Wednesday, July 27, 2016

Building the AFV Club Tiger I Late

I haven't built a Tiger tank in a few years and have been wanting to get back into building one for some time. Yes, its another project to add to the Spitfire MK II and Sd.Kfz. 7/1 Flak vierling builds that are on-going but hell I just love Tiger Tanks.

Some years ago I built the Tamiya Tiger 1 Ausfuhrung Afrika as Tiger 112, It was a bit time consuming because the kit is wrong in so many ways for building a tiger from the first company of S.Pz.Abt 501 and it took me a while to get it right. The kit is actually more accurate for a 504th heavy tank battalion Tiger which was the other heavy panzer battalion that served in North Africa.  The AFV Club kit has its shortcomings (which I will mention)  as well but its fairly accurate for a late Tiger.

The tank I will be modeling is going to be Tiger 211 from from SS. Pz.Abt 102 that served in the Normandy campaign.  While I am not a fan of SS subjects per se, the tank has a very striking camo pattern which I think is pretty cool.

Here are some pictures of Tiger 211 retreating eastwards toward the Seine. It is heavily camouflaged with tree branches since moving in daylight during the late summer of 1944 was a risky proposition for German armour as they were often the subject of Allied Ground attack aircraft. The crew actually looks like they are on the lookout for allied fighter bombers.

Some interesting features of this tank.
-Missing rear right fender
-spare tracks on the bow armour plate both left and right sides.
-Very late Tiger configuration (the unit received a batch of tigers in the late spring of 1944) with 40mm armour roof with pilz, rain slits on the turret cupola and smaller muzzle break.
-Broad pattern zimmerit on the turret,





The Kit:






Friday, July 22, 2016

Sd.Kfz. 7/1 (early) with Flak 38

I saw this colour photo of a beat up and abandoned Flak Vierling Sd.Kfz 7/1 in East Prussia and thought it would be pretty cool to model this vehicle. Its been painted out in a combination of German Dark Yellow and Panzer Grey. I especially like the Flak gun which still remains in the original Panzer Grey colour. I just might have to do this one.


Sd.Kfz 7/1 Flak 38

Haven't made much progress on this project since my last update but managed to get the road wheels,  drive sprocket and rubber tires painted up and attached to the frame.