Well my E100 production is in full swing. Everything is now in place. With forum members donating IR gear, my 128 mm barrel showing up from Roll Models, acquisition of a donor kit for Panther cupola and sundries...I had planned on utilising the E100 kit's turret...I originally had an issue with it, the turret that came with the kit was warped. A forum memeber donated his spare E100 turret, but in the mean time Dragon sent me a Henschel King Tiger turret shell. I was back and forth, wanting to do something original but not wanting to inject too much money on top of what I had spent for the kit and barrel. I came across a very reasonable Panther kit from which I could garner detail bit missing from the King Tiger turret that Dragon sent as replacement. It was then that I decided to bite the bullet and use if for my E100 and to create an "Ausf B" E100.

First I widened the entire King Tiger turret by cutting it down the middle and splicing in a 7mm section. I then researched the armor thickness that was called out for the original turret of the E100 and found that the King Tiger's turret was lacking in all areas. So in order to simulate a much thicker overall armor (sides of the E100's turret [data from MAUS turret] were upwards of 200 mm! King Tigers are only 80 mm), I calculated the scale thickness and started scabbing on styrene, even simulating the interlocking armor where the rear turret face mates with the sides (the front plate butt joins to the side so as to not reveal a potentially weak join on the front face--less critical in the rear). The initial appearnace of my King MAUS 100 turret is that of a very beefy King Tiger turret. I've utilised the E100's mantlet, giving it a thicker armor appearance. I've also used the E100's front turret face as that is the correct diameter for the manlet to mate to and rotate around.

I'm hoping to get a digital camera in the next few weeks so as to document this, though by then I may be so far along that what I've done is a little more difficult to see. This is a design project challange in order to create something that is original, though appropriate looking. I'm trying to avoid the look that I meerly dropped a King Tiger turret onto a E100 hull. With that being the goal, I still have a ways to go. But the addition of the cupola and details from the E100 turret will begin to move it visually away from the King Tiger. The IR gear should help as well. Hopefully I can post a few images in the next few weeks.

And here they are:













Now I desperately want suggestions! I will be adding the IR gear, the turret mounted set, MG mounted set, and driver periscope set. I won't change anything fundamental with these as seen say on DML's Panther G as it was an emerging technology and I like the way it looks "non-integrated". But what else does it need? Any suggestions are welcome.

That is going to look SICK when its done!

Are you adding a full compliment of IR gear (commander & driver) or what? Very exciting!

Mike Awesome e100.Are you using a 88 for the secondary armament ?

willl look good once its ove,r jsut dont forget to take of the tape

Frank

I'd just go with one main gun. I'd also add an ir search light like the M-60 series but looking more WWII german. A vehicle this big should be able to carry one. Also another hatch in th eroof for the loader. Also what is the little round hatch on the right rear?

I'm trying to stay somewhat true to the E100 concept, so even though it defies logic, I went with the high caliber co-ax. I will be adding the IR gear, essentially everything off of the Night Fighting Panther. You see the little round hatch in King Tigers. What its purpose is I'm not 100%, but I figured it's about the right diameter for a 128mm shell casing, so the idea was that spent brass could be chucked out the small hatch during combat to avoid these big casings rattling around on the floor of the turret.

I was thinking along the line of the Panther being '44-'45 equipment development and the E100 being '45-'46 equipment. So a search light on the tank would do away with the supporting half track search light. I thing trying to chuck empty shell cases out the top of the roof would be allot of work. I'd move it to the rear escape hatch and use the interior space for ammo storage. Just my thoughts.

SB

Hi Mike, look very impressive, keep it up, what color scheme do you have in mind?

Nice work on the turret!
Very impressive.
Keep us posted!

Did some work last night moving the "spent shell" hatch per salt's suggestion to the large rear hatch. I'm also working on adding a hatch for the gunner. Wondering out loud about a MG for the gunner too....just a thought.

Had a question, who knows what the purpose is of the large shrouds that cover the exhausts in late model Panthers? Are they exhaust supressors, to reduce the exhaust flame signature (like on WWII night fighters)?




I'm thinking of adding that kit as well.

Haven't decided what scheme to paint it either, though there are a number I like, just not sure they would be appropriate. I have some time to decide.

