1:35 German "FAMO" & Tank Transport
Item #35246

DESCRIPTION
German 18 Ton Heavy Half-Track Famo and Tank Transporter
Sd.Ah.116

As World War II progressed, the vehicles used on the battlefields
became larger and larger. When these mammoth machines broke down
or became damaged, the task of bringing them back from the front
lines was not an easy one. This need was especially felt by the
German Wehrmacht, who were fighting on a wide range of
battlegrounds: from the scorching desert of N. Africa to the
railroad lacking plains of Russia. Bringing damaged vehicles back
from these difficult conditions was indispensable to
replenishing fighting strength to the army. The German 18 Ton
Heavy Half-Track "FAMO" and Tank Transporter Sd.Ah.116 was one of
the vehicles that contributed to this task. Including all
variations, over 2500 18ton half-tracks were produced by the end
of the WWII. One of the major types was the tank recovery
half-track, which was a mighty towing vehicle equipped with two
rows of seats and a flatbed in back for the storage of equipment
such as a draw-bar and spare wire rope. Tool storage compartments
were found on each of the outer sides of the flatbed. In
addition, the underside of a vehicle was equipped with a winch.
Its powerplant was a Maybach HL 108 12-cylinder engine, which put
out 270hp. Tank transporting was conducted by either direct
towing with a draw bar, or by loading the tank atop a massive
trailer. Officially known as "Sd.Ah.116", the Type 116 Trailer
connected with the 18ton heavy half track, which allowed for the
transportation of 22-23 ton class tanks such as the Pz.Kpfw.III,
Pz.Kpfw.IV and other heavy artillery.

How Tanks Were Loaded

The trailer of the Tank Transporter Sd.Ah.116 was suspended
between two bogies, the rear of which was equipped with a
separate steering mechanism. This model offers a great insight
into the construction and operation of German's giant
beast-of-burden.

About the Model

After the impressive debut of the FAMO kit, Tamiya began to
receive many requests for variations. Among the several types of
FAMO to appear during WWII, the most frequently requested was the
Sd.Ah.116 trailer-towing version.
Stretching over 640mm, Tamiya's new beast-of-burden is 50mm
longer than the Dragon Wagon and is the longest kit in the MM
series.
The massive trailer unit consists of both the front and the rear
wheeled pieces on either ends of the long platform piece.
Real rubber tires for heightened realism.
This kit features ample metal and metal plated parts for various
accessory pieces such as a chain for fixing the tank in tow to
the platform.
This kit brings back the eight figures of four poses included in
the original "FAMO" kit, plus four all new figures of three poses
acting out a tank loading scene at the rear of the trailer.