After expecting something vastly different in the post, young Clayton Ockerby got going with Takom's kit of the Hanomag SS100 when it turned up - & as you can see from his build review - didn't do too shabby of a job with it! See the kit and how he used Ammo's great to paint and weather it in this all-in-one build review.
Full Build Review: Hanomag SS 100
from Takom
Product No # 2030
1/35th scale
6 different marking options
Workable wheels
Front wheels steerable
From Takom's distributors Worldwide
History notes are taken from the Takom instruction booklet
The Wehrmacht heavy tractor multi-purpose vehicle Hanomag ss100 was produced from 1936 to 1945. Originally manufactured in 1936 as the SP-100 heavy agriculture tractor, it was quickly pressed into military service with both the Wehrmacht and the Luftwaffe, and became one of the most widely used heavy tractors in German military service. Powered by an 8550cc 6 cylinder D85 diesel engine, it could accommodate up to five passengers and a driver and supported a variety of supplemental equipment attached to the rear frame.
Among other things, V2 units used it to tow the Meillerwagen, which transported the V2 rocket to the launch site and erected the rocket onto the firing stand. After 1945 it was produced in France as the ST-100. Known in the civilian world as the ‘Gigant’, Hanomag road tractors of all sizes were popular as off-road transport well into the 1960’s.
Straight to it!
Rather than the usual format of sprue shots and a general first look, I wasted no time in getting into the build for this one. So for all of you hanging out from detailed sprue shots, then I am sorry, I didn’t take them.
I had always felt the kit containing the Hanomag, trailer and rocket was a masterstroke by Takom, and had always wanted to get my hands on the release. Having said that, I felt the Hanomag was interesting in that context but I wouldn’t have regarded the vehicle by itself to be of much interest.
But as it generally happens with, I cross paths with these unique subjects and start to look a little more closely at them and the role they played in the War, as usual, it starts to ignite my interest.
The build starts with a number of sub-assemblies. I wasn’t going to bother with detailing the engine too much as it wouldn’t be seen when the model was finished. I was however so inspired by Andy Moore’s latest work on the Scammell engine, I wanted to try a few things out, so this was the perfect opportunity.
The engine black has some nice detail, although there was a thumping great join running through the middle. I was very loose with this though as it was not going to be seen. I have seen these vehicles with the side panels removed from the engine shroud, so there is a good opportunity to somewhat show the engine off. It is, however, a shame you can’t pose the hood open to show the engine detail. That said, it is something you could scratch if you were that way inclined.
The Chassis and exhaust are now sprayed using Tamiya Flat Brown. The engine block and other bits and pieces are painted using German Grey. The Tamiya paint is good to set the base colours and is used pretty much as a primer.
I wanted to chip the model a little, but not too much. I feel there is a real trend at the moment to over weather models. Given the Hanomag was a support vehicle, I wanted to show some restraint with it, but still make it look ‘used’.
In order to create some subtle chipping, I applied small amounts of masking fluid using a sponge. This was applied on logical areas around the chassis and wheel arches.
The parts are now sprayed using AMMO’s Dunkelgelb – A.MIG 010.
Once dry, the masking fluid I applied earlier is removed by rubbing a small piece of Blutac over the parts. As you can see, the chipping effect is quite stunning. This is always a fun part of the build.
Now to the exhaust.
The entire piece is quickly painted using Dark Brown from the AMMO Oilbrusher range.
This sets the base for the pigments to follow.
Randomly applying rusty toned pigments now starts to create a quite realistic rust look. Touching the surface with a brush loaded with white spirit will then activate the oil beneath and settle the pigment to give you a really interesting rust look. Very quick and so easy.
The pre-painted, chipped parts are now assembled. There are a few nasty join lines in the leaf springs that I probably should have paid more attention to, but again, this is never going to be seen, so I wasn’t prepared to waste my time cleaning them up.
Construction continues. It was very easy to damage the rims of the wheels when removing them from the sprues, so take your time at this stage.
