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Austrian 12cm
Luftminenwerfer,
M16
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World War
I |
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The Kit: |
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This is a
1/72nd scale offering from HäT
Industrie, Kit No.: 8081. It is molded in a soft gray
plastic. Mold parting lines are present
throughout and due to the softness of the plastic, are
difficult to cleanly remove. Mold tabs were easily
removed.
Some assembly is required however; excess amounts of
cyanoacrylate (Super) glue were required to bond the
parts. |
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The Details: |
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The mortar
and base as cast are very basic. Pictorial reference for this particular weapon could not be
found.
Several details were added... right or wrong, to enhance
this subject some i.e.: The pneumatics; the bicycle pump
was scratchbuilt,
hoses from Verlinden Flexible tubing, pressure gauge
from styrene. Improved mounting of the weapon
to the base and front support and sewing thread for the field telephone
line. |
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The Figures: |
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Are molded with
fair detail present. Perhaps a little 'flat'
in poses but generally, ok for this set. Possibly a
slight underscale. The difficult to remove mold parting lines are present
here as well. |
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Painting, Weathering and Finishing: |
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Acrylic
primer and paints were used throughout this subject.
Soaked in a warm tap water and soapy wash (for 24hrs) and rinsed prior to painting.
Paint
adhesion was somewhat better than previous HäT
Industrie projects (I believe due to the prolonged soak)
however; careful handling was
still required to prevent the paint from flaking off. An acrylic flat coat
was applied to the overall subject upon completion. |
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The Base and Groundwork: |
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The base
is oak and is cut to 3-1/2 inches in diameter. Stained
and sealed with an oil based stain and multiple coats of
polyurethane.
The groundwork is a mix of Sculptamold, white glue and
water. Fine sifted dirt and kitty litter 'rocks' were
added in prior to the Sculptamold setting up. Various
other ground Static grass, dried flowers and 'forest
litter' were also applied.
The nameplate was made in photoshop then printed on
gloss photo paper. Double-sided tape was used for
adhesion to the wood base. There are four felt pads
added and the base was dated and this project was
completed. |
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General Mortar Info: |
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Early,
simple pneumatic mortar design requiring a source of
compressed air for projectile propellant. Advantages to
this type of system were low report and recoil upon
firing and a fairly safe weapon to operate.
Disadvantages were large crew and extremely low rate of
fire. |
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Actual
Mortar Data: |
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Caliber:
12cm (4.7 inches)
Crew: 5
Rate of Fire: Approximately 10 Rounds per hour. |
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Sources: |
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WWI Austrian Infantry Heavy
Weapons Set |
