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80cm Dora/Gustaf AP Projectile

condor

Well-Known Member
Does anyone have any drawings, or know where I can find any drawings, of the 80cm AP projectile that was fired from the Dora gun? I've looked for over 20 years trying to find an original projectile for my collection, but have pretty much given up on the fact that I am going to find one. I am going to make a reproduction, and I want it to be as exact as possible. I photographed the example up at Aberdeen in 2010, but from what I understand, it is no longer there. I believe it is in storage at Ft. Lee in Virginia. If I can get access to the one at Ft. Lee, I will make drawings from that example. I believe the Aberdeen example was fired, which will make getting the details of the rotating band rather difficult. I just added an original 80cm cartridge case to my collection, which has me determined to make a reproduction projectile to go alongside of it. Yes, I am aware of what is going to be involved in getting this done. The reproduction projectile will be lathe-turned from a solid piece of 6061-T6 aluminum bar stock. The extruded aluminum blank is 12 feet long, 32 inches in diameter, and weighs about 12,000 pounds. I already have the monster lathe lined up that is going to be doing the work. The finished machined piece will end up being about 8000 pounds, which is about half the weight of the original steel AP projectile. Besides the example at Aberdeen, does anyone know of any other 80cm projectiles in the US? If anyone has accurate drawings of this projectile, or know where I can find them, I would be very willing to make it worth your while to obtain a copy of the prints for my project. I've got a friend in London, and if need be, I can enlist him to go over to the Imperial War Museum and get a 3D laser scan of the example that they have there. I would much rather have copies of original dimensioned drawings though. Once the machining is finished on the projectile, I'll need to apply the correct paint and markings, so knowing that would be a great help as well. Thanks in advance for assisting my insanity! Condor, over and out.
 
Have you tried contacting the German Army Museum in Dresden, Germany for their archive section?

As a CNC Machinist who is also interested in rare ordnance, your project is fascinating both in history and scale, please keep me/us, posted!
 
that means you will have about 4000lbs of swarf/material left over from the machining,that in scrap value should get some good money!
 
that means you will have about 4000lbs of swarf/material left over from the machining,that in scrap value should get some good money!

You're right, it will be about $1,200 in scrap, which I'll be happy to recoup..........but reflects only about 5% of the overall project cost.
 
Have you tried contacting the German Army Museum in Dresden, Germany for their archive section?

As a CNC Machinist who is also interested in rare ordnance, your project is fascinating both in history and scale, please keep me/us, posted!

I have not, but thanks for the lead........I will see where it takes me.
 
Not much... but a beginning...
 

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Just this one,
I wonder if there is a manufacturing documentation somewhere in the US or Russian archives.

Bob
 

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Have you tried contacting the German Army Museum in Dresden, Germany for their archive section?

They don't have an archive/library since the late 1990's. But they have an incomplete HE shell and a proof shot. Don't remember an AP shell there.
 
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