Thank you Herbert for that explanation. That's very interesting. What an incredible mix!




thank you James, I'm really glad you find the zimmerit not so bad It took me some 2 hours per side so 4 evenings with the white stuff!!

I really don't mind pointing out all those incoherences in this build, it may result in some interesting discussions about details. I love it




Thanks Bill, I appreciate it a lot. All 100W bulbs have been banned from the nearside of the workshop




Hey Lars, me Tiger II addict? Why? all right, all right I said to the doctor it would be the last one ... at least for some time

I'll post some progress tomorrow evening. It's crazy how the efficiency goes done when you go to details and especially those dreaded PE clamps

Neil, if you read this I want you to know that with your help I've found and have done what I wanted. IOU one!

Thank you all

signed

Oberleutnant spitfire
Kampfgruppe Berlin

Thank you guys for the info.
The reason I'm asking is that I have Tamiya's KT, with interior, and Voyager PE waiting for me to be built, and I'm kind of afraid that if I present it here as a WIP when I finally get to it people will scorn about these things, so I want to get them right.
(How's the Tamiya kit, btw? Dimensionally, I mean. It's lightyears behind the DML offerings, I know, but I had it in my hands, and the interior was cheap... the Voyager PE was the most expensive part. And after spending all that I still have to figure out how to texture the turret. I came to appreciate DML's quality. Sorry for the rant.)

hi pawel i'm looking forward to seeing this KT finished if your other two KT's are anything to go by this ones gonna be a beauty. watching with interest.

The Tamiya Tiger-Bs, both the initial turret and Serien Turm versions, have a huge flaw in their turrets as these are symetrical, while in fact they were not. The left side was bowed out further than the right side. Also, the gun is not in the centre of the turret.

Apart from that, the DML kits have superceded the Tamiya kits in sheer accuracy and detail.

Texturing rolled armour is a technique of the past, as although there is pitting in the armour, it is nowhere near the type of surface one gets after bouncing a bur in a drill over the plastic.

Hi,

here it comes, the first update I would call it "an improbable mix" Yes, you won't find a Tiger B equipped this way. I put here the "R" like copyright and wait the call from CH just to sell them my idea. Will trade for a few TIGER I DAK kits

the upper part of the hull was re-equipped with early (even very early) and late features.

Early features:

- the "snorkelling" (correct me if this is a wrong word) device that can be seen on the first batch of Tigers B delivered for example to FKL 316. The parts come from the panther D premium kit (it was designed first on the panther). A big thank you for Neil who supplied me with some instructions so I can find all the parts.
- the standard antenna bin moved forward, not sure if it is a field mod or an early feature but you can see it clearly on the pictures of the Tiger B n°11 from FKL 316.

Late features:
- covers on the ventilator intakes (those mesh December 44 and those on the back (plates January 45)




I wanted to share with you one little accessory I uses since a while for making handles with cooper wire. Very small and simple but very effective tool to bent the wire. It let's you to reproduce as many handles as you wish and you don't have to worry that they are not identical



I will be passing on to the sides and rear of the model now.

spit

Nice update Pawel,

I'm loving the mix of details!

Keep it up,

James

Hi Pawel, I've been following this from the beginning,as I've done with your previous builds, and I must say it's looking great. I don't believe in rivet counting, not anymore, there were way to many vehicles produced,rebuilt and overhauled to say how any particular vehicle is supposed look. I think what your doing is coming along great and look foward to seeing this build progress. Keep up the good work and looking foward to seeing updates.

Rob

Pawel,
Someday when I grow up (my wife says I never will) I want to be as talented as you. Your work is very inspiring and I like the way you think "out-of-the box" when doing these subjects. It looks like a very detailed but FUN project. Great work!

Jeff

James, thanks mate. I always appreciate your comments.

Rob, thank you for those kind words. I wish I had your finishing capabilities .... ahh those destroyed tank of yours... just superb.

Bodeen, thanks for the credit man. It's a real pleasure for me to post here.




We have the same wife I guess..... .

