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REVIEW
Trumpeter E-100 Super Heavy Tank
c5flies
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Posted: Tuesday, February 26, 2008 - 03:02 PM UTC
Matthew Quiroz (Red4) provides us with an in-box review of Trumpeter's newest heavy hitter, the E-100 Super Heavy Tank.

Link to Item



If you have comments or questions please post them here.

Thanks!
Kelley
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Posted: Wednesday, February 27, 2008 - 03:01 PM UTC
I'm normally not a fan of "paper panzers", but I think this is one I'm going to have to pick up!

On a small side note, for anyone who doesn't know this, the turret on this E-100 "Ausf. B" is totally mythical, and by that I mean it never even existed on paper. It was the brainchild of Michael Rinaldi. Here is a link to a thread concerning this over on ML. (there was also one here, but I couldn't find it)

http://www.network54.com/Forum/47207/thread/1192117856/Trumpeter+E-100

From what I understand Trumpeter and Mike were able to come to an amicable agreement about copyright issues.

Cheers,
Mike
Red4
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Posted: Wednesday, February 27, 2008 - 05:28 PM UTC
I like the look of this one over the Maus turret on the Dragon offering of the same kit. Just has more character in my eyes. Thanks for the link. "Q"
SGTJKJ
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Posted: Wednesday, February 27, 2008 - 06:51 PM UTC
Well, I will probably go for both this one and the Dragon E-100. Just to show the two different "mythical" versions next to each other. This will find its way to my stash.

Thanks for the update, Q
t34-85
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Posted: Wednesday, February 27, 2008 - 07:10 PM UTC
Yes, of course, it's a paper panzer and therefore pure fantasy. The gun barrel, however, would never be in red primer as barrels were never primed. An unpainted barrel would be dark grey. I don't know who started this myth of the red oxyde barrel, but it never actually happened.
Kuno-Von-Dodenburg
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Posted: Wednesday, February 27, 2008 - 11:12 PM UTC

Quoted Text

The gun barrel, however, would never be in red primer as barrels were never primed. An unpainted barrel would be dark grey. I don't know who started this myth of the red oxyde barrel, but it never actually happened.




Aaaaaaaah ..... but that's the beauty of paper panzers!

As long as you keep it plausible (e.g. you wouldn't paint an E-100 day-glo pink with bright blue spots), there is no "right" or "wrong"!

Who's to say that the Reich Armaments Ministry or whoever wouldn't have issed an edict in July or August of 1945 stating that "all barrels must heneceforth be painted in a nice deep rusty red colour".

You're falling into the rivet-counting trap when there are in fact no real rivets to count
Red4
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Posted: Thursday, February 28, 2008 - 03:59 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Yes, of course, it's a paper panzer and therefore pure fantasy. The gun barrel, however, would never be in red primer as barrels were never primed. An unpainted barrel would be dark grey. I don't know who started this myth of the red oxyde barrel, but it never actually happened.



ummm, okay. I'm not losing any sleep over it.
"Q"
t34-85
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Posted: Thursday, February 28, 2008 - 05:37 AM UTC

Quoted Text

As long as you keep it plausible (e.g. you wouldn't paint an E-100 day-glo pink with bright blue spots), there is no "right" or "wrong"! Who's to say that the Reich Armaments Ministry or whoever wouldn't have issed an edict in July or August of 1945 stating that "all barrels must heneceforth be painted in a nice deep rusty red colour".



You said it yourself: keep it plausible. Then why would the Reichs Armaments Ministry suddenly order all barrels to be painted in red oxyde primer? Especially when paint, as pretty much anything else, was becoming scarce. Besides, if they hadn't done before, most likely there was a very good reason... So, you might as well paint the barrel day-glo orange, pardon, pink... :-)
Kuno-Von-Dodenburg
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Posted: Saturday, March 01, 2008 - 07:45 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Then why would the Reichs Armaments Ministry suddenly order all barrels to be painted in red oxyde primer? Especially when paint, as pretty much anything else, was becoming scarce. Besides, if they hadn't done before, most likely there was a very good reason... So, you might as well paint the barrel day-glo orange, pardon, pink... :-)



Why wouldn't they ?

