Rye Field Model is coming out with another big cat, a kit that provides two options in building early Tiger Is used by SS panzer ace Michael Wittmann.

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Thanks!

Looks promising for when I build another early production unit.

Unfortunately, if the preliminary CAD is true, they are providing a "standard" interior for S04 which was a "command" Tiger.

Even in the box artwork you can see the mistake. They show an MG hole in the mantlet. There wasn't one.

The kit's interior should be OK for the other decal option "1331".

I'm collecting information about Wittman's Tiger Early Production.

David

Thank God for David Byrden. Maybe we'll get a correct Wittmann one of these days.

I was thinking that the box art is really quite pretty but I also noticed the absence of the coax MG plug. Wonder if it included the Stern as well as the turret antennae?

Just keep an eye on my page. When new information comes out, I'll analyse it.

That being said: in the CAD I don't see a turret antenna position, nor the left-side antenna. But I do see the rear antenna storage tube.

I expect they're still working on this kit. so who knows what they may finish up with?

David

Hello David! Tried a couple of times to email you through your site but got no response so either it isn't working to accept mail or you're really,really busy. I'll go with the latter though I'd still appreciate hearing from you on the points I raised earlier in my emails.

I don't seem to have any emails from you. Are you sending to the "owner" address? Do you get any error message emails coming back?

David

No David, no error messages, nothing when I send anything to Tiger1.info's "Email" button on the bottom of the page. I sent a couple without a peep so I assumed that either it wasn't working or you were simply too busy. Now we know it to be the former apparently. How would you propose I send anything your way? Honest, I'm not selling anything.

That email link on my page is protected by Javascript, so if there's a scripting problem on your browser, that might explain it.

It's generally not a good idea to post one's email address in plain text.

Anyway, try entering my address by hand, it is spoken like this; owner at tiger1 dot info.

David

Thank you David, I'll give it a re-try soon!

Just to update you; Rye Field released a set of photos of an assembled kit, so apparently this one is on schedule for an April release.

Regarding the question of whether the kit can build the Tiger from its own box art; Rye Field were asked this question and they have not replied.

The new "as built" model photos don't show any of the "command" equipment that should be present inside Wittman's Tiger "S04". But on the rear wall it has the large antenna tube, so presumably they intended to build the "S04" option.

If this kit sells us a standard Tiger interior and represents it as a Command Tiger, it won't be for the first time. Model Factory Hiro did the same thing years ago. And in the field of Panthers, Takom last year pretended that a normal Panther hull was actually a Command Panther.

FYI, the Command version should have different radios, a complete field electrical generator, different electronics and other changes. Even looking through the transparent walls of a sealed-up kit, the differences should be obvious.

David

Thanks David for this and all your other Tiger posts. You & "Frenchie's" posts I ALWAYS check out, never disappointed !
That is some dramatic artwork though !

Update: the instructions are now online.

As expected, the kit has only the Standard interior from #5003. Can't build the interior for Wittmann's "S04".

But, surprisingly, it can't build the exterior either. Rye Field tooled up the necessary parts for their Late Tiger but they're not in this box.

David