In Box Review of Italaerei 1/35th Scale
Tiger (P) Elefant
Kit no. 211
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 1973
Out of production
The 1980 re-boxing, with a different box art, but with the same kit no. is available at 3 locations overseas on the web.
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 1973
Out of production
The 1980 re-boxing, with a different box art, but with the same kit no. is available at 3 locations overseas on the web.
HISTORY:
The Elefant (German for "elephant") was a heavy tank destroyer used by German Wehrmacht Panzerjäger during World War II. Ninety-one units were built in 1943 under the name Ferdinand, after its designer Ferdinand Porsche, using tank hulls produced for the Tiger I tank design abandoned in favour of a Henschel design.
In January to April 1944, Ferdinands received modifications and upgrades. They were renamed Elefant in May 1944. The official German designation was Panzerjäger Tiger (P) and the ordnance inventory designation was Sd.Kfz. 184.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Type: Heavy tank destroyer
Place of origin: Nazi Germany
Designer: Ferdinand Porsche
Designed: 1942–1943
Manufacturer: Nibelungenwerk
Produced: March–May 1943
(substantial upgrades in January to April 1944)
No. built: 91
Mass: 65 tonnes (143,000 lb)
Length: 8.14 m (26 ft 8 in) with gun
Width: 3.38 m (11 ft 1 in)
Height: 2.97 m (9 ft 9 in)
Crew: 6 (driver, radio-operator, commander, gunner, two loaders)
Armor: 200 mm (7.87 in) maximum
Main armament: 8.8 cm Pak 43/2 L/71, also known as StuK 43/1
Secondary armament: 7.92 mm MG34 machine gun (Elefant only)
Engine: 2 × Maybach HL 120 TRM petrol of 600 PS (592 hp, 442 kW)
Power/weight: 9.2 PS (6.8 kW) / tonne
Suspension: longitudinal torsion-bar
Fuel capacity: 950 liters
Operational range: 150 km (93 mi) road, 90 km (56 mi) cross-country
Maximum speed: 30 kilometres per hour (19 mph)
The Elefant (German for "elephant") was a heavy tank destroyer used by German Wehrmacht Panzerjäger during World War II. Ninety-one units were built in 1943 under the name Ferdinand, after its designer Ferdinand Porsche, using tank hulls produced for the Tiger I tank design abandoned in favour of a Henschel design.
In January to April 1944, Ferdinands received modifications and upgrades. They were renamed Elefant in May 1944. The official German designation was Panzerjäger Tiger (P) and the ordnance inventory designation was Sd.Kfz. 184.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Type: Heavy tank destroyer
Place of origin: Nazi Germany
Designer: Ferdinand Porsche
Designed: 1942–1943
Manufacturer: Nibelungenwerk
Produced: March–May 1943
(substantial upgrades in January to April 1944)
No. built: 91
Mass: 65 tonnes (143,000 lb)
Length: 8.14 m (26 ft 8 in) with gun
Width: 3.38 m (11 ft 1 in)
Height: 2.97 m (9 ft 9 in)
Crew: 6 (driver, radio-operator, commander, gunner, two loaders)
Armor: 200 mm (7.87 in) maximum
Main armament: 8.8 cm Pak 43/2 L/71, also known as StuK 43/1
Secondary armament: 7.92 mm MG34 machine gun (Elefant only)
Engine: 2 × Maybach HL 120 TRM petrol of 600 PS (592 hp, 442 kW)
Power/weight: 9.2 PS (6.8 kW) / tonne
Suspension: longitudinal torsion-bar
Fuel capacity: 950 liters
Operational range: 150 km (93 mi) road, 90 km (56 mi) cross-country
Maximum speed: 30 kilometres per hour (19 mph)
THE KIT:
Italeri (spelled ITALAEREI back when this kit was released) is an old prolific model company based in Italy. They manufacture all manner of model subjects in the popular scales.
This kit came in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The box art shows a color illustration of a Tiger (P) Elefant posed against an all-white background. Similar to how Tamiya brand also does the majority of their box arts.
It is in a base of earth-yellow with dark green spot camouflage. It has a black German cross outlined in white on the sides of the fighting-compartment. There is a yellow shield with black tank silhouette on it on the right side of the front of the fighting compartment.
The tank commander is looking out of the top hatch. He wears a field-gray uniform with a white collar and a black side cap. He has earphones on.
One side-panel of the box gives a small color repeat of the cover art, followed by the history of the Elefant.
Italeri (spelled ITALAEREI back when this kit was released) is an old prolific model company based in Italy. They manufacture all manner of model subjects in the popular scales.
This kit came in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The box art shows a color illustration of a Tiger (P) Elefant posed against an all-white background. Similar to how Tamiya brand also does the majority of their box arts.
It is in a base of earth-yellow with dark green spot camouflage. It has a black German cross outlined in white on the sides of the fighting-compartment. There is a yellow shield with black tank silhouette on it on the right side of the front of the fighting compartment.