The (re)building phase will be done this evening. I'll post few pictures.

thanks
spit

Building done, I have impression I know by heart were each part goes. I wonder why?

3 evenings to finish off the two sides and the rear with some plastic but mostly PE parts. Two evenings of cutting out and sanding the pin marks on the dml's late indy tracks. One evening of gluing the tracks + pictures. Almost a week. Afterwards some cleaning will be done before going for the primer.

For the different production details:

Late features added:

- single link tracks - tested in Ardennes put into production from march '45 but very few vehicles were equipped with them due to shortages

Early features added:

- early 18 teeth sprocket ,
- covers on the exhausts,
- brackets for the jack,
- wooden block for the jack.

Here's the result







any comments or suggestions are welcomed.

spit

Looking good Pawel. Zimmerit is actually quite fun once you find a technique that works for you. Good job can't wait to see it painted.

Your KT looks awsome Pawel,as usual. I can't til you start painting that kitten. The zimmerit looks great now that everything is glued in place. Waiting for the next update.

Rob

thanks guys, I must get my AB cleaned tonight I 'm not sure what I'll do exactly about the camouflage. What I thought was to make the turret and hull completely different. The turret two tones dunkelgelb + olivegrun (something like the fictional "100" from the battle of Berlin). The hull being an early one I'm leaning towards dunkelgelb with just few green stripes like on those from FKL 316. I could also try one of these



don't know yet. Any ideas you shoot.

spit

Pawel the build portion is great. Looking forward to paint.

That looks great, Pawel. Nice to see a hybrid Tiger II.

Looking forward to see the paint hit the plastic

hi pawel

the big tiggy is coming along nicely those late pattern single link tracks look good
here's a small drawing of '100' from the battle of berlin bison decals set.....

all the best
neil.........

Pawel,

I like what you are doing here. Looks like a very fun project and workable at that. I did however notice a little something that you may want to think about altering just to keep things historically workable on your early hull. In April of '44 the hull side extentions both at the front and rear for the towing shackles were cut out at the front and reshaped at the rear to allow addtional room when fitting the C-hooks for allowing them to pivot upword and at the same time a notch was cut into the upper front glacis plate to improve the field of view for the radio operators periscope (you backdated your hull by filling in the notch at the glacis upper front plate over the radio operators periscope but did not fill in the cutouts on the hull side edge extensions). Because the hull is equipped with the coolent heater access oval-shaped armor cover below the left-hand armored exhaust pipe guard, the hull as you have depicted here would have been produced sometime from February '44 to March '44. The telescoping air-intake tube hinged armor cover over the rear deck was dropped from production around the middle of March '44. And the fitting of the standard antenna bin on the forward right side is unique to two of the five FLK 316 Tiger II's.

I also like your zimmerit. Keep going, I'm enjoying this one!

-Eddy

Hi Pawel,

Well I myself have long had a late war fiction KT in the works and the paint scheme was something of much deliberation. While in no way is it very historically accuarte I decided on rot primer lower hull with factory assembly markings, Octopus camo for the turret (although with the disruptive oliv grun only on the sides as if a paint saving technique), a panzergrau mantlet (as discussed in other threads it was authorised if no other colour available) and a gun barrel in dunklegrau with a dark rot brown disruptive colour sprayed on (this would have more weathering as though salvaged from a Knocked-out or broken down KT brought back to the factory) - you can see this actually happened in this pic:



Of course for your build you won't want the hull in primer, and your idea to go for a sprayed 2 or 3 tone camo scheme is exactly right. Personally i'd go for 3 tone, and that picture you posted looks like a good option.
However, I think it would really add to your repaired and refurbished look to go for a similar paint scheme as I suggest for the turret and gun. Perhaps the gun barrel could match the lower hull, as if only the turret and mantlet are new?

Oh and talking of mantlets, get some Mr. Surfacer on it, as the 'bell' mantlets were cast and this looks a little smooth from the pics, although I could be wrong. I have a beautiful armourscale resin version and it has cast detail including numbers and a seam IIRC.

