Bussing-Nag L4500A (4x4) and L4500S (4x2) - German heavy trucks - case report

Kameraden!!

      After a long time, let's build some German thing. The models chosen are the heavy trucks Bussing-Nag L4500S (4x2) and Bussing-Nag L4500A (4x4).

Bussing-Nag L4500S 4x2

Bussing-Nag L4500A 4x4

History:

      Büssing AG was a German bus and truck manufacturer, established in 1903 by Heinrich Büssing (1843–1929) in Braunschweig. It quickly evolved to one of the largest European producers, whose utility vehicles with the Brunswick Lion emblem were widely distributed, especially from the 1930s onwards. The company was taken over by MAN AG in 1971.

Heinrich Büssing (1843–1929)

     At the age of 60, the inventor and businessman Heinrich Büssing together with his two sons founded the Heinrich-Büssing-Spezialfabrik für Motorwagen und Motoromnibusse. Büssing, the son of a blacksmith dynasty at Nordsteimke (in present-day Wolfsburg), had studied engineering at the Collegium Carolinum in Braunschweig and had founded several bicycle, engineering and railway signal works with varying degress of success. His first truck was a 2-ton payload machine powered by a 2-cylinder gasoline engine and featuring worm drive. That successful design was later built under license by other companies in Germany, Austria, Hungary and by Straker-Squire in England.

Büssing ZU-550 Truck. Bj. 1903 

      One year later he debuted a first 20 HP omnibus model carrying up to twelve passengers on the route from Braunschweig to Wendeburg, operated by his own Automobil-Omnibus-Betriebs-Gesellschaft. Büssing busses soon served public transport in European cities like Berlin (ABOAG), Vienna and Prague (Fross–Büssing), or London.

      The firm of Heinrich Büssing is Germany's oldest truck manufacturer. Founded in 1903 as "Heinrich Büssing Spezialfabrik for Motorlastwagen, Motoromnibusse und Motoren", it operated from 1920 to 1931. as "Heinrich Büssing Automobilwerke AG". From 1931 to 1943 as "Büssing-NAG, Vereinigte Nutzkraftwagenwerke AG", and from 1943 to 1950 as "Büssing-NAG Nutzkraftwagen GmbH."  The main factory was in Braunschweig; branches were in Berlin-Oberschöneweide, Elbing and Leipzig. 

      Büssing-NAG produced a variety of trucks with loads from 1.5 to 9.5 tons, mainly powered by Diesel engines of the firm 's own manufacture. 

Bussing firm logo

      Before World War I Büssing started to build heavy-duty trucks for the time. These trucks featured 4- and 6-cylinder engines (5 tonnes and 11 tonnes, respectively). In 1914 the Büssing A5P armored car was developed at the behest of the German Oberste Heeresleitung.

 Büssing A5P  German Armoured Car - WWI

      After the war, Heinrich Büssing had to enter a Kommanditgesellschaft limited partnership, converted into the Büssing AG joint-stock companyin 1922. In 1923, Büssing introduced the first rigid three-axle chassis which was used in upcoming models and allowed Büssing to lead the market share in Germany in commercial vehicles.

WWII era poster - Four-wheel drive trucks for rough terrain

      In WWII, the Bussing-NAG type 500 truck  was manufactured from 1939 to 1941. Beginning in 1940, it was designated Bussing-NAG type 500 S. It was propelled by a 6 cylinder, 105 HP diesel engine and had a payload of 4.75 tons. The Bussing-NAG type 500 A was developed in the beginning of 1939. It was made in small numbers from late 1940 to 1942. Contrary to the Bussing-NAG type 500 S it had all wheel drive.

The Büssing-NAG type 500 S (soft cabin)

     The Bussing-NAG type L4500 S was the successor model of the Bussing-NAG type 500 S. Outwardly, it looked different, but it was based on the same technology. It was manufactured from 1942 to 1945. Analogically, the Bussing-NAG type L4500 A was the successor model to the Bussing-NAG type 500 A and was latest type of this lorry series. 

Büssing-NAG chassis model A (4x4)

      A whole range of simplifications was introduced to serial production of the Bussing-NAG L4500, especially to type L4500 A. Nearly 15,000 units of the type 500 A/S were manufactured until the end of Second World War.

A Büssing-NAG L4500 A climbing a muddy hill. Notice the tyres with chains.

