One for the Tiger experts.

[Meter rat]

Right chaps.
Help needed, please.
I need a load for one of my tank transporters to be winched on and off the trailer. I have an old Hobby Boss lower hull, with no rear panel or upper hull. This will make an ideal dumb weight to replicate loading a tank being restored. The hull is for an early Tiger, with rubber tyres wheels. Forgebear has a rear panel for an early Tiger with the feifel filters, and a rear panel for the mid to late. Can I use the mid to late panel on an early hull? Did any mid Tigers have rubber tyres? Just trying to use what is in the scrap box, to build a cheap load. I will be on the lookout for a Tiger upper hull.

[Tiger6]

Mid had rubber rims, steel rims came in with the late

Isn't the hobby boss kit a mid to begin with?

[Meter rat]

Thank you Tiger6 for confirming my thoughts.

[jarndice]

First things first, The term "Mid" when applied to Tigers 1s is a Modellers expression it has nothing to do with the real thing,
Throughout the time it was in service the less than 1400 Tigers were constantly being modified both officially and in Field Workshops,
The longer the war prevailed the harder it was for those field workshops to get factory spares so to get a Tank back on the road whatever was in the spares box that fitted would go on the vehicle so A Late with an earlys wheels is not unknown although I have never heard of a Rear plate being changed in the field it would usually go back to the factory for such a major repair But the chaos in Russia produced many hybrids so even that could have happened.
Go for it,
Is the wife going to know or care or do you have a knowitall young relative you are afraid will embarrass you at Christmas?
It will be your Diorama you can do what you want,
I promise I won't tell.

[Guido Henn]

http://www.alanhamby.com/tiger.html


with regards,Guido

[TankDriver]

Both types of rear panels should be interchangeable on either type of hull, but I'd do a test-fit to make sure

[jarndice]

Some time back I went through a number of Taigen/Torro ABS rear panels because the retaining tabs that held the panel to the hull snapped,
Dave @
www.forgebeartanks.com
had MATO Metal rear panels in stock so I ordered a couple,
Dave advised me against buying them because they would be very difficult to fit, He as ever was right, They were a real bugger but I now have 2 Tiger 1s with metal rear panels that are unlikely to fail.
So if a Mato metal rear panel will fit a Taigen/Torro ABS/Metal Hull I see no reason why an early Hobby Boss hull cannot except a late Heng Long/Taigen/Torro late rear panel.(With a little extra work ).