Hello.
On my workbench: AFV Club Tiger I Late, with transport tracks.
It's my first Tiger I build after the 2 Fehrmann Tigers from RFM.
It actually is a very nice kit, clean moldings and detail is ok.
I bought Zimmerit from ATAK for the kit,vwhich is a real treat, it looks very good.
Decal options however are a little bit disappointing. So I dugout a Star Decal sheet for Befehlspanzer and found out Tiger 009 of the SS Pz.Abt 101 was an option.

So I have some questions:
1. Equipment and the layout?
2. Antennas and layout?
3. Jack on the back, yes or no?
4. What is the tube attached to the back on the right side?

Star Decals - 35-C1063

Not the best screen shot to identify the tube on the right side.
I also see no Jack. Was it replaced, or did the tank have no Jack at all?
Screen shot from Tigers in Combat II, page 375, Tiger 009, July 1944

Nice picture, but doesn't show much detail of equipment.
Camo scheme is a real challenge, (will need some advise for that one).
So help is needed to build a correct Befehlspanzer.
Photos from the build will follow later today.

Thanks for looking in,

Robert Jan

Some photos I made just now, to show where I am with this project
The Box and kit components I'm working on...

Zimmerit applied on turret and back of the Tiger

Roof of the turret. I used RFM visors from the spares box for the cupola.

Front armor, Zimmerit is still dry fit.

Gun and rear view of the turret

Tracks need no further introduction, great stuff

One of the mantlet's that come with the Zimmerit set

Exhaust shields, and also mudguards used are from an Aber set I had on hand


I cut of the molded detail for the clamps and filled the holes. PE clamps will be used, left overs from RFM Fehrmann's Tigers.
Except for the Fire Extinguisher, no equipment is installed yet.
Advise, as mentioned above, is very welcome.

Hope you all like it, until next time.

Robert Jan

OK, I have not looked closely at 009, but there are only 4 photos claimed to show it, and they're not as useful as I'd like. Nevertheless I will take a look and get back to you.

Off the top of my head I can tell you the differences between a standard Tiger and a Befehlstiger such as 009 :

1. It had no MG in the mantlet. The hole for the MG was sealed up and invisible under the Zimmerit.

2. It had a 2 meter Fu5 antenna on the turret roof.

3. It had two tiny supports for the Mast Antenna, on the right hull side.

4. It had a tiny chimney for its generator, on the right hull roof.

5. The standard antenna base on the hull roof was "mirrored" onto the left side.

6. In the position where a normal Tiger would have its antenna, these tanks had the Fu8 "pot" containing a ceramic insulator. It was sunken flush into the roof.

7. On the rear hull wall, a long tube was fixed at the left side, to hold the extra antennas.

And then we have a question I've not answered yet, if I can answer it at all:
Did 009 have a heater port for its engine?

Because if the answer is "yes", then:

8. All of the equipment on the rear wall is "mirrored" to the opposite side.

I hope that is helpful.

David

Hello David.
For sure this information is helpful. I must admit that I need to study on some answers as I do not understand everything.
For the 6 point star antenna I remember a way of mounting with clips on the back of Panthers. Saw that in a build log from David Coyne if I'm correct. Will check that.
The chimney, well I don't know what that should look like. Will look out for that.
Tube for the antenna material on the back is now cleared for me. I have some spares from RFM. Little brackets on the tube guide for correct mounting the device. However, the Star Decal sheet shows the tube mounted the other way, which in that case would interfere with the Jack. No Brainer I guess.
Will go for some searching on my Laptop, see what photo material I collected is helpful.
Thanks again, appreciated.

Kind regards,

Robert Jan

Yes, that was Point 8. I don't yet know which side 009's jack was on.

I do have a page about the chimney:

http://tiger1.info/EN/Chimney-of-generator.html

David

Guess what.
I found AFV Club Tribute Kit Michael Wittmann. Tools, in this case the Jack is mounted mirrored and the tube is on the right side, like on the Star Decal sheet. That might answer one of the questions from the list in earlier post above.
It has 3 antennas. On the normal turret location you see the 2 meter. On both sides of the hull the other 2. Right side 6 point star antenna, left side a similar antenna like on the turret.
Wittmanns 007 is a late Tiger, just like 008 & 009.
Anyone out there with the instruction manual for this Kit:
Tiger I Late Version
Michael Wittmann Special
1:35 AFV Club Kit No. AF 35S27

Would be of great help depicting locations for the tools and other details.

Kind regards,

Robert Jan

There were arguments in TIIF.DE about these three Tigers. Some people made a good case that one of the Tigers was a "mid".

But we have two good photos of 009 and it's a "late" so that should not concern you.

We do *not* know what radio sets it had, so you might be safest leaving off the hull antenna rods. See:

http://tiger1.info/EN/Command-antennas.html

And, another thing that could cause you problems: the kit apparently builds the final version of Tiger, from the end of the "late" period, but these Tigers should be from around the beginning of the Late period. So, any changes made during that period, you might want to undo.

I'll take a good look at the photos and get back to you, but I did a study of "007" a few years ago and it definitely was an earlier version than that kit.

"007" had a heater port and so all of its rear tools were "mirrored", e.g. the jack was on the left side. Here it is:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DV4EJ3-XkAAX13j.jpg

David

A great help so far. Lots of questions answered already.
Thanks in Advance.

