Preview: MiniArt's mobile repair wagon – the 35th-scale Werkstattkraftwagen Auf RSO/01
Werkstattkraftwagen Auf RSO/01
From MiniArt Models
1/35th scale
Kit No. 35491
Decals for three options in the box.
The kit includes clear parts & photo-etch metal
The subject: Werkstattkraftwagen Auf RSO/01
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.
The workstation in the rear of the wooden-bedded RSO (this one has a field kitchen inside it rather than a mobile workshop.)
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The Werkstattkraftwagen RSO was a specialized maintenance variant of the German Raupenschlepper Ost (RSO). These vehicles, often based on the RSO/01 chassis, were equipped with tools and equipment for field repairs and maintenance. These vehicles conducted repairs on their accompanying rocket & artillery unit's machines, but also on their own vehicles. Although small, these found great use on the field of battle in many theatres in WWII.
The kit: MiniArt's 1/35th scale Werkstattkraftwagen Auf RSO/01
MiniArt's 1/35th-scale Feldküche Auf RSO/01 is the next in their family of Raupenschleppers. This kit accurately recreates the WWII German workshop mounted on an RSO tracked vehicle.
The main difference of this kit is the wooden cover on the rear of the tray; this houses the field workshop inside it in a slightly weatherproofed solution to having a truly mobile repair station for troops on the battlefield.
Here are some CADs showing the completed machine and its features.
...And inside the vehicle, showing the tools and workstations included in the kit.
The sprue layout:
- 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 wooden structure that covers the rear tray bed and field kitchen inside is shown in these illustrations.
- 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.
Wooden sides of the rear of the cab / the work area are included in plastic on these sprues.
The drive and return wheels and running gear...
The tracks for the kit are each single pieces.
- The link and length tracks save time on construction but are less flexible on undulating terrain.
A stepladder is included for the entry into the rear of the waggon.
Toolbox frames and impliments are included here.
A compressor with tanks and an engine is included.
Clear parts for the kit are of course supplied
Photo-etch for the tools and equipment is on this fret
- MiniArt has printed their own decal sheet for this kit with the three marking choices included here.
The three profiles included in this boxing
This kit should be available next month from MiniArt's distributors worldwide.
Check out the MiniArt site for more info on all of their kits...
