A milestone week with the ‘Black Sea’ StuG III out for its first proper test drive in a very long time.
THE WHEATCROFT COLLECTION SD.KFZ.223
The battery boxes have finally arrived and been fitted to the vehicle. These are reproductions, 3D printed to match the originals.
The vehicle is now almost complete – we’re just waiting on a few original parts for the dashboard and other details to be sent to us.
‘Black Sea’ STURMGESCHÜTZ III
After all the radiator work, we’re pleased to report it’s now back in the vehicle, full of water, and – finally – no leaks.
The cooling fan, ammunition box, battery box, and other components have been refitted. Before putting the engine deck back on, we took the StuG out for a test drive, its first proper drive in a very long time.
The team noticed a fuel leak from one of the banjo bolt washers before setting off. We replaced all the fibre washers, as they were old and perished. With that sorted, the test drive went well, it felt and sounded good.
The engine deck is now back on and we’re assembling the final parts, side skirts and such, so the vehicle is completely together again. It’s ready for show season.
RESEARCH UPDATE
We’ve made progress with our research into the Balkenkreuz markings for German armoured cars.
LOOKING AHEAD
Next week we’ll be investigating the Jagdpanther, which has started “coughing” again. We noticed it when driving it out of the shed to move the StuG, it pops and doesn’t sound right. Whether it’s related to the earlier misfiring issue or something new, we’ll find out soon.