      The most important types for the troops were the G 31 (2300 made from 1931 on), the Uniform Diesel (3200, made until 1940), and in particular the Types 500/4500, of which almost 15.000 were made in S- or A- versions.

Büssing-NAG G-31

      After World War II civilian production resumed with 5-tonne and later 7-tonne trucks. In 1950, the company name became Büssing Nutzkraftwagen GmbH and production was concentrated on underfloor-engined trucks which were to become the firm's speciality. Most tractor units and all normal-control trucks had vertical engines, but in the mid 1960s there was a version of their Commodore maximum-weight tractor unit, the 16-210, which had a horizontal diesel mounted under the cab ahead of the front axle, the gearbox being mounted halfway along the truck's chassis.

      In 1969, Büssing started strong ties with MAN AG. MAN was a customer to some Büssing's innovative trucks and parts while they were promoting their own line-up. In 1971, an MAN takeover of Büssing was announced. MAN started to use the lion logo on its newly named "MAN-Büssing" trucks. Büssing's unique underfloor-engined truck range continued in production under the MAN AG through to the late 1980s.

Specs:

Büssing-NAG L4500S (4x2)
Type	heavy cargo truck / transport vehicle
Place of origin	German
Specifications
Weight	10.100 Kgs (total) 5.200 Kg (vehicle) 4.600 Kg (payload)
Length	8.050 mm
Width	2.350 mm
Height Wheelbase Ground clearance Fording	2.800 mm 4.800 mm 290 mm 750mm
Crew	2
Armor	none
Gearbox	5 forward + 1 reverse
Transmission	4x2 (rear axle)
Engine Clutch	Büssing-NAG Diesel - 6 cyl., 7.413 cc 105 hp at 1800 RPM double disc dry
Suspension Tyres Brakes Battery Fuel tank Range	semi-elliptical springs 270 x 20 service: pneumatic - 4 wheels parking; mechanic - rear wheels 12V , 105 A/h Diesel , 110 l road: 440 Km off-road: 260 Km
Speed	65 km/h

Büssing-NAG L4500A (4x4)
Type	heavy cargo truck / transport vehicle
Place of origin	German
Specifications
Weight	10.400 Kgs (total) 5.450 Kg (vehicle) 4.500 Kg (payload)
Length	8.050 mm
Width	2.350 mm
Height Wheelbase Ground clearance Fording	2.900 mm 4.800 mm 300 mm 760mm
Crew	2
Armor	none
Gearbox	5 forward + 1 reverse
Transmission	4x4 - four wheel drive
Engine Clutch	Büssing-NAG Diesel - 6 cyl., 7.413 cc 105 hp at 1800 RPM double disc dry
Suspension Tyres Brakes Battery Fuel tank Range	semi-elliptical springs 270 x 20 service: pneumatic - 4 wheels parking; mechanic - rear wheels 12V , 105 A/h Diesel , 110 l road: 390 Km off-road: 250 Km
Speed	65 km/h

The kits:

      For this project, I'll build a new Büssing-NAG L4500S (4x2) from AFV and show to you, guys, an old building (2009) of this truck in resin, from Calibre35 (cal 35028) , of the model L4500 A (4x4). I bought this resin kit from a colleague, in second hand.

AFV kit AF35170 - Büssing-NAG L4500S 4x2 - injected

Calibre 35 Büssing-NAG L4500A 4x4 resin kit

      This article will be different: A new build (L4500S from AFV) and a case report (L4500A from calibre35), in parallel. I'll alternating photos for y'all had a comparative effect, with a final photos of the two girls side by side.  I think it will be interesting ....

Bussing-NAG L4500S:

      The AFV kit is very good, although the fittings of air tanks are ridiculous: they must be cut to be able to fit.

L4500S chassi: the air tankers are the worst part...

Front fenders and bumper...The alignment is crucial.

Tyres in vinyl....Bleargh !!!!

Chassi almost ready...

Bussing-NAG L4500A:

      My kit was very old, with missing parts...: usually, we started by the cabin:

Some resin kit parts, after cleaning ...

Cabin. Notice the levers made with pins and spare parts...

The resin is very good. Polyurethane, smooth and soft...

Details...

The door levers are from my spare parts box

Testing the roof...

...and the snout !!!

Priming to prepare the cabin for the painting...

       While the cabin dries, let's build the chassi:

The engine and front part of the chassi

The engine is very crude...

