Panzer II “Luchs” - Weeks 28-52

Aufbau and Engine Cover

Saumur (Musée des Blindés) Original Panzer II Luchs on the left, and our build (Alpha) right.

After the hull was basically complete and together... out everything has to come. Alpha stripped out to start on the Aufbau. Dave is bolting up the floor of the sponson area of the aufbau.

Original aufbau at Saumur. This is what we are going for. In birthday cake lingo, it's not the bottom layer (hull) (tub) (wanne). And it's not the top layer... (turret) (turm). It's the middle layer. Not to be confused by the Motor Cover.... which we will get to.

Interior of original Luchs at Saumur, We have stared at these photos until our eyes bleed. Contrast and compare to our builds... Alpha and omega. The aufbau will cover this section of the hull.

Engine compartment of original Luchs at Saumur.

This is the Motor cover (Motorabdeckung) Engine decking at Saumur. This is also what we are also beginning to build.

Starting with the air intakes. It's like building a big model. Slide tab "A" into slot "B"

Taking shape. Don't ask me why it's done this way... We don't second guess or improve. We counterfeit blindly and without judgment. well occasionally a little judgment.

For once in a lifetime. My drawings and C&C cut job has no errors. Glory Be !

Interior of our baby "Omega"

Interior of darling "Alpha", can you see the slight differences?

Sides going up.

Engine cover lid...

Holy Moley!!!! after months and months... It's starting to look like something new.

Grind away, the rear air flow slots for the radiators.

Eddie has lost one of his nuts.

Make it straight and square.

Cool little feature. Just like the original.

Alpha's Aufbau on a pedestal, while Omega's Aufbau is being tack welded while on the hull.

More work on the Luch's while the big brother Pzr IV looks on.

It is all in the details.

What makes it pop is the stainless steel final welds. Then it looks like panzer workmanship. Well get to that in a later post.

Omega coming along

They look so tiny.. wait, the guys or the panzers? Think of the Panzer II ausf. L "Luchs" as a little hot rod. Heading out to find the enemy, the bridge, the village or whatever and then radioing the info back to command. Fast and agile... and tiny.

We tacked the aufbau and motor covers together and braced them so they can't move. The hulls have an appointment at a neighboring machine shop to get the hull "squared" on a giant milling machine.

So both Luchs will be sent off to a factory to have the final drive extensions milled down so they are even on both sides, this will allow it to function properly and send the track down a straight line to the idler wheels.

This is one big milling machine. Once placed and located onto the deck the mill will cut side mounting surfaces straight and square.

Here is Alpha after the deed is done. The host company makes tracked mining equipment. Tanks for digging coal deep under the ground. Their machinery works perfectly for our needs.

Smooth as can be.. Now back to the Panzerfabrik to be painted and reassembled.