Why did they suddenly decide on dunkelgelb over grey - or green over dunkelgelb - or no Zim any more? Or ... or .... or ...

But yeah okay whatever ....
dazzer
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Posted: Saturday, March 15, 2008 - 01:30 PM UTC
Hi all

I am in the middle of building this beastie. Only a couple of probs at the moment 1: engine deck hooks the 2 rear ones each side face same way, 2: no vision blocksfor coupla, 3: what is the hole on top of coupla for?,4: instructions say tracks can glued with plastic cement this is not happening for me !!
But apart from these few blibs a easy to build kit,some of parts just seem to snap together. Will look good sat next to my dragon E100 and trumps E25
hope you find this helpful thanks Darren
Karasu
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Posted: Monday, May 12, 2008 - 11:30 PM UTC

Quoted Text

Yes, of course, it's a paper panzer and therefore pure fantasy. The gun barrel, however, would never be in red primer as barrels were never primed. An unpainted barrel would be dark grey. I don't know who started this myth of the red oxyde barrel, but it never actually happened.



I hate to burst your bubble on this one but red oxide primed barrels did exist, numerous photographs in the german propaganda magazine "signal" and other colour wartime sources confirm it beyond question
lleblanc
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Posted: Thursday, July 24, 2008 - 11:51 AM UTC
I will definitely buy this tank model. I have always been interested in German paper projects at the end of WW II, both armor and aircraft. It is refreshing to be able to build some completely different models instead of the slightly tweaked same old, same old. Trumpter should be applauded for their efforts in this little explored territory. I do note that the Trumpter box-art shows a machine gun port on the tank's front hull, but the actual model does not have this machine gun port.

However, as an E-100, I think Trumpter got it wrong. From the research that I have done, their E-100 appears to be the German E-75. Dragon is right on with their version of the E-100. Germany had several models proposed under the "E" series of tanks. They ranged from the small E-10, the E-25, E-50, E-75 to the giant E-100. the number stood for the approximate tonnage of the vehicle. The idea behind the "E" series was to have as many parts as possible to be exchangable between all the tanks in the series. This was for ease of production and parts replacement. The E-75 was an upgraded version of the King Tiger, which the Trumpter model does strongly resemble. From captured plans and documents, the E-100 looked exactly like the Dragon model.

Now all we need is an E-50, since Trumpter has also released the E-10 and E-25 in model form. The E-50 looked a great deal like the Panther tank, but had a "schmalturm' type turrent. Hopefully, Trumpter is working on the E-50. Their E-75 looks great.

H_Ackermans
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Posted: Thursday, July 24, 2008 - 01:12 PM UTC

Quoted Text

I will definitely buy this tank model. I have always been interested in German paper projects at the end of WW II, both armor and aircraft. It is refreshing to be able to build some completely different models instead of the slightly tweaked same old, same old. Trumpter should be applauded for their efforts in this little explored territory. I do note that the Trumpter box-art shows a machine gun port on the tank's front hull, but the actual model does not have this machine gun port.



Uhm.... you should know that this turret on the Trumpeter E-100 is a fictional one, right? Not based on anything ever planned by the designers. The chassis IS an E-100, not an E-75.


Quoted Text

However, as an E-100, I think Trumpter got it wrong. From the research that I have done, their E-100 appears to be the German E-75.



The kit as presented here is based on several scratch-built so called E-100 Ausf. B models. However a diminutive turret like this with a 128 or even the later 155mm gun is completely impossible. The gunmounting is just never going to fit in this turret, or at best, the recoil would rip the turret frontface apart with the first shot.


