In Box Review of Tamiya 1/35th Scale
German Tiger I Panzerkampfwagen VI
(Sd.Kfz. 181) Ausführung E (Late Version)
Kit no. 35146
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 1989
Available at Sprue Bros for $45.99 or at Mega Hobby for $48.45 or at Kit Linx for $45.59. Two places in the U.S. on the web and a whopping 24 locations overseas on the web.
I won this kit in a raffle at a contest in Omaha, NE in the late 80’s. The kit sold for $53.00 back then
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 1989
Available at Sprue Bros for $45.99 or at Mega Hobby for $48.45 or at Kit Linx for $45.59. Two places in the U.S. on the web and a whopping 24 locations overseas on the web.
I won this kit in a raffle at a contest in Omaha, NE in the late 80’s. The kit sold for $53.00 back then
HISTORY:
The Tiger I was a German heavy tank of World War II that operated beginning in 1942 in Africa and in the Soviet Union, usually in independent heavy tank battalions. It gave the German Army its first armoured fighting vehicle that mounted the 8.8 cm KwK 36 gun (derived from the 8.8 cm Flak 36).
1,347 were built between August 1942 and August 1944.[10] After August 1944, production of the Tiger I was phased out in favour of the Tiger II. While the Tiger I has been called an outstanding design for its time, it has also been called over-engineered, using expensive materials and labour-intensive production methods. The Tiger was prone to certain types of track failures and breakdowns and was limited in range by its high fuel consumption.
It was expensive to maintain, but generally mechanically reliable. It was difficult to transport and vulnerable to immobilization when mud, ice, and snow froze between its overlapping and interleaved Schachtellaufwerk-pattern road wheels, often jamming them solid. This was a problem on the Eastern Front in the muddy rasputitsa season and during periods of extreme cold.
The tank was given its nickname "Tiger" by Ferdinand Porsche, and the Roman numeral was added after the Tiger II entered production. The initial designation was Panzerkampfwagen VI Ausführung H (literally "armoured combat vehicle VI version H", abbreviated PzKpfw VI Ausf. H) where 'H' denoted Henschel as the designer/manufacturer.
It was classified with ordnance inventory designation Sd.Kfz. 182. The tank was later re-designated as PzKpfw VI Ausf. E in March 1943, with ordnance inventory designation Sd.Kfz. 181.
Today, only seven Tiger I tanks survive in museums and private collections worldwide. As of 2021, Tiger 131 (captured during the North Africa Campaign) at the UK's Tank Museum is the only example restored to running order.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Type: Heavy tank
Place of origin: Germany
In service:1942–1945
Wars: World War II
Designer: Erwin Aders, Henschel & Son
Designed: 1938–1941
Manufacturer: Henschel
Unit cost: 250,700 RM[1][a]
Produced: 1942–1944
No. built: 1,347
Mass: 54 tonnes (60 short tons), 57 tonnes (63 short tons)
Length: 6.316 m (20 ft 8.7 in), 8.45 m (27 ft 9 in) gun forward
Width: 3.56 m (11 ft 8 in)
Height: 3.00 m (9 ft 10 in)
Crew: 5 (commander, gunner, loader, driver, radio operator)
Armour: 25–120 mm (0.98–4.72 in)
Main armament: 1× 8.8 cm KwK 36 L/56 with 92 AP and HE rounds
Secondary armament: 2× 7.92 mm MG34 with 4,500 rounds,4,800 rounds (Ausf. E)
Engine: Maybach HL230 P45 V-12 of 700 PS (690 hp, 515 kW)
Power/weight: 13 PS (9.5 kW) / tonne
Suspension: Torsion bar
Ground clearance: 0.47 m (1 ft 7 in)
Fuel capacity: 540 liters
Operational range: Road: 195 km (121 mi), Cross country: 110 km (68 mi)
Maximum speed: 45.4 km/h (28.2 mph) on roads, 20–25 km/h (12–16 mph) cross country
The Tiger I was a German heavy tank of World War II that operated beginning in 1942 in Africa and in the Soviet Union, usually in independent heavy tank battalions. It gave the German Army its first armoured fighting vehicle that mounted the 8.8 cm KwK 36 gun (derived from the 8.8 cm Flak 36).
1,347 were built between August 1942 and August 1944.[10] After August 1944, production of the Tiger I was phased out in favour of the Tiger II. While the Tiger I has been called an outstanding design for its time, it has also been called over-engineered, using expensive materials and labour-intensive production methods. The Tiger was prone to certain types of track failures and breakdowns and was limited in range by its high fuel consumption.
It was expensive to maintain, but generally mechanically reliable. It was difficult to transport and vulnerable to immobilization when mud, ice, and snow froze between its overlapping and interleaved Schachtellaufwerk-pattern road wheels, often jamming them solid. This was a problem on the Eastern Front in the muddy rasputitsa season and during periods of extreme cold.
The tank was given its nickname "Tiger" by Ferdinand Porsche, and the Roman numeral was added after the Tiger II entered production. The initial designation was Panzerkampfwagen VI Ausführung H (literally "armoured combat vehicle VI version H", abbreviated PzKpfw VI Ausf. H) where 'H' denoted Henschel as the designer/manufacturer.
It was classified with ordnance inventory designation Sd.Kfz. 182. The tank was later re-designated as PzKpfw VI Ausf. E in March 1943, with ordnance inventory designation Sd.Kfz. 181.
