HL Tiger I Things to Fix List
Posted: Sun Mar 22, 2009 4:02 pm
Hello Gentlemen, and Ladies.
I was just reading through the thread on how best to pass on advise to beginner's to point them in the right direction and agree it can be a very sensitive area with some people, and it needs to be carefully done. It also got me thinking about the number of errors that actually do exist on the HL Tiger I - straight out of the box - and in my own case, the length of time it took me to discover them all (and after three years, I'm not so sure the process is actually over).
From that point, and considering my better half was still sound asleep this morning, I took some free time, and a fresh cuppa, to search our site to see how easy it was to find information on what needs to be fixed on a brand new HL Tiger I. Sadly, I found it's not that easy. Especially, if one is new to this hobby and blissfully unaware anything is wrong in the first place.
It might be worth considering we create a new separate "Things To Fix" section of this forum to consolidate all of our discoveries for each specific tank so everyone from new to experienced can easily add or find this sort of information. This information should include the how to fix it details we have learned, where to find correct parts etc.
Taking the HL Tiger I as a useful example, I have listed what I have found and learned about it's errors as follows:
1) The gun mantle needs to be flipped 180 degrees to get the MG 34 on the right side and the gunner's sights on the left. Heng Long has issued a corrected version of this assembly, but anyone with "fix it yourself" info could add it to this information.
2) Only the right side spare aerial rods tube is correct on the rear deck edge. The left one needs to be removed as it never existed on the real Tiger I. On the first year of production the cap on this tube faced to the rear of the vehicle and the cap stuck out over the edge of the rear hull plate. In all subsequent production, the cap end was flipped to face forward and the end of the tube was flush with the rear hull plate edge (as HL made it).
3) Only the left rear convoy light is correct for the Tiger I. The one on the rear right side needs to be removed as it was never on the real Tiger I.
These above items are relatively easy to correct or replace.
4) The orientation of the suspension arms. This one is rather new to me and the complexity of a correct fix is best left to those of you who have chosen to walk that road.
5) The dimensions of the HL Tiger I turret and it's orientation on the hull deck. In a nut shell, this was a deliberate change on the part of HL in order for the turret to accept the airsoft gun assembly. The turret was stretched about 5 mm and the turret ring opening on the hull desk moved a corresponding amount to balance things out. They still had to bevel the lower rear lip of the turret to gain clearance when the turret rotates. A very challenging fix for those who have tried it. I am hoping to swap out a Tamiya assembly to get around it and forgo the airsoft system, but that work/research is still in progress.
6) The rear hull plate. This is a very new find for me and spun out of my research on the above noted Tamiya turret swap. The rear hull plate actually extends to meet flush with the two hull side plates. What you should see, therefore, when looking straight down on the top of the Tiger I rear deck, is a completely visible vertical armor plate edge running side, rear, side. Tamiya got this right by correctly copying the real Tiger I construction. Their rear hull plate runs flush to the top edge of the two side plates, and the deck plate drops down inside of this 'frame'. Heng Long, on the other hand, shortened the height of their rear hull plate and fitted a longer deck plate down on top. Consequently, when you look straight down on the top of the HL hull, the extreme rear end casting is too fat. It needs to be scribed or grooved to replicate the upper edge of the rear hull plate.
This is probably just a small start for this HL Tiger I information, so if anyone can add more, please jump in and help enlighten us all...from kids to codgers...
Best regards,
David
I was just reading through the thread on how best to pass on advise to beginner's to point them in the right direction and agree it can be a very sensitive area with some people, and it needs to be carefully done. It also got me thinking about the number of errors that actually do exist on the HL Tiger I - straight out of the box - and in my own case, the length of time it took me to discover them all (and after three years, I'm not so sure the process is actually over).
From that point, and considering my better half was still sound asleep this morning, I took some free time, and a fresh cuppa, to search our site to see how easy it was to find information on what needs to be fixed on a brand new HL Tiger I. Sadly, I found it's not that easy. Especially, if one is new to this hobby and blissfully unaware anything is wrong in the first place.
It might be worth considering we create a new separate "Things To Fix" section of this forum to consolidate all of our discoveries for each specific tank so everyone from new to experienced can easily add or find this sort of information. This information should include the how to fix it details we have learned, where to find correct parts etc.
Taking the HL Tiger I as a useful example, I have listed what I have found and learned about it's errors as follows:
1) The gun mantle needs to be flipped 180 degrees to get the MG 34 on the right side and the gunner's sights on the left. Heng Long has issued a corrected version of this assembly, but anyone with "fix it yourself" info could add it to this information.
2) Only the right side spare aerial rods tube is correct on the rear deck edge. The left one needs to be removed as it never existed on the real Tiger I. On the first year of production the cap on this tube faced to the rear of the vehicle and the cap stuck out over the edge of the rear hull plate. In all subsequent production, the cap end was flipped to face forward and the end of the tube was flush with the rear hull plate edge (as HL made it).
3) Only the left rear convoy light is correct for the Tiger I. The one on the rear right side needs to be removed as it was never on the real Tiger I.
These above items are relatively easy to correct or replace.
4) The orientation of the suspension arms. This one is rather new to me and the complexity of a correct fix is best left to those of you who have chosen to walk that road.
5) The dimensions of the HL Tiger I turret and it's orientation on the hull deck. In a nut shell, this was a deliberate change on the part of HL in order for the turret to accept the airsoft gun assembly. The turret was stretched about 5 mm and the turret ring opening on the hull desk moved a corresponding amount to balance things out. They still had to bevel the lower rear lip of the turret to gain clearance when the turret rotates. A very challenging fix for those who have tried it. I am hoping to swap out a Tamiya assembly to get around it and forgo the airsoft system, but that work/research is still in progress.
6) The rear hull plate. This is a very new find for me and spun out of my research on the above noted Tamiya turret swap. The rear hull plate actually extends to meet flush with the two hull side plates. What you should see, therefore, when looking straight down on the top of the Tiger I rear deck, is a completely visible vertical armor plate edge running side, rear, side. Tamiya got this right by correctly copying the real Tiger I construction. Their rear hull plate runs flush to the top edge of the two side plates, and the deck plate drops down inside of this 'frame'. Heng Long, on the other hand, shortened the height of their rear hull plate and fitted a longer deck plate down on top. Consequently, when you look straight down on the top of the HL hull, the extreme rear end casting is too fat. It needs to be scribed or grooved to replicate the upper edge of the rear hull plate.
This is probably just a small start for this HL Tiger I information, so if anyone can add more, please jump in and help enlighten us all...from kids to codgers...
Best regards,
David
