March 2016
42cm BIG BERTHA SIEGE GUN
1/35 Scale Takom Kit #2035
This is an awesome topic that Takom took on, parts fit well, and if you are going to build it straight from the box it will probably be enjoyable. But if you are like me and want an accurate model for display there is a good bit of work ahead of you. I have not built any other kits from Takom, so I was surprised to find some really big flaws. First, is the ammunition winch is to close to the rear ladders that the winch handles could not be cranked without hitting them. It has to be moved over and forward. Second, the winch itself is poorly molded in detail that it looks like a coil of copper pipe rather than a spool of steel cable. So the ribs have to sanded smooth and string (that looks like cable when painted ) is wound around spool and then run under platform via a pulley(which has to be scratch built) to the ammunition boom. Third, the winch handles are too long. Fourth, the breech is not closed in, so pieces of plastic have to be added to the area where the shell goes in to make it accurate. Fifth, the shell( they only give you one) is not molded accurately( it's wrong) and they don' t give any propellant cartridges in the kit. The shell will have to be corrected,more made, and cartridges scratch built. Sixth, rivets are missing in various places which will be corrected with Tichy railroad rivets. Seventh, there are cables that go between the base under the wheels to the arched geared base at the back of the gun( probably to keep the gun from pulling away from its base after repeated rocking while being fired). Scratch building the cables and cable mounts will correct this. If you go on-line and research the gun you will see these inaccuracies.
This book answered a lot of questions.
More to Come