128mm twin Flak 40

[fledermaus]

This is the Takom 128mm twin flak 40 Zwilling. the kit has excellent details, the only parts I replaced are the gun barrels for alumminum ones.

the model

and the barrel set

one strange thing about the barrel set is that it comes with 88mm brass rounds and balsa boxes instead of 128mm ones. ????
here we can see the difference betwen the 88mm brass round and the 128mm plastic Takom round.

the model is assembled

some of the photoeched parts are installed

the kit has excellent detail and lots of parts

here the breach block is cut from the original barrels to be used with the aluminum ones

the two halves of the breach block are glued to the aluminum barrel

the guns are completed

all the parts for the main body

and the completed gun

a figure for scale

whit the gun completed I started to work on the vault, this is a resin kit of the vault used on the flak towers, flakturm vault no. 2

it is a nice 3d printed resin kit of the vault
here all the parts

it comes with the option of a separate interior set that I also purchased
flakturm vault interior set

the vault is assembled

after all the sides are glued, I sanded the vault and used putty on all the seams.

with the vault ready I started to work on the interior mechanism

it has great details

now its all ready for paint, I see a dio comming soon.
thats all for now. thanks!

Abdin

 

[moon puppy]

Wow that was fast. That thing packs a twin wallop don't it. Looking good.

 

[jknaus]

Looking good. I've been wanting to get the stuff to do one of the Towers gun emplacements. What do you think of Helmuth's Strongholds stuff??
James

 

[fledermaus]

Wow that was fast. That thing packs a twin wallop don't it. Looking good.

Yes it does, it must have being terrifying to be on a plane flying over the it.

 

[fledermaus]

Looking good. I've been wanting to get the stuff to do one of the Towers gun emplacements. What do you think of Helmuth's Strongholds stuff??
James

James this two kits are excellent, all the parts fits nicely and had no imperfections and the details are super nice.

 

[Heavens Eagle]

I have a kit of the Berliner Zoo flak tower in my stash that is 1/350 scale. Then I have the 128mm flak gun kit you just assembled, and found a 2cm Flak 30 that Das Werk puts out in 1/35th. These were used on that flak tower and I am going to do the flak tower with the gun builds surrounding it.

 

[fledermaus]

Paul that sounds great, go for it, should be an impresive looking build.

 

[fledermaus]

little info on the flak vault:

Flak Tower Vault II refers to specialized 72-ton armored steel structures placed on the roof of German WWII flak towers to protect ammunition elevator shafts. These, along with other, smaller "vaults" (or, in some contexts, storage areas for looted art), were often targeted by Allied bombing or seized by Soviet forces, who sometimes claimed they were destroyed in fires.

Key details regarding the Flak Tower Vaults:

• Purpose: These cast steel vaults were designed to secure ammunition elevators on top of the flak towers.
• Construction: They were massive, 72-ton armored structures.
• Model Information: A 1/35 scale model of "Flakturm Vault No.2" is available, which is sometimes referred to as a "smaller" safe.
• Art Storage: Some flak towers (specifically Tower II in Friedrichshain) were used to store thousands of pieces of art, which the Soviets claimed were destroyed by fire in 1945, though many pieces were likely looted, according to this YouTube video.
• 
  
• In historical and military modeling contexts, Flakturm Vault No. II refers to a massive, 72-ton armored steel hatch or structure used on the roofs of German flak towers during World War II. These "vaults" served as protective shields for the ammunition elevator shafts that transported heavy munitions from the bunker's interior to the gun platforms on the roof.
  
  Key Features of the Flakturm Vault
  • Purpose: Shielded the ammunition lifts from air attacks and shrapnel, ensuring a steady supply of shells to the anti-aircraft guns.
  • Construction: These were massive cast-steel structures, often seen in historical photos being transported and lifted into place during the construction of the towers.
  • Dimensions & Variants: "Vault No. II" is often noted as a slightly smaller variant compared to "Vault No. I," though both were designed for heavy protection.
  • Context: Flakturm II (Friedrichshain)
  • While "Vault II" refers to the specific armored piece, Flakturm II (Generation 2) refers to the flak tower complex located in Friedrichshain, Berlin.
  • Status: The "G-tower" (Gun tower) was partially demolished after the war, leaving a debris hill that is still visible today.
  • Role: Like other towers, it functioned as both a formidable air defense platform and a civilian air-raid shelter.