Anyway, hope this is of use, I look forward to seeing what you go with.

Good luck!

James

Thank you Marc and Jesper, I appreciate your comments.

Neil, thanks for the pic of "100" by Bison Decals You broke my plan... maybe not we'll see. What I wanted to go for this (S-F IMO) dunkelgelb/ olivgrun pattern of the turret. I just find it really cool looking.



As I said before the hull being an early one could have one of pattern of FKL 316 or from the 503rd heavy tank battalion. I also thought of leaving the hull plain dunkelgelb with red oxide coming from areas without zimmerit. Just don't know what I should go for.... must make up my mind

Eddy,

thank for the input. I have found in Jentz's book the place he writes about the changes you're talking about but frankly speaking I have some difficulties to visualise them. I've even looked all over all FKL 316 pictures I have but I just don't see the difference (I could be partially blind I admit).

James,

good points, I thought about making the barrel just dark grey, making the barrel look like the lower hull could be dangerous as (pss accuracy police maybe nearby) the barrel should be mono block if it would have come along with the lower hull. I must rethink all of this...

I hope I will be getting back to work soon but first of all I must deal with all diseases striking hard my kid, my wife and myself (cough, cough...)

thank you all
spit

Trumpeter's 1/16 Tiger-B also includes the paintscheme and marking for +100. What I get is this Tiger-B should have been issued to sPzAbt 503?

Pawel,

Superb modeling! Your work is great and you picked a nice example to show your skills!
Keep up the great work. I love the Zimmerit, your damaged/missing areas are excellent! I also really like the work on the exhaust guards.
We've got some very, very resourceful and knowledgeable people here, kudos!

Pawel Sorry Hav'nt been around for a while, I don't know if you watch world news but if been made Redundant from Llanwern Steel works Hard times ahead. Anyway 1 + is I wil get alittle more modelling Done, got to look at all the +'s! How about painting the KT hybrid with I.D markings from Pz Div MuncheBerg. I know they used allsorts of Had-hoc tanks in the end battles of Berlin. Maybe Fampffgrupe Berlin was made up of reminantes of that late war Div . Another possibility could be a Kampffgroup made up of 20PzGren and Mucheberg cammanded by Genralmajor Werner Mummert and fought to defend Potsdam( a triangle inside a circle) Or possibly part of a Kaffgrupe made up of Norland, knowing they're fate they would of fought with anything they could of got there hands on(The sun cross inside a circle, a swastika variant of the sun). I know I have the I.D of PzDiv of Muncheberg somewhere just need a little time finding it. Sorry hav'nt E mailed mag been abit sidelined. P.s I love the Olivergrun turret with the wavey 3 camo early Dunkelgleb hull, very striking LOL geraint

Pawel,

You mentioned that you have the Jentz, VK 45.02 to Tiger II book correct? View the drawings of the Tiger II hull side views on the bottom of page 19. Take note of the configuration differance between both hull side views where the towing shackle mounting holes are machined. I hope that this will help give you a better picture of what I mentioned to you concerning the hull side extensions in my last post above.

-Eddy

These pics explain what Eddy is referring to:

Early:




Later:




The towing eyes were as said cut on the front and rear of the Tiger-Bs to enable easier mounting and handling of the towing hooks.

BTW, the first pic and the third pic are interesting, as the first pic is of the very first produced Tiger-B, and the 3rd is of one of the final batch.

Hi Spit found the unit marking for Pz Div Muncheberg it was a skull and cross bones (pirate style inside a triangle. Sorry about the mag I'm sending, my scanner software is playing up. I need my Girlfriend to sort it .The Tigers of Schwere SS Panzer Abteilung 503 were in support of Muncheberg, when it was engaged in heavy fighting in Westkreuz and Halensee train St. In addition before Berlin it got most of the latest supplies, JagdTigers, Tiger II b's and the very last 5 Tiger ausf E's. Not forgetting the I.R Panther G's. So its quite possible a Hybrid came along for the ride Cheers Geraint Hope the Lergy has past