Sov's Tiger Build

[tanks_for_the_memory]

Sov,

The track hangars look spot on to me. Lovely Schumo parts.

But don't worry too much about those lower weld beads - you are going to zimmerit this baby aren't you?

Your perseverance with those metal parts leaves me with nothing but admiration - but watch those eyes!

TFTM

[SovereignZuul]

I've often thought about what I was doing with this build. 100% historic or custom. I've flipped flopped a bit and maybe I still will as the build goes on...

That said, I'm going to avoid zimm. If it can even be considered legit I'm going for an Early Tiger Hull with a Late model turret on it. Story goes that this Tiger had it's turret cracked and destroyed and it was hauled back and had a late turret popped on from another destroyed Tiger to "refurbish" it in a shop. I honestly have no idea how historic or legit of a story that could be. Sorry guys, tell me I'm crazy for trying it.

Funny you mention the eyes...

I think I like how it looks but my eyes are too exhausted to tell.




Goddamn these things are tiny. Believe it or not, each one of them is made from 4 individual pieces of PE brass and a piece of electrical wire. There are itty bitty locks that go with them that I haven't started yet.



Test fit of the spare track hangar. It's actually two brass strips soldered together to make it thicker. Nothing gets done the easy way...

[HERMAN BIX]

I see you and Mr Hugill have the same weakness for tiny latches & locks
I would say your story of the turret/hull combo is plausible, but the support units for these machines must have been over whelmed with work by this stage & just happy to get a machine out of its life & into the fight.
Keep it going mate, outstanding work.

[DavidByrden]

your story of the turret/hull combo is plausible

It's certainly physically possible to do that, but I can recall only 1 example.

To finish out the Tiger production contract, the factory used up any leftover hulls and turrets that were sent back for repair. So this is an example of what they did;



The hull here is really early, dating from about January 1943. The turret is the absolute final, end-of-the-run type.

But, unfortunately, the hull is totally refurbished; it has the late tracks, wheels, Zimmerit, and the final tool layout. You have to look very closely to see how old it really is.

You probably want an unchanged Early hull with a late turret? That would have to happen within a unit who had a mix of both types. Not many units fit the bill. 503 comes to mind.

David

[SovereignZuul]

I too, at this stage, would just be happy to have a machine out and into the fight as well. It's been over two years since I started this thread!

I'm guessing I end up with a fantasy Tiger. At the start of this build I didn't know much about the tank at all. The next builds I'll do with be more in line with history at least. That Aero-Mate Tiger really impresses me, and is an amazing foundation to start with. Maybe some day... If I had known what I do now to begin with I would have just started with an Aero-Mate.

Check out dgsselkirk's latest Panther posts for his crazy latches and locks as well!

You probably want an unchanged Early hull with a late turret? That would have to happen within a unit who had a mix of both types. Not many units fit the bill. 503 comes to mind.

Does such a tank exist? Got a picture of it? I've started researching the 503rd. An unchanged early hull, wheels and tracks especially, with a later style turret is kind of what I'm aiming for (minus the very early mine launchers). Lacking zimmerit and potentially having smoke launchers even. From everything you've told me and everything I've read, such a Tiger did not exist.

I just really like the early hull, the headlights, the air filters, rubber tire wheels... and I really like the later turret with spare track links, slim cupola...

[DavidByrden]

The turret spare tracks appeared, and then the smoke launchers disappeared, during the Early time.

Then we had the Mid period, with the lower cupola. The wheels and tracks were the same as before. Perhaps a Mid is what you want?

During the Mid time, the mine launchers disappeared, the tracks were changed, and the air filters disappeared. The headlight went to the middle front. Then, a gun barrel support appeared at the rear.

The wheel change brings us to the Late period. The hull roof gets the protective ring very soon. Then the turret roof becomes thicker, and a few more changes happen before the end.

If you want an Early hull with 2 headlights, air filters, and the original wheels and tracks...look at the first half of the Mid period. The Tigers went mostly to 501, 503, 506, 509 and SS 101.



David

[SovereignZuul]

You are ever helpful David! That picture does look pretty much exactly like what I want, except for the mine launcher I see on the back. The lack of visible zimmerit is comforting as well for my desired build and I even like the camo pattern! Is there any more information on that particular Tiger pictured? I'll research those divisions as well. Looks like I can keep it historic after-all. I'll drop the smoke launchers, even if I think they look cool.

A couple of questions if you don't mind, based on your past explanations to me.

1. The fuzziness of the picture makes it hard to tell, is that a two part turret roof (25mm) with the small strip of 40mm armor near the front? Are these the only two types of roof armor types used on Tigers?

2. Does this early-mid turret have the lower "chin" cutouts like the later ones do? (July, 1943 change)

3. Would it use the wider side vision ports? (July, 1943 change)

Any other advice on the direction of my build as far as keeping it historic? Thanks to you I've got better aim now.

This makes me wonder if there is a full, or even partial list of every Tiger tank's records out there or if it's lost to history.

[HERMAN BIX]

Tiger F13 of KG Fehrman I believe was a mid /late hull with an early turret. Or, a mixture of all !
Plenty of info here :

http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=73957

[DavidByrden]

Photos of the first Mids are rare for some reason.

That particular Tiger is number "1" of the 3rd company, s.Pz.Abt.506.

The 25mm roof with the strip of front armour was used on all of the Earlies, all of the Mids, and about 170 of the Late Tigers.

There was a third kind of roof used at the end of the production run; it was 40mm but it was made of two plates welded at the bend.

The chin cutout normally goes with the low cupola. A very small number of the first Mids didn't have the cutout, but this guy had it.

The photos are poor quality, but I think he has the old narrow vision slits on the turret sides.

This Tiger is one of the first Mids, I don't think he has Zimmerit, and his hull is still the Early type. It even has two headlights.

Notice that his cupola hatch opens forwards.

David

[DavidByrden]

Tiger F13 of KG Fehrman I believe was a mid /late hull with an early turret. Or, a mixture of all !

It looks like a normal Early Tiger to me. Perhaps with the later track, but that's all.

David