TMN: Preview: MiniArt's 35th scale Raupenschlepper Ost RSO/01 w/Wooden Shelter

MiniArt's newest 35th scale Raupenschlepper OST RSO/01 comes packing some interesting woodwork on the back. We have the art, CADs & original photo of this interesting machine in our preview...

Preview: MiniArt's 35th scale Raupenschlepper Ost RSO/01 w/Wooden Shelter

RSO/01 w/Wooden Shelter

From MiniArt Models

1/35th scale

Kit No. 53048

Decals for four options in the box.

The kit includes clear parts & photo-etch metal

Product Link on the MiniArt Website

The subject: Raupenschlepper OST RSO/01. Early Prod

The acronym RSO stands for “Raupenschlepper Ost,” which translates as “Caterpillar Tractor East." The terrible muddy and icy conditions experienced on the Eastern Front convinced Germany of the need for a highly mobile, tracked vehicle. Steyr proposed the RSO, and it immediately became a popular vehicle thanks to its mobility and reliability. In all, about 23,000 RSO vehicles were produced by a range of manufacturers. The original version had a pressed-steel cab and a typical truck-style cargo bed at the rear. It was powered by a Steyr 85-hp V8 engine that offered a top speed of 30 km/h. Initially designed as a prime mover and artillery supply vehicle, the RSO eventually adapted to a wide range of roles. Upon its arrival on the Eastern Front, combat units repurposed it for general transportation duties, leveraging its reliability, ease of maintenance, and versatility to excel in various terrains. Its unique "slack-track" system, consisting of four road wheels per side in a single line, proved particularly effective in handling the challenging mud season and Russian winter conditions, which often crippled other vehicles. This was due to the absence of return rollers, which eliminated the risk of mud or snow freezing between the wheels of more complex suspension systems found in German half-track vehicles like the SdKfz 7.

A wooden-sided RSO - this one has a "Gulashcannone" inside it - a mobile field kitchen.

The kit: MiniArt's 1/35th scale Raupenschlepper Ost RSO/01 w/Wooden Shelter

MiniArt's Raupenschlepper recreates the WWII-era wooden-backed shelter cargo compartment mounted on an RSO tracked vehicle. The RSO's design is rounded at the front with the slab-sided vertical sides and rounded top of the roof on the rear.

Features of this kit:
The main difference of this kit is the wooden cover on the rear of the tray; this houses the cargo or soldiers inside it in a slightly weatherproofed solution for the "ost" the vehicle is named after.

- The full Steyr 3.5L V8 petrol engine that powered the early variants is here with a drivetrain leading to the drive wheels. A little wiring harness is all one would need.

- The link and length tracks save time on construction but are less flexible on undulating terrain.

- The cabin is finely detailed & it can be constructed separately from the rest of the kit. The interior has all of the controls, linkages, and instruments that the real thing had.