I know the subject has been discussed before, but maybe not with the most recent crop of kits available today. Which kit could I use to build the Tiger 1 'Tiki'? I know that the Ryefield 5003 is an early Tiger, but I don't know if it has the Feifel air filters that I believe Tiki had. Anybody have any thoughts on the best current 1/35 kit to build Tiki? I love the camo scheme of that tank!

Maybe try the RFM kit RM-5001?

Can't comment on which kit is best suited, but I do know that you get Feifels in all of Rye Fields Tiger kits. Both the early and late style of can. The parts are on one of the basic sprues included with every kit, if memory serves (I'm away from my stash, but sprue shots should be easy to find).

Arild

Your big problem with "Tiki" will be the 1.4 meter wide turret bin. Rye Field have a similar bin but theirs is noticably too narrow. Dragon have a bin of the correct width in their 6608. You will need to replace its 2 latches with 4 latches (they're not very good anyway) and you will need to make curved cutouts on each side of the bin, because Das Reich (and nobody else) made cutouts in their too-wide turret bins.

There must be an aftermarket bin that would suit you but I don't know it offhand.

Your next problem will be the mantlet. It has the thick area at the eye holes, but more than that, it has a whole thick portion at its outer left side. Nobody makes that mantlet in plastic but I'm sure it's available in aftermarket.

Apart from those two things, you can build Tiki from Dragon's 6820 with just a few little modifications (plus decals).

Revell have announced a "Tiki" kit for release in August. It's actually the old Zvezda Tiger and should be avoided.

And remember, as soon as you have finished your Tiki conversion, somebody will release a dedicated Tiki kit!

Seriously.

David

Heck no, that won't do it. You need the standard side skirts and the S-mine gear.

David

David, so you think a Dragon 6820 kit with larger turret bin and different mantlet would be the way to go to model Tiki? I understand the 'cutouts' on the bin, but can you explain the 4 versus 2 latches in more detail, please? Thank you!

6820 is the closest and best-quality kit for Tiki. You could use the Tamiya or even the Zvezda as starting points also but they're less precise.

The African "wide" turret bins had 2 latches but the ones sent to Europe had 4. Here's an example.



These 4 latches are not the same as the ones on the later "standard" bin; see
http://www.network54.com/Forum/47207/thread/1499323563/last-1499414602/View+Thread

The turret bin was not precisely centered, it was a little to the left of center. Thanks to the cutouts, there was almost no gap between the bin and the turret wall.

David

David,

Would this mantlet (posted on eBay) be adequate for 'Tiki' if placed on a Dragon 6820?

https://www.ebay.com/p/1-35-Panzer-Art-35165-Strengthen-Mantlet-With-Cast-Mark-for-Tiger-I/1701746684

Looks good to me!



David

You seem to be serious about this, so I looked at how TIKI differs from normal:

The mantlet

The front road wheels are omitted as usual

Sometimes it has spare trackss on the lower hull front

The sprocket is the domed type

Turret bin with cutouts

The exhausts have no deflectors on top

The exhaust cap hinges are on the outer side

The welded mounts for exhaust shields are present but the shields are not

The smoke launchers eventually were cut off

The jack handle stored on glacis in the shovel brackets, not the back wall

There was a 5-part gun cleaning rod with the holders unusually far apart

Forged loader's hatch

The S mine launchers were apparently not installed

Any questions?

David

David,

Many, many thanks! I have just ONE last question... I looked up the reference to the forged versus welded loader's hatch, and while I did note your reference to there being a difference (in many old posts on Armorama), and that you stated in those older posts that a Tiger kit should contain both a welded and forged hatch, I did not find which hatch was which. Can you tell me how I can tell a forged hatch from a welded one? I think I understand all your other references, kind sir!

It's difficult to find photos of Tiger hatches so I will post models. Amazingly, the world is full of Tiger loader's hatches that look wrong or belong on a Tiger B, but these ones hit the spot:


the forged hatch has nice rounded corners on the raised portion



the welded hatch is flat out to nearly the edge, where there is a step filled with weld:



And this is independent of whether the hatch has long hinges and/or a centered handle.

David

Fantastic, David! Thank you...I think I have all I need to get a model ready to make 'Tiki'!!

Hi, I wonder if you got started, because now there is an announcement of a dedicated Dragon kit for Tiki.

David

Awww poo! I’ve been tied up with other tanks and haven’t gotten started with my own personal Tiki, and now everyone can make one! I wish I had gotten a jump on my own Tiki, but I’ll probably still use my own version rather than buy their ‘prefab’ version. Thanks for the heads up, David!

Well, the decals in this one should be the best "Tiki" decals available.
Just saying!


David

Understood David. We will see...I’m not saying never 😊😊

David Byrden: I see that Dragon released the new TIKI, kit 6885, in late November. Now departing if I should keep the two other early DML Tigers that I got, the 6820 and 6608, and get the new, dedicated TIKI, or go the route that I had planned on, modifying 6820 to make TIKI, as I have TIKI decals. I so very much appreciate all your help and guidance as I was trying to piece together a TIKI before the new Dragon release. Do you have any thoughts on which way to go? I already have at last 6 Tiger I models, as yet unbuilt, not even considering the new TIKI. Not sure which way to go.

By the way, David, Happy Holidays to you and yours!

The new TIKI kit 6885 contains the special turret bin, the special mantlet, and the 5 part gun cleaning rod. You would have to obtain or make all of those if converting 6820. They're available in aftermarket.

Apart from those new parts, they're practically the same kit. Can't tell you what to do, it's your money!

Thank you and a happy new year.

David

David Byrden is the man to ask, he is a walking Tiger I encyclopedia.
PS-maybe I should of read the whole thread as I see David has responded.
Wow, I never knew Dragon released a Tiki version. Cool.

Just to add: there's a couple of conversions that can made from this 'Tiki' kit. Thanks to David for this.