The tank commander is looking out of the top hatch. He wears a field-gray uniform with a white collar and a black side cap. He has earphones on.
One side-panel of the box gives a small color repeat of the cover art, followed by the history of the Elefant.
The other side panel shows 5 color box arts of other AFV kits that Italeri manufactures: a Pz.Kpfw. IV German tank, a Marder III German Self-propelled Gun, a M13/40 Italian Tank, a Hetzer German Tank Destroyer and a M40-75/18 Italian Self-propelled Gun.
No kit numbers are provided for these kits. I assume they are all to 1/35th scale.
No kit numbers are provided for these kits. I assume they are all to 1/35th scale.
WHAT’S IN THE BOX:
The kit holds 2 tan trees, a tan hull tub and fighting compartment roof, 2 trees of steel-colored vinyl tracks and the decal sheet, in a single large sealed clear cello bag.
The instructions consist of a single-sheet that accordion-folds out into 8 pages in 6 ½” x 13” page format.
Page 1 begins with a black and white photo of the model made up, with the crew figures around it. It is in the box art scheme but shows only a red number 50 outlined in white on the fighting compartment sides and no German crosses. It is on a grassy diorama base.
It says this is a reproduction of the Elefant in the Aberdeen Museum, over the history of the tank and the history of the tank is given in Italian and English.
Page 2 has RECOMMENDATIONS about the kit, down the left side in 4 languages, including English.
The rest of the page shows the parts-trees illustrations.
Trees are not alphabetized. They do, however, have part number tabs next to the parts on the trees.
Pages 3 & 4 give a grand total of 3 very busy assembly steps.
The bottom of page 4 has 2 black and white photos of the model made up on it. It is overall earth-yellow with red number 114 on the sides of the fighting-compartment and no German crosses.
Pages 6 & 7 are painting and marking guides. Spread across the two pages there are three 4-views of schemes.
The first one is the cover art scheme.
The second one is in a base of earth-yellow with narrow green stripes camouflage.
The third one also is in a base of earth-yellow, but it has a wide green stripe camouflage.
On all 3 tanks you are told to put your choice of a number on the sides of the fighting compartment from all the red numbers on the decal sheet and your choice of a tactical or unit marking too.
Page 8 begins with showing possible number combinations and what unit they would represent. In 4 languages, including English.
Assembly of the crew figures and painting instructions for them is shown.
The bottom of the page has the history of the tank in French and German.
One large tan tree holds: the crew figures, hull driver's and co driver's roof, fenders, jack, machine-gun etc. (56 parts)
The kit holds 2 tan trees, a tan hull tub and fighting compartment roof, 2 trees of steel-colored vinyl tracks and the decal sheet, in a single large sealed clear cello bag.
The instructions consist of a single-sheet that accordion-folds out into 8 pages in 6 ½” x 13” page format.
Page 1 begins with a black and white photo of the model made up, with the crew figures around it. It is in the box art scheme but shows only a red number 50 outlined in white on the fighting compartment sides and no German crosses. It is on a grassy diorama base.
It says this is a reproduction of the Elefant in the Aberdeen Museum, over the history of the tank and the history of the tank is given in Italian and English.
Page 2 has RECOMMENDATIONS about the kit, down the left side in 4 languages, including English.
The rest of the page shows the parts-trees illustrations.
Trees are not alphabetized. They do, however, have part number tabs next to the parts on the trees.
Pages 3 & 4 give a grand total of 3 very busy assembly steps.
The bottom of page 4 has 2 black and white photos of the model made up on it. It is overall earth-yellow with red number 114 on the sides of the fighting-compartment and no German crosses.
Pages 6 & 7 are painting and marking guides. Spread across the two pages there are three 4-views of schemes.
The first one is the cover art scheme.
The second one is in a base of earth-yellow with narrow green stripes camouflage.
The third one also is in a base of earth-yellow, but it has a wide green stripe camouflage.
On all 3 tanks you are told to put your choice of a number on the sides of the fighting compartment from all the red numbers on the decal sheet and your choice of a tactical or unit marking too.
Page 8 begins with showing possible number combinations and what unit they would represent. In 4 languages, including English.
Assembly of the crew figures and painting instructions for them is shown.
The bottom of the page has the history of the tank in French and German.
One large tan tree holds: the crew figures, hull driver's and co driver's roof, fenders, jack, machine-gun etc. (56 parts)
The second large tan tree holds: road wheels, drive sprockets, idler wheels, return rollers, bogies, main gun barrel etc. (175 parts)
There are 2 identical trees of steel colored vinyl rubber-band type tracks. They hold two long runs and a short spare runs each.
The tan hull tub and casemate fighting-compartment parts are next (2 parts)
The decal sheet completes the kits parts.
Interior detail consists of two crewmen on seats with control levers beside them.
Exterior detail is excellent.
Highly recommended.
Exterior detail is excellent.
Highly recommended.