Hi Folks,

While I finish off the weathering on my Sherman V (M4A4) redux I thought I would toss another project onto the bench. This time it's going to be AFV Club's Tiger I late. Next to Shermans Tigers are my favourite armor subject. I am going to paint this one out in the livery of an SS.Pz.Abt. 102 tank. I am not a fan of SS subjects but the wavy pattern paint scheme of tanks from this unit is too cool to pass up. I am going to do Tiger 211 at this point.

I have checked out David Byrden's site and his comments on this kit.
One big negative of this kit is the rubber band tracks. They do not have open guide horns so I will be replacing them with an individual link set from AFV Club that has the proper guide horns. I will also be adding some odds and ends from my raft of photoetch stuff to help the kit out. Zimmerit at this point will be done by hand using Miliput extra fine putty.


The kit:

Based on my research (from Missing Lynx and my own references) Tiger 211 was a very late Tiger I with 40mm roof, pilz, rain slits on the cupola, broad pattern zimmerit on the turret, smaller idler wheel and smaller muzzle brake. It also carried some spare tracks on the front hung with hooks and extra track on the right side. This tank also appears to be missing its rear right mud guard.

This unit took heavy losses in the summer of 1944 and almost all of its tanks did not survive the Normandy campaign. The only one to make to Cologne in September 1944 was Tiger 132. I have these decals as well which I got from the Top colors series on the Tiger Tank.

If any of you guys have any additional comments you can add about this tank please feel free to contribute.

Some pictures below. I can also reference some photos of this tank in my book Tigers on the Western Front.

Started work on the mantlet. I did not add zimm to the top of the mantlet but realized afterward these parts do have zimm on them. I will add a thin coat and re-prime. I also added the recessed screws to the gun collar using a pin vise.