In position beneath the cabin

Alignment...

The interior of the cabin painted...

The big snout of the beast !!!

Cleaning the front axle

front wheels

Metal pin to reinforcement

Ready

In position...

Steering bar in metal (copper wire) scratch

Front fenders and  footboards

footboards

Fenders...

Front fenders in position...

Front bumper

Cabin external details...

Air cilinders for the brakes

Rear parts of suspension and transmission

Rear axle

Making the alignment of the rear axle...
Working with cyanoacrylate sucks!!

The girl  standing on their own feet ...

Bussing-NAG L4500S:

      Returning to the plastic build, I started the engine, a little kit in the kit. lots of details...a beauty:

Building the engine: left side

Right side

      Although the engine presents many details, I decided to further refine the piece, because I intend to expose to you. Here are photos of the diesel engine Bussing-NAG.

Büssing-NAG Diesel  engine - 6 cyl., 7.413 cc, 105 HP @ 1800 rpm - right side

Büssing-NAG Diesel  engine - 6 cyl., 7.413 cc, 105 HP @ 1800 rpm - left side

Cooper wire and tubes...- right side

left side

Gentlemen, start your engines !!!!

 Continuing with the girl in plastic:
Bussing-NAG L4500S:

The engine painted in the Bussing-NAG snout - right side

Engine - left side

Cabin in Panzer-gray

...and with dashboard instruments painted

the bench painted in brown  with weathering...

left side

Closing the cabin...

...with the engine exposed...

Next step: cargo bed...

      The girl in plastic arrived at the same stage of the girl in resin ...

Bussing-NAG L4500A

Bussing-NAG L4500A:

ventral portion of the cargo bed

Cargo bed closed...

tool boxes...

In position. Notice the spare wheel rack

spare wheel in position (dry-run)

ventral view of the L4500A. Notice the 4x4 transmission

The L4500A snout. The Notek light is from my spare box parts...

Using metals...

The silencer and exhaust

Bussing-NAG L4500S:

The L4500S 4x2 cargo bed - right side

The L4500S 4x2 cargo bed - left side. The benchs are in dry-run.
My intention is not to use them.

       I decided to build my L4500S with the colors of the glorious Afrika Korps. 21st Panzer Division - 60t Heavy Transport Col. - Beobachtungsabteilung (artillery observation) - North Africa, 1942.

Lifecolor desert-yellow. The glossy aspect is that I just apply
the paint. Is still quite wet ....

Right side..

      Lifecolor after dry. Love the aged aspect of this color....

Desert-yellow Lifecolor . The panzer-gray stains are non-painted areas.
This vehicle was built in January 1942, before the yellow standardization

left side

front view

Afrika-Korps

Afrika Korps. 21st Panzer Division
60t Heavy Transport Col.
Beobachtungsabteilung (artillery observation)

      Now, the resin Girl...

Bussing-NAG L4500A:

      I chose for my 4x4 truck the colors of the 9th SS Panzer Division Hohenstaufen - 3rd Light Anti-aircraft Artillery, Falaise Pocket - Aug, 1944- France. The colors are the norm at the time: dark yellow with cammo green and brown brindle.

Bussing-NAG L4500A 4x4 from 9th SS Panzer Division

9th SS Panzer Division Hohenstaufen - 3rd Light Anti-aircraft Artillery

The Bussing-NAG L4500S and L4500A side by side

      The two german girls are ready for the final pictures. The AFV kit is very good and easy to assemble. the calibre35 is a normal resin kit; lots of work and fun. Lets see the pics...

Bussing-NAG L4500S 4x2:

      Afrika Korps. 21st Panzer Division - 60t Heavy Transport Col. - Beobachtungsabteilung (Artillery observation) - North Africa, 1942.

Bussing-NAG L4500S
Afrika Korps. 21st Panzer Division - 60t Heavy Transport Col.
  Beobachtungsabteilu - Artillery Observation - North Africa, 1942.

Bussing-NAG diesel engine

Bussing-NAG L4500S - left side

Bussing-NAG L4500S - rear view

Bussing-NAG L4500S - right side

Bussing-NAG L4500S - Afrika Korps

Bussing-NAG L4500S with Kojak, for size comparison

      ...and the girl in resin:
Bussing-NAG L4500A 4x4:

      Truck belonging to 9th SS Panzer Division Hohenstaufen - 3rd Light Anti-aircraft Artillery, Falaise Pocket - Aug, 1944- France.

