Greetings, Tankers!

Nate headed down a week ago to meet with the Graebe’s and take detailed observations and measurements of the final drive to the wheels (AKA the parts that let us turn and move). He spent a full 2 days with the Graebe’s to measure parts of the final drive. This piece has been giving us trouble due to the complexity of the part and unique engineering solutions the Czech engineers had to come up with to fit such a versatile component into such a small place. Nate was able to use the Marder III’s example to get a very good idea of how the component works and functions. He is confident that we will be able to replicate it given time.

While the drivetrain was disassembled, he was able to conceptualize the entire mechanism as well as measure out a number of actual parts. Seen below is one end of one of the drive-wheel driveshafts.

And below, his 3D model of the same. A quick thing he threw at me to keep the PR guy [me] off his back. I’m thrilled, really. While the details will be updated (he promises me it’s just a rough draft), this is the first Real-World to model that we’ve had. All other drawings we’ve shown you were from models, pictures, scale drawings and data tables. This represents a new step forward.

We want to send a huge THANK YOU to both Big Bob Sr. and Bob Graebe the younger of the Graebe Collection for their hospitality and willingness to help this project scoot forwards. It means a lot for us and we hope someday to drive side by side with their Marder III in celebration.

I’d like to take a moment, then, to talk about the original engineers of that genius little mechanism we call the Final Drive and Control Group. They did all this work with slide rules and pencil and paper. I am absolutely astounded by the work that went into these machines by the engineers of all sides. The speed of production of the machines of WWII from idea to production, from airplanes to battleships to submarines to tanks. Technology was rushed through one of the toughest gauntlets known to man and came out the other side. In about 8 years we went from tankettes like the AH-IV to mighty abominations like the Maus and IS-2. Biplanes with open cockpits to swift steeds of the sky with multiple payload points and cannons that could rip and tear like no other.

All this on pencil, paper, sweat, and guts.

We are, as a project, as a group, and as fans, paying tribute to the work that those engineers did. What will take us years to reverse-engineer with modern CAD software and calculators was designed in 1.5 years and put into production with pencil and paper.

And I think that’s awesome.

See you next time

-T.ankmann