Sov's Tiger Build

[greengiant]

Looks like your catching the super detailing bug. Which is not a bad thing. You should end up with a very good looking Tiger when your done. Have you given any thought yet on the paint scheme?

[PainlessWolf]

Sov,
I would say "RUN!" but it's too late. ;o) Your Tiger is turning out beautifully due to you catching the 'Bug'.
regards,
Painless

[SovereignZuul]

I really like a great many of the German camo schemes but this seems to be my favorite.

My tank's production type won't match this one at all, different road wheels, no air filters, headlight change, etc. I've got more of an early-mid style and this is a late that fought in the East.

This one seems to be the same tank, different artist impression of the pattern. #133 of the 510th Heavy Panzer.

[PainlessWolf]

Good Morning again,
I like the burnt Sienna look of the top artist's interpretation much better. Seems to pick out details better which is probably counter productive to the idea of camo but it is just a better color combo.
regards,
Painless

[DavidByrden]

I wouldn't mind at all David.
Best I've seen was a really low res copy of a page from a Tiger modeler's guide that sells for over $100!

OK, here goes. In chronological order.
The starting point is the last Early turret, with no smoke launchers or even the remains of any smoke launchers.

1. July 1943
A few - VERY few - Early turret armour shells were lying around the factory. These were now finished with the low cupola, and the plug pistol port, making them the first Mid turrets. They had the remains of smoke launcher brackets on the roof!

Because of their Early origins, these few turrets had the old "chin" design. Otherwise they were like normal Mid turrets, with a central roof fan, a plug pistol port for the commander, and a plain disc-shaped side hatch.

[DavidByrden]

2. July 1943
As you can see in the above photos, the cupola hatch was swinging forward. This was a bad idea. The cupola design was now mirrored, without moving the hatch hinge, so that it would swing backwards instead.

About the same time, the factory ran out of the old "narrow" vision ports and switched over to the new "wide" ones.

[DavidByrden]

3. September 1943
A small disc in the middle of the loader's hatch was deleted. Otherwise, this was still the same hatch as used on Early Tigers, with a bolted surround frame.

[DavidByrden]

4. October 1943
The commander's pistol port was deleted. The spare tracks on that side were apparently moved backwards a little.

[DavidByrden]

5. March 1944. We are now well into the Late Tiger period.
The turret roof thickness was increased to 40mm. This caused a visible "step" where the roof plate joined with the side walls. The new roof had no surround frame for the loader's hatch. The loader's hatch handle was moved to one side; so you can tell the roof thickness from this handle when nothing else is visible (see photo). The new roof had no weld line near its front edge.

[DavidByrden]

6. March/April 1944
After using up all of the old loader's hatches with long hinges, the factory switched to a new hatch design with short hinges.