When the front wheels were fitted, it was apparent that the vehicle wasn’t sitting cleanly on the ground. There were locating positions for everything, so all I can put it down to is a slight warp in the chassis, (although the rear wheels both sat flush). Anyway, out came the saw to address the issue.
The part was removed from the left side of the chassis. The plastic that was removed due to the thickness of the blade made all the difference. The part was glued again and the problem was solved.
The interior was pre-painted and fixed to the model. The front windscreen piece was quite badly warped, so I was a little fearful that would cause me some fit issues down the track. It was reasonably pliable though, so I figured I could manipulate the part at a later date if required.
You may also notice I had been playing a little with the weathering on the engine. Dirty, dusty and rusty enamels and pigments were splattered and splashed on the engine block. This was just an experiment for me, but I was reasonably happy with the result. Kind of a shame to close it all up.
A little closer up detail on the engine. Some wiring and plumbing could really do wonders on this part of the model, but I need to keep moving.
Also, notice the kit supplied decals for the dials adding a little interest to the dash.
And then it was gone. The engine shroud is attached. It wasn’t a perfect fit, but it was good enough. All of the detail is moulded onto the panels, so if you were wanting to pose the vents along the side open, then there is going to be a lot of work ahead of you. An option to do that would have been a nice inclusion, but would obviously add to the complexity of the kit. Would have been a good opportunity to catch a sneak peek at the work on the engine though.
A very rough spray job to see how some of the filler looked and a test fit of the roof and the doors. The warped windscreen housing is causing a few issues here and will need to be managed at a later stage.
Clear sections are now masked, ready for paint.
The model is now painted using A.MIG 010 Dunkelgelb. Doors are temporarily held in place using Blutac.
Following the supplied colour scheme, I used A.MIG 001 for the camouflage pattern. I sprayed freehand to the model.
Once dry, an enamel line wash was then applied using A.MIG 1007, US Modern Vehicles Wash. The wash helps add depth and give the model definition.
Using a chrome tip marker, the headlights were now brought to life.
Although hard to see in the picture, a heavily thinned mix of XF-79 and XF-85 were sprayed as a post-shade technique. I was conscious of not over weathering the model, so this subtle post-shading technique helped to add depth and a ‘used’ look to the model.
A light dusting of Earth-toned acrylic paints were sprayed to the lower edges of the model to simulate dust. Thinned earth-toned enamels were also flicked and applied to the lower edges of the model to represent mud splashes.
...And there you have it. My finished Hanomag SS-100
Conclusions.
Like I said earlier, I really wasn’t expecting to build this model. It literally just fell in my lap. That said, I really enjoyed it. It is an interesting subject that played an important role in the German war effort.
There were a few issues with fit, mainly caused by that warped windscreen part. The doors really needed to be carefully trimmed and manipulated and the fit was far from perfect. That said, as I usually do, I didn’t follow the build order suggested in the instructions, so some of those issues may not have been a factor if I had have done that.
The kit in close up in detail...
Whilst a few more options for displaying the engine would have been nice it really isn’t that big of an issue. You could always negate the side sections of that shroud if you wanted to alter the look of the vehicle. If I was to get really picky, I think those windscreen wipers look a little chunky too. A better modeller would scratch build something here I would suggest.
It’s worth noting, I was completely surprised at the finished size of the model. Not knowing anything prior to the build, I had assumed it was almost the size of something like a staff car. I was wrong. This thing is big. Big enough to keep most armour guys happy in some capacity.
...And a walk around the whole thing.
This is a pretty simple build and comes together quite quickly. Breaking the build into sub-assemblies obviously slows the process down, but there is always enough to do to keep the model interesting and not lose too much momentum.
So, if you are looking for a reasonably simple build of an underrepresented workhorse, this model ticks the boxes. My long-term plan is to pose the Hanomag in a small vignette together with the V2 I have previously reviewed on TMN, but as usual, I am time poor, so that will have to wait for another time… but for the moment, here is the Takom Hanomag ss-100.
Clayton Ockerby
Thanks to Takom for this kit to build and review
Thanks to the guys at AMMO for the paints that Clayton used in his build