Quoted Text

Dragon is right on with their version of the E-100.



They at least use the Maus turret as shown on plans in Spielberger's Spezialpanzer book.


Quoted Text

Germany had several models proposed under the "E" series of tanks. They ranged from the small E-10, the E-25, E-50, E-75 to the giant E-100. the number stood for the approximate tonnage of the vehicle. The idea behind the "E" series was to have as many parts as possible to be exchangable between all the tanks in the series. This was for ease of production and parts replacement. The E-75 was an upgraded version of the King Tiger, which the Trumpter model does strongly resemble. From captured plans and documents, the E-100 looked exactly like the Dragon model.

Now all we need is an E-50, since Trumpter has also released the E-10 and E-25 in model form. The E-50 looked a great deal like the Panther tank, but had a "schmalturm' type turrent. Hopefully, Trumpter is working on the E-50. Their E-75 looks great.



Not even close to an E-75, this model is larger than the E-75.

Both the E-50 and E-75 have the exact same external dimensions for the chassis, the E-50 having thinner armourplate resulting in more internal space.

Also, depending on which factory was involved (Weserhüte, Adler etc.) gives you different designs, with varying running gear layouts.

And while an E-100 was being built, very slowly, none of the E-designs was ever conceived as being a proposal for series production, they were all new ideas to get rid of nummerous design flaws in the current gamma of German Panzer production.

The E-5 for instance would take over from ALL Schützenpanzerwagens, light recce tanks and some extremely light tanks.

The E-10 would become the replacement for anything tankhunting under the JagdPanzer 38(t) and the JagdPanzer IV, Stug IV. These would in their place be substituted by the E-25, which was deemed the definitve at that moment tankhunter.

Than the E-50 was to get the place taken by the Panther/Tiger-E with the E-75 taking over from the Tiger-B.

The E-100 would be the tank that would become the stop-gap vehicle, a mobile bunker toting the gun of the JagdTiger and the Maus.

But none of these would ever enter production. The E-series are only studies, to test new ideas.

Standardization was, contrary to what many believe, NOT the main issue with the E-series. The E-series often is said to mean Einheits-series, but it is in fact Entwicklungs-series.

The main points upon which the Panther/Tiger tanks would be improved:
- much simpler to produce and maintain suspension, at the cost of a slightly less comfortable ride
- More internal space for more ammo-stowage.
- Belly escape hatch

It is my belief that at least some part of the E-50/75 design was already introduced into the Panther-F production at war's end, namely the new suspension units and layout.
rinaldi119
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Posted: Thursday, July 24, 2008 - 02:08 PM UTC
Hi Leo -

To help clarify the kit as produced by Trumpeter, this kit is based off a hypothetical futuristic 1946 model that I built back in '04. The turret design, armament, and sighting devices are all entirely fictional and nothing more than pure science fiction on my part. I did try to make it believable on some level so I did base the design upon current German tank designs then in production at the time, but this tank is not real in any sense of the word.

Same with the designation E100 Ausf B. -- there NEVER was such a tank, not on paper nor ever intended by the Germans, so fundamentally there is no research for such a vehicle and Trumpeter simply reproduced the model that I made for fun. However, the model proved more popular than I thought and Trumpeter felt it would make a great kit and from what I've been told has been a successful seller, which makes us all happy. I had only wished the box info or instructions had not given the illusion this was a "real" paper panzer and had been more forthcoming about the origins of the model. My design has nothing to do with the E-50/75 proposals and was only intended to have a passing family resemblance. Yes the hull is based on the E100 as seen from the captured hull, but beyond that the tank is purely fictional like I said above.

Herbert - I based the design of the turret along the revised length of the proposed superstructure of the never produced Jagdtiger mounting the longer Pak L/66 12.8cm gun as seen in Panzer Tracts #20-1 page 59, which means the turret is capable of handling the recoil of the long 12.8cm mounting. At least in theory anyway. In no way, would I call that turret "diminutive" as it is nothing more than a slimmed down Maus turret.

