I am wondering weather I have to use any of the stowage box options that come with the Early Tiger from DML. I like neither and would preferr to build the turret without those boxes. Would that be accurate for a Tiger on the Eastern front or North Africa?
Thank you in Advance.
Frank Blanton

I have never actually seen one that went without the stowage bin...on either front...

RC

i take that back....You may actually be able to do it... I just went through a book about the Tiger I on the Eastern Front and it looked as if the tank had neither type of bin. It is hard to tell, but it appears as if there is no bin at all. The tank is of the 502 and is # 100 at Fallingbostel. It has just a plain white Balkenkruz on the side, in thw middle, just above what would be the second road wheel from the idler wheel, just a little off centered moving towards the third road wheel. However, it was fitted with transport tracks, just like a similar # 112.
I hope that this helps you out. Both those tanks are pretty much like the one in the DML box, but I honestly don't know if you can actually make them without the stowage bins because the photos in these books that I have are of course black and white and a little fuzzy and there are some distorting shawdows in there that would indicate that there may have been stowage bins, at least with # 112.

RC

The Dragon 3-1 kit represents an initial run tiger. 20 were built and they all served in Russia. The turret bins hadn't been refined as of yet. Could you build it without them? Yes if you wanted too I guess you could. I would try and do some research first for markings. The 100 tank is very famous with the side bins. I'm sure you could find one without.

Tiger production had 4 Phases
Initial Russian Front only 20

Early Russia and Africa (with modifications)

Mid East and western fronts Africa was lost by then

Late Eastern and western fronts

Thanks Guy's. I really apprieciate the help. I just do not like them bins on a Tiger I.
Cheers,
Frank [ ]

Hi Scott just had to correct something you said ...There were more Initials than that ..501 were intials as well in the Tunisian campaign ,only by that time the tracks had changed and were no longer mirror image tracks ..Of course the 501 added the side fenders and had the air cleaners added but what makes the initial different from the early Tiger is the escape hatch on turret side which was on turret # 46.. This was introduced in December of 42.. They do say that the first 20 had the mirror tracks but I have pictures of number 250012 which no longer has these tracks before being deployed to the 501st ..
Frank here is a drawing of a 502 tank with no stowage box at all...but be careful as the stowage is different on this one compared to what Dragon gives you in the box...



Rick

Your question has already been anwsered but you may like to have this link.....if you need any info on the Tiger, you should visit it.

http://www.alanhamby.com/tiger.html

Martin

Richard your somewhat correct. If you check the production chart you will see that V2 (Version 2) production began after October 42. Only 20 or so were produced in V1. The Africa Tunisian Tigers had Fiefel air cleaners of V2 and the track changes. The DML kit represents the V1 which was a test bed so to speak for the whole Tiger line. Small changes were made at first and larger ones in time.

Here is the production run chart http://www.alanhamby.com/technical.html

Well Scott I think we are splitting hairs here...I'm sure that no where on the production line did the Germans say hey this is no longer an Initial Tiger..let's call it an early ! :-) I always consider the small front fenders and two pistol ports on the turret as the fundamental differences between the Initial and early production..Each tiger was a bit different one from the next in tool stowage and other little details on the first batch of tigers. So where do you draw the line...I'd have to say that the Dragon kit as it comes in the box can really only be built as one of the first 11 tanks made,just because of the tracks and that starting at 250012 they were modified for the desert campaign..

Rick

Agreed Richard. That was the point of my original post. That the Dragon kit had its limitations for where it was used. Thats all. No big deal ........ Information is always welcome here. Thanks for responding.