJ though looks like his year is booked up!

[EPOCH3]

Hi - yes, I am working with Billie Jean at Panzer Concepts to bring Gamma and several others (Siegfried, K12, Paris gun) to life this year (and hopefully many more next year). The Gamma should be out very soon and then maybe some smaller items but Siegfried is in our list. Regards

[EPOCH3]

Here are some updated rendering and pics of the test print parts for the Gamma project that I am doing with Panzer Concepts.
Happy modeling -

[EPOCH3]

Just for fun (break from reality) - Here is a fantasy model of the 42cm Gamma on Eisenbahnwagon.
I am going to do another version with 4 axle WWI trucks but thought it looked cool. Have fun

[MLW]

Very impressive work. As usual, I am awed by your work. I know that the Gamma is a particularly vexing project because there are no know plans for the WWI or WWII version of the gun.

Regards,
Marc

[EPOCH3]

Hi Marc - thx much.... Gamma is a fun one to research. I recently found two drawings in the German Archives system. They are not however marked in anyway as being a 42cm Gamma. Instead, they are labeled as a "large test platform/fixture"! It's probably what they did to keep having it a secret - just hide it in plain sight as a test platform.

Regards

[EPOCH3]

a few more bits and pieces added to the prototype Gamma

[EPOCH3]

a few pics of the ammo trolleys for Gamma

[EPOCH3]

Hi - here is a first look at parts breakdown for most of the 42cm Gamma kit.
The below ground base will probably be an optional add-on.
Regards

[EPOCH3]

A few pics of the railings being installed