Bussing-NAG L4500A from 9th SS Panzer Division Hohenstaufen
3rd Light Anti-aircraft Artillery - Aug, 1944- France.

Bussing-NAG L4500A - left side

Bussing-NAG L4500A - rear view

Bussing-NAG L4500A - right side

Bussing-NAG L4500A from 9th SS Panzer Division Hohenstaufen
3rd Light Anti-aircraft Artillery.

Bussing-NAG L4500A with Kojak

The two girls of this project

   2020 update 

  The Bussing-Nag L4500S truck was purchased by a colleague, but he asked for an update to the body, with the placement of some type of cargo in the rear of the vehicle. I hear and obey, Pukka Sahib !!

Let's use Value Gear's excellent German Universal Truck Loads #3

      To relieve the suspension and future shipping by mail, I decided to lighten the weight of the cargo kit by cutting an internal portion of the "resin brick" ...

The main cargo load is solid (and heavy...)

Calibrating the drill length ... to prevent trepanning

Drilled holes ... now it is interconnecting the holes
with Dremel steel disc.

Divide to conquer !! Let's break each segment, now ...
Using the lever theory !!

Ripped segments ... the load has become lighter, now!

Vlue Gear stuff painted and detailed ...

...and placed in the cargo area, along with some fuel drums.

An empty truck is like pizza without mozzarella !!!

And I decided to make a tarp too, but halfway through the truck ...
The old and good tracing paper method...
PVA glue + water+ tracing paper...
First of all, measure the size of the pieces of "canvas"

Applying pure PVA glue to the frame and the front portion
of the truck's cargo body. This will be the front portion of the canvas

Wet paper shapes more easily ...
use a wide brush with glue diluted in water ...

The wet paper adapted in the front frame of the cargo area ...

Now applying the rest of the "canvas".
The folding of the canvas was made outside the frames
and then glued to them ...

Right view...

Applying more glue diluted in water ...
the paper softens and allows to be molded ...

Left view...

Rear view... Now, it's waiting to dry so we can paint ...

After drying the paper, we will isolate the load area
for the internal and external painting of the canvas ...

While the painting dries completely, we will make the mooring eyes
with fine copper wire: holes in the diameter of the wire, in the cargo area sides...

Mooring eyes done with fine copper wire

Mooring eyes glued with cyanoacrylate

Mooring eyes painted... left side

Mooring eyes painted... rear and right side

And finally the canvas tied to the mooring eyes
with 100% polyamide thread (non-hairy thread ...)
Right view

Canvas tied to the mooring eyes
with 100% polyamide thread (non-hairy thread ...)
Left view

    And since I'm doing an upgrade, I'm going to replace the DAK palm tree decal (original from the AFV Club, but very small ... I never liked it ...) and remove that jack from the footboard, which doesn't convince me at all ...

The mooring ropes (in red...awesome...), the
weird jackin the step (blue) and the 
very little DAK palm (in green..)

Sanding off the decal with extra fine sandpaper ...

And applying a new thin layer of Panzer-gray...
left side ...

Right side... Notice the absence of jack...
Much better!!

    After that, I applied a layer of Pledge (Future) to avoid silvering on the new decal. Photos to follow:

The new and bigger DAK palm tree!!

Next step: weathering...

    And the girl, after a basic overhaull...

Bussing-NAG L4500S
Afrika Korps. 21st Panzer Division - 60t Heavy Transport Col.
  Beobachtungsabteilu - Artillery Observation - North Africa, 1942.

Bussing-NAG L4500S left side

Bussing-NAG L4500S with cargo bay full
with Value Gear stuff...much better!!

Bussing-NAG L4500S - right side

Bussing-NAG L4500S - close up of engine

Bussing-NAG L4500S
Afrika Korps. 21st Panzer Division - 60t Heavy Transport Col.
  Beobachtungsabteilu - Artillery Observation - North Africa, 1942.

Kojak is very happy!!!

Bussing-NAG L4500S
Afrika Korps. 21st Panzer Division - 60t Heavy Transport Col.
  Beobachtungsabteilu - Artillery Observation - North Africa, 1942.

Bussing-NAG L4500S - before and after overhall!!!
Much better!!

Vielen Dank für den Besuch der Bunker, meine Herren!

Auf Wiedersehen!