Fort Eben-Emael, Belgium
The fort taken by glider troops in 1940.
Terra Explorer World War II: Europe
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Make this model
The Standard resolution model is free as STL, 3MF, Colored 3MF, OBJ and a 16-bit heightmap. High resolution samples the place about ten times more finely.
- Region
- Belgium
- Position
- 50.7960, 5.6830
- Area
- 5 × 5 km
- Real elevation
- 38 to 154 m (117 m of relief)
- Printed size
- 150 mm (5.9 in) wide, about 1:33,300
- Heights
- 3× exaggeration
- Elevation data
- Open satellite data (SRTM and others), about 30 m per point
- Suggested color
- War map
- Group
- World War II: Europe
About Fort Eben-Emael, Belgium
Fort Eben-Emael (French: Fort d'Ében-Émael, pronounced [fɔʁ debɛn emal]) is an inactive Belgian fortress located between Liège and Maastricht, on the Belgian-Dutch border, near the Albert Canal, outside the village of Ében-Émael. It was designed to defend Belgium from a German attack across the narrow belt of Dutch territory in the region. Constructed in 1932–1935, it was reputed to be impregnable and, at the time, the largest in the world. The fort was neutralized by glider-borne German troops (71 men) on 10–11 May 1940 during the Second World War. This was the first strategic airborne operation using paratroopers ever attempted in military history. The action cleared the way for German ground forces to enter Belgium, unhindered by fire from Eben-Emael.
From Wikipedia: Fort Ében-Émael, text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. The article’s history lists its authors.
Questions about Fort Eben-Emael, Belgium
Where is Fort Eben-Emael?
Fort Eben-Emael is in Belgium at 50.7960, 5.6830. The model covers a 5 by 5 kilometer square around that point.
How high is the terrain in the Fort Eben-Emael model?
The land in this model runs from 38 to 154 m (117 m of relief). These are the measured heights, printed 3 times taller so the shape is easy to see.
Can I 3D print Fort Eben-Emael?
Yes. Download the free Standard resolution STL and print it on any FDM or resin printer. It is 150 mm wide and about 15.5 mm tall, on a solid 5 mm base, at a scale of about 1:33,300. It also works for CNC carving. Use Customize to change the width, base thickness or height exaggeration, make it round or add a name plate.
How accurate is the Fort Eben-Emael model?
It is built from real elevation measurements, not an artist's guess: open satellite and survey data (NASA SRTM, Copernicus and national surveys), about 30 meters per point. The shaded picture on this page is made from the same data.
Is the Fort Eben-Emael model free?
The Standard resolution model is free as STL, 3MF, Colored 3MF, OBJ and a 16-bit heightmap. High resolution samples the place about ten times more finely and is a paid upgrade.
What is a Fort Eben-Emael terrain model good for?
People use it as a classroom history lesson, a wargaming terrain board or a gift for a veteran's family.
About this terrain model
Embossify Terra builds Fort Eben-Emael, Belgium from real measured elevation, not an artist's guess. Outside the United States the heights come from open satellite and survey data (NASA SRTM, Copernicus and national surveys), about 30 meters per point.
The model covers a 5 by 5 kilometer square centered on 50.7960, 5.6830. It prints 150 mm (5.9 in) wide on a solid base, a scale of about 1:33,300. The heights are exaggerated 3× so the shape is easy to see and feel; you can change that when you customize the model. The sea is flattened to zero, so land stands on a clean base.
New to terrain printing? Read how Terra works. The shaded picture on this page is made by Embossify from the same elevation data.