Here is the link to the original model in case you guys haven't seen it before:

Original E-100 Ausf. B

Best,

Mike
lleblanc
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Posted: Friday, July 25, 2008 - 09:01 AM UTC
Hello Mike,

Thanks for the clarification with the "E-100 Ausf. B." The size of the chassis did seem to be too big for anything smaller than an E-100, but I could've sworn this was an E-75, based on drawings I have seen of this paper panzer. Wishful thinking, I guess. In any event, it is a great looking model.

By the way, you seem to have an "in" with Trumpter models. Do you know if they have any future plans to develop a German E-75 or E-50 model tank?? It would be great for them to produce the full series.
Braille
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Posted: Friday, July 25, 2008 - 03:37 PM UTC
Michael,

I would like to thank you for presenting the armor modeling community around the world with your extremely well thought out creation. I recall first seeing this work of art over on the Missing-Linx armor website many years ago and how excited and delighted I felt that there were modelers like yourself willing to share a purely hypothetical but workable vehicle for all modelers to see.

This is the kind of stuff that dreams are made of and nothing starts first without a dream. Your creation has touched and inspired many armor modelers around the world enough that it is now being produced so that many of us that may be unable to recreate what you did can have a piece of your dream too! The best part of this whole thing is that you added the most important ingredient to modeling for me and for many modelers both young and old alike - FUN.

I do not know how to speak my mind very well to tell you how I feel but I now have a copy in my small pile of armor kits to be built and dream of how I may want to recreate my E100 Super Heavy Tank. I am certain that I am not alone here as the sales of this kit are proof of that!

Thank you so very, very much Michael you are truly an artist.
-Eddy
rinaldi119
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Posted: Saturday, July 26, 2008 - 04:46 AM UTC
Leo -- Currently I don't know Trumpeter's future plans to produce the E-50 or -75 kits. Logic would dictate that, yes, they will come, but I do not when at this time. Whose to say maybe Dragon plans to offer these kits as well, judging by their own track record lately to go head-to-head with Trumpeter.

Eddy -- you are far, far too kind, but thanks all the same. It was indeed a lot of fun and actually my first model back into the game after a 15 year break from the hobby like many others here. I chose it so I didn't have to conform to historical accuracy since I had such limited resources at the time. There were also a couple of other modelers that engaged in similar projects for a while during that period; sort of like a mini E-100 group build. Anyway, glad you like the subject and that, of course, is what this is all about. Enjoy!

Best,

Mike
ninjrk
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Posted: Saturday, July 26, 2008 - 12:03 PM UTC

Quoted Text

Hello Mike,

Thanks for the clarification with the "E-100 Ausf. B." The size of the chassis did seem to be too big for anything smaller than an E-100, but I could've sworn this was an E-75, based on drawings I have seen of this paper panzer. Wishful thinking, I guess. In any event, it is a great looking model.

By the way, you seem to have an "in" with Trumpter models. Do you know if they have any future plans to develop a German E-75 or E-50 model tank?? It would be great for them to produce the full series.



I would expect that there will be an E-50/75 in plastic at some point since you can slap a swastika on it. . . I know that I would really like one and would snap one up (and will snap up the nice resin one if that's all that's available when I clear my backlog). However, heaven knows what they'll do for it. Hilary Doyle's drawing are based on what is available for tech reference but doesn't have the rear mounted drive sprockets (which makes sense as he's using the existing documentation and it doesn't seem that this was worked out on paper) and no turret was specified. in addition, if they use the Cromwell model as a reference they might not know that the suspension is changed from what Bruce Crosby researched out (his documentation was that the sprocket and tracks would be similar to the Porsche Jadgtiger's). It would be nice if whoever does this kit uses actual research.

Whom I kidding, I'll buy one anyways!

Matt
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