Replacement MCU decisions ....

[OldTanker]

Please do keep us informed of your progress, and although they are not required, we just love photos of before/after/having fun with the tank.

Will do, Herr Prof.
Here's another for starters. I picked it up off Fleabay as a 'joblot' non-working part completed kit, being attracted by all the metal parts and the black geared 4:1 motors.
The v3 MCU was shot but everything else appears to be there, apart from the turret ring, (now on order).
I dismantled it down completely again to remove the cling film and install the idler shaft adjusters properly.

[MrChef]

Test to see how the barrel muzzle brake comes off because you'll likely want to remove the barrel from the mantlet for paint and finishing. I had a bear of a time recently trying to remove mine. All sorts of curse words. Resorted to a butane torch and twisted it off. Luckily it's brass and the barrel heavy aluminum. Hopefully yours isn't as stupidly affixed as mine was in its glued, finished painted form from Torro.

[OldTanker]

I've just been working on that section this afternoon MrChef.
The inside of the turret was in pretty bad shape with blobs of solder and cut leads etc. I guess the original owner had given upon it even before painting (luckily).
The airsoft plastic retract module had suffered a melted area from some nearby soldering attempts, but it cleaned up fine,and I tested t with a 1s lipo and it still works fine. The muzzle brake has been glued on forever, but no problem, as I took the clip off from the inside end and it slid out with no problem.
I'm all set now to start painting. (Dunkelgrau)

[Jimster]

That turret was never painted dunkelgrau. Just a friendly FYI. Only the first 20-25 Tigers were painted that color and that bin was only used on the later tanks made in early 1943 onwards. Of course fantasy paint schemes abound in this hobby but if you’re interested in historical accuracy you need to backdate the rear storage bin for dunkelgrau to be accurate.

[Jimster]

A good resource. https://tiger1.info/EN/Grey-Tigers.html

[OldTanker]

Thanks Jimster, just in time to avoid me making a mistake...
Yes, I'd certainly prefer a reasonable amount of historical accuracy.
That'll teach me to use Kelly's Heroes as source material the plot was always in another dimension, and paint firing Shermans sound a bit risky, but I thought the Tigers might have been reasonably depicted, (even though they were worried about the 'leaky gasoline smell' from one of them
I'm now thinking of either unscrewing the bins or switching to dunkelbraun, though that's the colour of my Panther G and I was going for contrast.

[Jofaur86]

Also this, but without specification on camouflage color?
http://www.alanhamby.com/tiger.html

[Jofaur86]

http://www.warandtactics.com/smf/panzer ... ollection/

[Ecam]

I think it has been said that early Tamiya box art showed many of us grey/gray Tigers and why so many have been built in that color (my own is included - although undergoing a repaint).

[OldTanker]

http://www.warandtactics.com/smf/panzer ... ollection/

Thanks Jofaur, that second link is the best I've seen so far, all the different schemes in one place. Makes deciding so much easier.