Adam Mann shares with us a video review of the Rye Field Model Bergepanzer Tiger I in 1/35th scale.


Link to Item

If you have comments or questions please post them here.

Thanks!

At the start of the video you say that Dragon "have Dave Byrden on staff".

I want to make clear that, for personal reasons, I have been unable to collaborate with Dragon for much of this year, and as a result, I had no involvement with their kit "Bergepanzer Tiger" which was in fact a complete surprise to me.

David

Pictures on Missing Lynx show Zim on the hull and the gunner's side of the turret , the rest of the turret looks bare ( Zim flaked off ? ) . There are only about 10 photos of the thing , and they seem to be taken at different times . Various things vanish in the later photos , like a headlight on the hull by the drivers hatch , the pipe on the hull side and the sheet metal exhaust covers , as well the side skirts get banged up by somebody at sometime . As the pictures aren't very clear RYE & Dragon would have to guess at some details . Still a neat looking kit , I'll have to get one

That's very true. There are 14 distinct photographs of this vehicle (two of them from when it was a normal Tiger) but none of them show the crane assembled, or even all the parts of the crane. The model kit companies have to speculate about what the crane parts looked like, and even the possible ways that it assembled.

As for the underlying Tiger, we know its version and features quite well. Unfortunately, both of the new model kits make mistakes here.

The Zimmerit was almost entirely gone from the turret, except for the front left side, and a little bit at the front right. The mantlet retained its Zimmerit. There were clear signs of impacts and a fire, and this would have happened before the vehicle was turned into a "Bergetiger", in fact this damage would be the reason why this Tiger was no longer useful as a battle tank.

David

I will not buy Dragon kits any more. The price of latest and re released kit of Dragon model is up to 70~80 US dollars in my country. And the quality of kit is more and more going off. Thanks for nice review. I ordered this kit today.

Looking at the picture on ML with the US halftrack in the fore ground , I wonder if the poles on the nose are 2 parts for the boom for the crane ? ( sort of stick them together like a fishing pole ? ) There also seems to be a pulley stuck in behind them . I don't think they are tow bars like we see on modern AFVs . This vehicle is a real head scratcher

goldnova72- Check the Tamiya famo tank recovery accessory kit instruction. Then you could find the purpose of two tow bar.

This is a definitely BERGETIGER

David I actually knew you had nothing to do with the Dragon kit when I recorded this, I wish I'd have said that differently. My point was to say exactly what you're saying which is that they also are making the same mistakes despite having had you accessible on previous kits.

There are a few issues, but the workable tracks are really nice. This bergepnazer tiger might be a good diorama piece.

this crane version is so good.

But was it the prototype of modern AFV's?

Oh, Biggles! :hit canned laugh track:

OK ,the Famo did have tow bars . Learn something everyday . Remembering it is another story