I think they are flame dampers but I still like that idea.

SB

Any updates?

Just picked up another E-100 to do the stug proposal.

SB

I rearragned the turret adding a loader's hatch and moving the qustionable hatch to the main rear hatch. I've fiddled around with a large IR spot light but I just don't like the looks as it begins to look too modern, not the '45-'46 look I'm after if that makes sense. I just need to resolve this aspect of the design. In the mean time I've shot the whole thing with primer, just haven't taken any pictures yet.

Hi Mike, this is looking pretty cool! Nice work on the turret thus far. It might be a little late since you've already shot some primer on your creation but having just seen the pics I did have one suggestion. On both late Panthers & Tiger II's the Germans had done away with the MG rail on the commanders cupola and gone to a pintle mount for it. (I believe that's the correct term) It might be something to think about. Also, the shrouds on the exhaust of late Panthers were flame dampers as Salt6 said. Oh, and I thought you might enjoy this if you haven't seen it already. You're not the first to come up with the E100 ausf B idea, check out this link: E100 ausf B

Keep the pics coming!
Mike

Hey Mike,

Got any pictures of said pintle mount? I am using a Panther G for sundries like cupolas and that's its rail mount I've used. I've seen that Ausf B E100 and that certainly has been the inspiration. Now I only have to shore up some details and...decide on a camo scheme. That'll be the hardest thing for me. That and resolving the IR spot light.

Also to add. Anyone know what the blister is on the side of the turret in the E100 Ausf B photos (its the blister on the foreward part of the side of the turret, not the cupola blister)? I've also seen it either on Panther F or Panther II. Any ideas?

The protrusions are for the coincidence range finder like on the Patton series of tanks.

SB

that was a real tank?????
Ron

Mike, I just checked one of my refs, and it is more correctly called a post mount. On late Tiger II's and Panther's a short tube was welded to the left front periscope cover on the commanders cupola as a base for the swiveling anti-aircraft mg. Sorry no pic.


Again Salt6 is right, they were for a range finder that was supposed to enter production, again on the Tiger II, in July '45, and also the Panther F when it entered production. I didn't even think about it til I saw your question above but the E100 almost assuredly would have had one of these also.

Cheers,
Mike

The post mount shouldn't be too hard to duplicate I don't think. Does anyone have any images, close up preferably, of the coincidence range finders being discussed here? I've gone ahead and started creating something that should duplicate it but I'd like a reference to fall back on. Any ideas how it functioned? Presumably the range finders could swivel up and down in those blisters to conincide with the movement (up and down) of the main gun or am I missing it alltogether?

Tiger II range finder info here.



SB

Damn you Armorama!! Now I have to move my range finder blisters having seen the perfect cutaway showing their fucntion via Salt's link. Stupid things were too far forward on the turret and would have conincided where the gun was. Oh well, lance...sand...reglue! Though they now look right. Before it wasn't working too well at the forward end of the turret. Thanks Salt!

looking good so far!very different looking subject!

That is one Son Of a Monster!
Looking good . Can't wait to see more

Very nice work untill now Mike..thank´s for sharing

Not so much an update as another trawl for opinion. Actually the digital camera should be here this weekend so I then can post regular image updates (and perhaps that will motivate me to finish sooner rather than later).

After some agonizing, I decided to remove the 75mm coax. The deed is done and I think the design now looks less caricature-ish. A couple of questions. With the '45-'46 condindence range finder, would there still be a optical site in the gun mantlet? Secondly, would it be unusual to mount a coax MG below the optical site in said mantlet or would potential firings of the MG deem that impractical (muzzle flash, etc.)?

I was well underway for placing the coindicen range finder on the turret side, even moved them after new info came about...but then the cats lost one of the pieces I was using...so now I have to come up with something else to use to create the range finder blisters that will be symmetrical side to side (started to use bondo/filler but decided it would be too difficult to create something in 1/35 that was at least visually symmetrical when you consider these are pretty small blobs). Had sourced two bits out of the parts bin that would have worked a dream...just that one came up missing after a cat tornado...not the cat's fault, my fault for not strapping everything down, cats will be cats!