Hosted by Darren Baker
Academy's King Tiger Last Production
TrifonDK
Joined: February 17, 2009
KitMaker: 286 posts
Armorama: 285 posts
Posted: Monday, August 12, 2013 - 01:15 AM UTC
I recently picked up Academy's new KT, after reading good reviews and as a chance to finally use my Friul ATL-37s that I picked up quite some time ago at a LHS going out of business.
TrifonDK
Joined: February 17, 2009
KitMaker: 286 posts
Armorama: 285 posts
Posted: Monday, August 12, 2013 - 01:27 AM UTC
My aim is to portray a March/April '45 vehicle, one of truly last to roll off the assembly line, so, before I started construction I decided on the following mods:
1. Kgs 73/800/152 tracks - Friul ATL-37 obviously - keeping the kit's 18-teeth sprockets as they fit better than the Friul ones.
2. According to the above, 6 pairs of single link track hangers - 6 on every side of the turret.
3. 5 camo loops on each side of the turret.
4. No AA MG rail, replaced by small tube on cupola.
5. 4 fuel tank vents on rear deck and sides.
6. Base coat of Dunkelgrün with Dunkelgelb pattern.
That should do the trick nicely I think, plus I get to keep a nice pair of KT transport tracks for a future build.
So I began with assembly of the turret, elimination of the locator holes for the double link hangers and marking of the location for the single link ones.
1. Kgs 73/800/152 tracks - Friul ATL-37 obviously - keeping the kit's 18-teeth sprockets as they fit better than the Friul ones.
2. According to the above, 6 pairs of single link track hangers - 6 on every side of the turret.
3. 5 camo loops on each side of the turret.
4. No AA MG rail, replaced by small tube on cupola.
5. 4 fuel tank vents on rear deck and sides.
6. Base coat of Dunkelgrün with Dunkelgelb pattern.
That should do the trick nicely I think, plus I get to keep a nice pair of KT transport tracks for a future build.
So I began with assembly of the turret, elimination of the locator holes for the double link hangers and marking of the location for the single link ones.
TrifonDK
Joined: February 17, 2009
KitMaker: 286 posts
Armorama: 285 posts
Posted: Monday, August 12, 2013 - 01:34 AM UTC
Then I started working on the hangers and loops.
Luckily I found 4 pairs of leftover hangers and 10 camo loops! at least they look the part - and I truly have no idea which kits they came from... My spares' box really surprises me at times.
And a couple of shots with all hangers finished, with track links added for effect and the left hand side track all done and put on the right side backwards....
Luckily I found 4 pairs of leftover hangers and 10 camo loops! at least they look the part - and I truly have no idea which kits they came from... My spares' box really surprises me at times.
And a couple of shots with all hangers finished, with track links added for effect and the left hand side track all done and put on the right side backwards....
TrifonDK
Joined: February 17, 2009
KitMaker: 286 posts
Armorama: 285 posts
Posted: Monday, August 12, 2013 - 01:41 AM UTC
I moved on to assembly of the hull, rear deck, wheels and the right hand track.
In the following pics I have put the major sub-assemblies together for demo purposes and all the construction that remains is some details on the rear endplate (exhausts etc) PE parts, tow cables (will probably replace them with handmade ones)and fuel tank vents. Then its off for priming.
In the following pics I have put the major sub-assemblies together for demo purposes and all the construction that remains is some details on the rear endplate (exhausts etc) PE parts, tow cables (will probably replace them with handmade ones)and fuel tank vents. Then its off for priming.
Biggles2
Joined: January 01, 2004
KitMaker: 7,600 posts
Armorama: 6,110 posts
Posted: Monday, August 12, 2013 - 01:54 AM UTC
How does the Academy Tiger compare with Dragon's? In some LHS's they are about the same price. 
TrifonDK
Joined: February 17, 2009
KitMaker: 286 posts
Armorama: 285 posts
Posted: Monday, August 12, 2013 - 03:04 AM UTC
Quoted Text
How does the Academy Tiger compare with Dragon's? In some LHS's they are about the same price.