Kind regards,

Robert Jan

I took a look as issuance dates.

This unit received its last lot of Tigers in April 1944. Tiger 009 would have been finished in March or April.

That's a problem for your kit, because the kit has some "final" features that didn't exist in April. Namely:

The three little cylinders on the turret roof.
The three drainage slots in the cupola (very shallow in AFV's kit).

It also has some features that might or might not have been in 009. Namely:

The smaller muzzle brake.
The mantlet with only one telescope hole.

We can see that 007 had the large muzzle brake, and so did another Late Tiger that could be 008 or 009. So it seems guaranteed that 009 had the brake type that's not in the kit.

David

Thanks David.
I was wondering already what those little tubes were on the turret roof. Mantlet is a small correction. To replace would cause a lot of damage to the current building stage of the turret.
Will make a photo of some other details I can not identify on the hull sides.

Kind regards,

Robert Jan

Here's some photos of a Dragon Command Tiger. Of interest to you are:

- antenna on turret roof
- "pot" antenna on right side
- small extra parts on right hull side.

http://dragon-models.com/d-m-item.asp?pid=DRA6730

David

You were asking about the instruction manual for the "Michael Wittmann Special".

It's online here; https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10045330

Surprisingly, it doesn't make all of the necessary changes for the "command" version, although it does call out most of them.

It has the antenna base on the turret roof, but it makes no effort to close the MG hole in the mantlet. Shouldn't be a real problem, though, because Zimmerit will cover whatever you do there.

It shows you how to arrange the rear wall for 007 or 009 (see section 9b). But the extra antenna tube is a resin part that's included in the Wittman kit and not in your kit.

It shows you where to put the tiny extra parts on the right hull side. Apparently you do have them on your sprues. That's a win.

It tells you to assemble the antenna "pot" for the right hull side. But I don't understand the instructions here; I don't see an effort to cut the necessary large hole and sink that pot into the roof.

The kit says nothing about the antenna base for the left hull side, but you should have that part since you have two "B" sprues, so just "mirror" the usual right side position.

David

Thanks again David.
I'm busy with my work and I only read, don't build. I leave that for the weekend.

Kind regards,

Robert Jan

Thanks to you, I've started writing a list of "tweaks" and comments about this kit. You may want to keep an eye on it;

http://tiger1.info/models/products-page/AFV35S25

David

It takes Two to Tango.
I found some time to get to the bench and drilled a hole for the isolator pot.
Filled the MG hole and added a hole on the other side to make it a binocular sight again.
Have been looking for a nice Jack and its brackets.
The little brackets on the right side hull, are these for mounting the extended 6 point star antenna. The devise has some 4 tubes / extensions. The antenna in that case is besides the Tiger. I saw that with the Panther thread on Track-Link..
Will check for the drawing tonight.
Photos of my building process will follow over the coming weekend I hope.

Kind regards,

Robert Jan

The two items on the hull side are for the "mast" antenna, a very tall antenna that was broken down into 3 parts and stored inside the tank.
The Fu8 "star" antenna would go in the pot.

On this page (about a different kit), I discuss these items:

http://tiger1.info/EN/RM5008-befehlstiger.html

David

It is the same subject we are talking about. Antennas for a Sd.Kfz.267 / Sd.Kfz.268.
Drawing comes from PT.

And the other one


Makes sense to me the Tigers also had this feature.

RJ

Well I did not see your post about the "Mast Antenna". Makes 4 different antenna options?

RJ

Well, the tank could be configured in these ways;

Fu7 radio, antenna on left side
Fu8 radio, "star" antenna on right side
Fu8 radio, "star" antenna on top of mast

And in all cases there's the Fu5 in the turret with its own antenna.

I don't know where you'd get an aftermarket "mast" antenna. No Tiger kit provides it.

David

That would be a scratch build if I want a Mast Antenna. Think PT gives the length of the sections / extensions.

RJ

None of the photos give me a clue about what kind of radio was in 009.

David

Almost a week ago I ordered this set from Aber.

Together with some other fuzzy stuff to tune the planned builds for this year.
Looks promising with 3 different aerials.

Kind regards,

RJ

I have got some work done today, besides a good house cleaning I managed to get the Jack, exhaust shields, star antenna storage tube and the hole for ceramic pot done.
Also made a 2 meter antenna with a tiny etch work butterfly & RB 2 meter antenna rod. I can not get that sharp for a detail picture, so show that later.
Some photos...




It's a mix of AFV Club & RFM. Jack comes from AFV Club, detail is very good. The handle is replaced by RFM, because it had a clasp. Tube needs some brackets and the exhaust shield some bolt detail.

Reason why I am building this Tiger I, (it will be a Befehlswagen Sd.Ffz.267 / Sd.Kfz.268), it was one of the 3 attached to SS.Pz. Abt.101.
I need a test bed for what I'm gonna build for the Building a Photo Campaign.
Means a 3 color camouflage I never did. Use of PE clasps to hold pioneer tools(Jack excluded) and weathering techniques.
I am building this one as a side project with some other campaign builds.
Planning my builds, I never did that, but will be a must to get the finish lines for the projects running.

More to come later.

Robert Jan