WW1 'Petite Curie' X-ray Truck Conversion
...with 3D printed resin parts
My current modelling project is a conversion of a French taxi kit to build one of the 'Petites Curies' X-ray trucks used in WW1.
For this I'm designing my own component parts in Tinkercad, and 3D printing them in resin – and of course filming it all along the way for my YouTube channel.
The first of these videos covers the making of the extra tyres required for the double back wheels, with more to follow.
1914 Renault AG1
The basis for my conversion is an ICM 1/35 scale 'Taxi de la Marne' kit. Possibly not the exact vehicle used for my prototype example, but similar enough, with the same distinctive bonnet and radiator behind the engine.
Obviously much of the rear bodywork is very different, but I've also had to extend the wheelbase, and provide extra tyres and wider rims for the rear wheels – all downloadable below.
The video for the construction is also available now, so you can follow that for assembly, chapter numbers corresponding to the parts.
Research
I was first made aware of the 'Petites Curies' in the TV series Timeless, where our heroes time travel back in time to the first World War. Here they meet Marie Curie and her daughter, who inadvertently help to save the life of the evil would-be leader of the bad guys. Obviously, just good fun fiction, but like every episode, with more than a grain of historical truth.
For my conversion I did some marginally more solid research, and found some great reference images of a whole variety of trucks – the most useful being a photo of 'Equipage Radiologique No.6', on which I based my model. I even ended up buying the original from the French auction site I found it on.
#JFFCancerResearch
But the real impetus to make my version of the truck was from the #JFFScaleModels community on Twitter, where the current theme for modelling is in support for Cancer Research. And, although possibly more relevant to the research side of things, I thought the Petite Curie would definitely fit the bill.
The reason behind the theme is also to raise a bit of money for Cancer Research UK, and for my part, even though the files are still free to download, I'd like to ask you to make a small donation to them if you do.
Even so, the designs remain my intellectual property, and are for personal use only and are not licensed for resale or other commercial use.
.stl downloads
