rivetcounter

Xion Andrew Design Sd.Kfz.2 Kettenkrad

This is my latest Xion AD build the 1/16 Kettenkrad, the purpose of this build firstly is to build the kit straight out of the box next will be to add all the radio gear test the model add the crew and finally to paint the model, the Kett is a small model that is quick and simple to build and again Xion AD have come up with a daring kit that none of the other companies would not touch but rather concentrate on more Tigers and Shermans but would be a welcome addition to any 1/16 collection

First impressions
As we are coming to expect the box is well presented all the chassis parts are injection moulded plastic which are flash free with a small number of release pin marks to clean up latter, there is a single motor to drive the Kett so steering will be done by the front wheel

What’s in the box
When you open the box you will find 5x injection moulded plastic frets containing chassis parts 1x injection moulded plastic hull 1x plastic fret with gears, etched metal engine screen a rubber front tyre, 370 motor metal tracks and pins various screws shafts, LED’s for the lights a basic decal sheet with markings for two Kett’s one Wehrmacht and one Luftwaffe, there are no divisional or unit markings, the instruction’s are well lad out though Xion have added another sheet with a few updates to section’s 11and 19.

The build
This starts on the gearbox everything goes together without any problems just make sure that shaft MA1 goes all the way through gear E6 and does not protrude I used Tamiya ceramic grease to lube the gears once the gearbox is installed it’s on to the final drives make sure they run free again I added Tamiya grease next stage is the wheels this is where I noticed several hours latter that Humberol glue doesn’t stick the plastic to well so I used cyano (superglue) once the wheels are assembled it’s time to attach them to the hull on the Kett there is no working suspension this is due to the small amount of space inside to cram all the electrical gear let alone some torsion bars, I screwed the axles into the chassis first to make sure they where straight then removed and replaced with the wheels making sure the wheels spin freely once it’s finally painted I will add grease to the shafts section 10 and 11 is for the electric’s this I will add latter when the main build is complete on with the upper hull and front suspension no problems hear just make sure the head stock and front wheel turn freely again once the Kett is painted I will add a little grease to the front wheel section 18 is for the installation of the steering servo again this I will add latter section 19&20 is for the track assembly and installation firstly I cleaned up any swarf with a dermal on slow speed them with a 1mm drill I made sure that all the holes for the track pins where free and the correct size then I assembled each link using a pair of pliers to gently push home the pin and made sure that each link ran smoothly without any snags the instructions say use 39 links per side Xion say use 40 links, incidentally the real machine has 40 links per track, once each set is complete install on the kett and adjust correctly ready for the electric’s and final testing before painting

rivetcounter

more pictures of the build

thebronze

Nice....Very Nice

Perry S.

Can you show it next to a tank or something so we can get an idea of the size?
Perry

HG1980

thats a nice build...where can you get it at?

rivetcounter

Thanks for the comments lads, Hear is a comparison is size between a Kebelwagen and Schwimmwagen also my Tiger I and Tiger II, hear is a link to Xion who supplied the Kit
http://shop.xion.de/SDKFZ-2-KKrad-an...ries:::10.html

YHR

Very nice models, and that kettenkrad, is a fine looking piece of equipment. I saw one on you tube zooming around, very kool.

HG1980

do you have a link for that video?

Leon01

Very nice Tiger and King Tiger also. I forget how much bigger the king is to the Tiger. What color are you going to paint the ketten are you going to add a driver to it?

rivetcounter

Hear you go mate I found 2 for you to watch
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4Be_...layer_embedded

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6g_w...eature=related

rivetcounter

I'm planning on a 3 colour Normandy paint job I will be adding the driver not made my mind on the passenger yet.

kclank

Passenger with a Panzershrek or Panzerfaust with ir led!! Go for it. So far looking real good.

rivetcounter

kclank I like what you are thinking but I don't think there will be enough room for a battle system

rivetcounter

I have resurrected the Kettenkrad after a break of over 1 year from 1/16 while I concentrated on the 1/6 Tiger, I have also obtained all the necessary extra parts from Xion these are the battery, servo circuit board and driver http://shop.xion.de/SDKFZ-2-KKrad-an...giilh5adogj7g1 these need installing testing then it's time for paint

karel47

nice work mark, i've saw you busy at wieze with the kettenrad does the friction of the motor goes right now

thecommander

I wish you the best of luck. I have the AD 222 that I built 2 years ago. The quality was not very good and I would not recommend their kits to anyone other than a very experienced builder. Many parts did not even come close to fitting as described and a great deal of customization and triming was required. The 222 was way too heavy and the 7.2 battery pack would not fit as listed. It ran for about 40 min before stripping the gears. I packed it away in disgust. Maybe when I retire I'll try again.

Once again good luck with your model..... Bob

rivetcounter

Karl, good point yes the gearbox did cause an alignment problem there are only 2 screws holding the gearbox together and 3 in the bottom through the chassis this caused the gears to come out of mesh the solution was to attach a battery and run the gears slightly twisting the gearbox half's until it ran at it's quietest this is when the gears are properly meshing I then added 4 spots of syno across the half's then some activator this held the gearbox in the correct position once installed I checked the gearbox again and all was well.

Thecommander, I also have the Xion AD 222 that I built 2 years ago then I ordered the upgrade kit http://shop.xion.de/SDKFZ-222/223-an...e-KIT::66.html and installed that in this build thread http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_8466034/tm.htm I also have the 223 un-built with the upgrade kit and a larger motor though the 223 will probably get sold as I have other build plans, I will agree that the 222/223 are not for beginners and do require more impute during the build clean up of the metal and resin parts was required but this would be true of any resin kit, a 7.2v battery will and does fit just not the normal battery packs we run in Tamiya tanks this battery pack is the short type used in model airplanes, the instructions are not very clear on this, yes the standard plastic gears are not good though an upgrade kit has now been produced this includes metal gears though you still need to buy a larger motor as the standard one is too small, all new kits come with the upgrade kit with metal gears as standard though I'm not sure about the motor.

Here is the completed Kettenkrad complete with driver this has beet tested and runs quite well though on a tiled floor the front wheel didn't grip too well making a large turning circle, the only problem I have encountered is a malfunctioning batter the life is very short this will be sorted out after I return from vacation in a few weeks.
I have included my Kubelwagen and Schwimmwagen to show just how big the Kettenkrad is

rivetcounter

A few more pictures

karel47

nicecamoscheme marc, a good addition to your panzertruppen

PantherJon

not to be obnoxious rivet counter but how bad was the molding on the figures that there are 1/4 inch unfilled gaps between the multipart arm pieces.  I was contemplating some AD figured this is making me rethink this.........additionally  methinks you need to be introduced to milliput....

Plastic scouser

The Gaps in the arms are so the figure can turn with the handle bars as if he is steering the kett I am quite sure Mark knows all about milliput

BTW nice work on the Kett Mark


Cheers Ian

WhiteWolf McBride

My Feedback: (3)

Hmm...

One way to 'cover' the pivot-gaps is to make some fabric 'sleeves' that are mated with/glued to the shoulder joint, but the rest is loose inside. That way the joints are hidden. Think like the fabric clothing for the 1/6 scale figures of assorted types these days.

Just another random thought from the outfield...

WhiteWolf

rivetcounter

As Ian says the gaps are so the figure can move when the kett turns as for using cloth I would use something as thin as possible so as not to hamper the figures movement.
As for the other figures in the range I can’t comment this is the only Xion figure I have ever owned though I have to say the detail was very good