Can't really compare quality-wise as I've only built the old DML 6208 kit that in truth does not compare to more modern kits and the Premium Porsche turret DML 6312 which is a parts and bits nightmare, even though detail is excellent.
The Academy kit feels crisp, well detailed, comes together with eyes closed and really looks like a KT in the end. If you can invest in some AM stuff like tracks, Alu barrel and fenders, it will stand its own against anythin DML offers IMHO...
Price-wise I got it for 45 Euros at my favorite LHS and the DML offerings on the selves went for about 57 Euros...
http://pla.gr/catalog/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=king+tiger&x=-237&y=-559
easyco69
Joined: November 03, 2012
KitMaker: 2,275 posts
Armorama: 2,233 posts
Posted: Monday, August 12, 2013 - 06:57 AM UTC
kool ! Is there a faster way to put those tracks together? I have a KT Set & T1 set...
Those tracks look awesome!
Those tracks look awesome!
TrifonDK
Joined: February 17, 2009
KitMaker: 286 posts
Armorama: 285 posts
Posted: Monday, August 12, 2013 - 07:11 AM UTC
Quoted Text
kool ! Is there a faster way to put those tracks together? I have a KT Set & T1 set...
Those tracks look awesome!
They DO take a lot of time... LH track took me 3-4 days and the RH one took me a night... But they are simply THE BEST. Gives the model a whole different feel and look.
alewar
Joined: December 27, 2006
KitMaker: 773 posts
Armorama: 765 posts
Posted: Tuesday, August 13, 2013 - 03:53 AM UTC
Hi,
I can't found any pic of the "ring" camo that Academy K.Tiger looks.
Any clue?
regards
Alvaro
I can't found any pic of the "ring" camo that Academy K.Tiger looks.
Any clue?
regards
Alvaro
TrifonDK
Joined: February 17, 2009
KitMaker: 286 posts
Armorama: 285 posts
Posted: Tuesday, August 13, 2013 - 04:10 AM UTC
Quoted Text
Hi,
I can't found any pic of the "ring" camo that Academy K.Tiger looks.
Any clue?
regards
Alvaro
You can read aaaaaaall about it in this Armorama forum thread
Have fun!
alewar
Joined: December 27, 2006
KitMaker: 773 posts
Armorama: 765 posts
Posted: Tuesday, August 13, 2013 - 04:16 AM UTC
Thanks Trifon!
orangelion03
Joined: March 09, 2013
KitMaker: 176 posts
Armorama: 148 posts
Posted: Tuesday, August 13, 2013 - 05:20 AM UTC
Looking at some of the better quality images of the Octopus scheme, it looks like the circles may have been painted with a brush as opposed to sprayed on. Any consensus on this?
TrifonDK
Joined: February 17, 2009
KitMaker: 286 posts
Armorama: 285 posts
Posted: Tuesday, August 13, 2013 - 07:56 AM UTC
That does seem to be the case...
TrifonDK
Joined: February 17, 2009
KitMaker: 286 posts
Armorama: 285 posts
Posted: Friday, November 15, 2013 - 09:05 AM UTC
Finished...
Added a couple of fig ures from one of my DML sets.
Basecoated Dark Green, masked with Maskol and painted Dark Yellow and Red Brown pattern. All Tamiya acrylics sprayed with my Iwata Eclipse. Figures painted with Humbrol and MM enamels.
Added a couple of fig ures from one of my DML sets.
Basecoated Dark Green, masked with Maskol and painted Dark Yellow and Red Brown pattern. All Tamiya acrylics sprayed with my Iwata Eclipse. Figures painted with Humbrol and MM enamels.
TrifonDK
Joined: February 17, 2009
KitMaker: 286 posts
Armorama: 285 posts
Posted: Friday, November 15, 2013 - 09:06 AM UTC
TrifonDK
Joined: February 17, 2009
KitMaker: 286 posts
Armorama: 285 posts
Posted: Friday, November 15, 2013 - 09:09 AM UTC
TrifonDK
Joined: February 17, 2009
KitMaker: 286 posts
Armorama: 285 posts
Posted: Friday, November 15, 2013 - 09:12 AM UTC
TrifonDK
Joined: February 17, 2009
KitMaker: 286 posts
Armorama: 285 posts
Posted: Friday, November 15, 2013 - 09:14 AM UTC
rfbaer
Joined: June 12, 2007
KitMaker: 1,866 posts
Armorama: 1,696 posts
Posted: Friday, November 15, 2013 - 10:56 AM UTC
Very, very nice. I'd have to say the figs came out very nicely as well.
I like it w/o the side fenders, personal preference.
I like it w/o the side fenders, personal preference.
easyco69
Joined: November 03, 2012
KitMaker: 2,275 posts
Armorama: 2,233 posts
Posted: Saturday, November 16, 2013 - 12:33 PM UTC
awesome job!!
KruppCake
Joined: July 13, 2015
KitMaker: 401 posts
Armorama: 387 posts
Posted: Wednesday, July 22, 2015 - 11:23 PM UTC
How do you guys feel about ATL-37 VS ATL-16 for the late tiger? I am currently using ATL-16 for my build (Tamiya Ardennes Front kit).
wedgetail53
Joined: October 02, 2008
KitMaker: 658 posts
Armorama: 629 posts
Posted: Thursday, July 23, 2015 - 04:26 AM UTC
G'day gents
As for which track to use, I don't think it matters. By this stage of the war, supply problems being what they were, I think they'd be glad just to be able to put tracks on the vehicle, not worry about if they were the right ones!
Regards
Rob
As for which track to use, I don't think it matters. By this stage of the war, supply problems being what they were, I think they'd be glad just to be able to put tracks on the vehicle, not worry about if they were the right ones!
Regards
Rob
TrifonDK
Joined: February 17, 2009
KitMaker: 286 posts
Armorama: 285 posts
Posted: Wednesday, August 05, 2015 - 02:42 AM UTC
Well, Rob, even though I somewhat agree with you it is not that simple. ATL-37 is the single link track and ATL-16 is the double link "early style" track. They designed a different sprocket to drive the 37's (Kgs 73/800/152) so I am thinking maybe you don't want a wrong track that gets thrown 200m from the plant...
Also, Krupp, if you use the 37s don't forget you need 12 couples of track hangers on the turret sides, 3 on the fron and 3 on the back of each side, as they were designed to take the single link extra track.
Happy building!
Trifon
Also, Krupp, if you use the 37s don't forget you need 12 couples of track hangers on the turret sides, 3 on the fron and 3 on the back of each side, as they were designed to take the single link extra track.
Happy building!
Trifon
GeraldOwens
Joined: March 30, 2006
KitMaker: 3,736 posts
Armorama: 3,697 posts
Posted: Wednesday, August 05, 2015 - 10:13 AM UTC
Quoted Text
Well, Rob, even though I somewhat agree with you it is not that simple. ATL-37 is the single link track and ATL-16 is the double link "early style" track. They designed a different sprocket to drive the 37's (Kgs 73/800/152) so I am thinking maybe you don't want a wrong track that gets thrown 200m from the plant...
Also, Krupp, if you use the 37s don't forget you need 12 couples of track hangers on the turret sides, 3 on the fron and 3 on the back of each side, as they were designed to take the single link extra track.
Happy building!
Trifon
Actually, I've only seen one operational King Tiger with the extra track hangers. There were still many unused turrets at the Henschel plant with the old configuration when production ceased. The chaotic situation in March, 1945, meant that tracks were installed as available (the supply of new track having been cut off), and single link, double link, and either early or late transportation tracks could be seen on tanks in the Ruhr Pocket in the final weeks. As track was in short supply, most tanks had no spares on the turret sides, anyway.
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