Today, only seven Tiger I tanks survive in museums and private collections worldwide. As of 2021, Tiger 131 (captured during the North Africa Campaign) at the UK's Tank Museum is the only example restored to running order.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Type: Heavy tank
Place of origin: Germany
In service:1942–1945
Wars: World War II
Designer: Erwin Aders, Henschel & Son
Designed: 1938–1941
Manufacturer: Henschel
Unit cost: 250,700 RM[1][a]
Produced: 1942–1944
No. built: 1,347
Mass: 54 tonnes (60 short tons), 57 tonnes (63 short tons)
Length: 6.316 m (20 ft 8.7 in), 8.45 m (27 ft 9 in) gun forward
Width: 3.56 m (11 ft 8 in)
Height: 3.00 m (9 ft 10 in)
Crew: 5 (commander, gunner, loader, driver, radio operator)
Armour: 25–120 mm (0.98–4.72 in)
Main armament: 1× 8.8 cm KwK 36 L/56 with 92 AP and HE rounds
Secondary armament: 2× 7.92 mm MG34 with 4,500 rounds,4,800 rounds (Ausf. E)
Engine: Maybach HL230 P45 V-12 of 700 PS (690 hp, 515 kW)
Power/weight: 13 PS (9.5 kW) / tonne
Suspension: Torsion bar
Ground clearance: 0.47 m (1 ft 7 in)
Fuel capacity: 540 liters
Operational range: Road: 195 km (121 mi), Cross country: 110 km (68 mi)
Maximum speed: 45.4 km/h (28.2 mph) on roads, 20–25 km/h (12–16 mph) cross country
THE KIT:
Tamiya is an old prolific model company based in Japan. They manufacture all manner of model subjects in the popular scales.
This kit comes in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The box art shows a color illustration of the Tiger I posed against a buff background.
It is in a camouflage pattern of earth-yellow, dark-green and red-brown, with a red no 308 that is outlined in white on the turret sides and a German cross on the sides of the hull. Tank is covered with zimmerit coating.
The tank commander is standing in the turret upper hatch. He is wearing a field-grey uniform with a black cloth billed field cap.
Under the title of the kit it says: Complete exterior detail. Includes realistic figure. Separately molded track links. Accurately reproduced suspension system. Zimmerit coating not included. Ready to assemble precision model kit. Modeling skills helpful if under 10 years of age.
One side panel of the box has a color 3-view illustration of the Tiger I in the box art scheme, but with a red turret no. ! outlined in white. Followed by a 1-paragraph history of the tank, copyright 1989 and Tamiya’s street address in Shizuoka City, Japan.
Tamiya is an old prolific model company based in Japan. They manufacture all manner of model subjects in the popular scales.
This kit comes in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The box art shows a color illustration of the Tiger I posed against a buff background.
It is in a camouflage pattern of earth-yellow, dark-green and red-brown, with a red no 308 that is outlined in white on the turret sides and a German cross on the sides of the hull. Tank is covered with zimmerit coating.
The tank commander is standing in the turret upper hatch. He is wearing a field-grey uniform with a black cloth billed field cap.
Under the title of the kit it says: Complete exterior detail. Includes realistic figure. Separately molded track links. Accurately reproduced suspension system. Zimmerit coating not included. Ready to assemble precision model kit. Modeling skills helpful if under 10 years of age.
One side panel of the box has a color 3-view illustration of the Tiger I in the box art scheme, but with a red turret no. ! outlined in white. Followed by a 1-paragraph history of the tank, copyright 1989 and Tamiya’s street address in Shizuoka City, Japan.
The other side panel has 2 more color side-view illustrations of the Tiger I. One is a repeat of the one on the other side panel. Followed by a one-paragraph history of the tank, a Tiger I in a earth-yellow and red-brown wave camouflage scheme, with a wide yellow band around the gun barrel with black no, 312 on it and a illustration of a knight on horseback in black on the sides of the turret and Tamiya’s address repeated.
WHAT’S IN THE BOX:
The kit holds 4 tan trees, a tan hull tub part, 3 jet black trees and the decal sheet in 4 sealed clear cello bags. There are 2 instructions and a kit catalog included.
The main instructions consist of a single-sheet that accordion-folds out into 8 pages in 7” x 10 ¼” page format.
Page 1 begins with a one-paragraph history of the Tiger I in 8 languages, including English, over a black and white repeat of the cover art.
Page 2 begins with READ BEFORE ASSEMBLY instructions, pictures of suggested tools to use and a suggested paint color listing of Tamiya’s paints.
The bottom of page 2 through to page 8 gives a grand total of 15 assembly steps.
The second instruction is a single-sheet printed on both sides in 7” x 10” format.
The face side is a painting and marking guide. It shows a 3-view illustration of the Tiger I in the box art scheme (already described above).
Below is a illustration of the tank commander-assembly and painting instructions and a side-view of the Tiger I in the box art scheme, but with either a white outline of no. 3 or a solid white 007 to put on the turret sides.
The reverse side of this instruction gives more painting instructions and decal application instructions in multiple languages, including English.
The Kit catalog has hundreds of Tamiya models listed in it.
Trees are alphabetized, but not illustrated anyplace in the kit. Strange and a bad move Tamiya!
Tan letter A tree holds: tow cables, 2 main gun barrel variants, fender end flaps, hatches, turret rear storage box, gun breech, tools etc. (75 parts) Part no. A-16 on this tree is a long bar with square holes in it. It is to use when assembling the individual tracks by placing a run of them against its side to get the run straight. Nice idea!
The kit holds 4 tan trees, a tan hull tub part, 3 jet black trees and the decal sheet in 4 sealed clear cello bags. There are 2 instructions and a kit catalog included.
The main instructions consist of a single-sheet that accordion-folds out into 8 pages in 7” x 10 ¼” page format.
Page 1 begins with a one-paragraph history of the Tiger I in 8 languages, including English, over a black and white repeat of the cover art.
Page 2 begins with READ BEFORE ASSEMBLY instructions, pictures of suggested tools to use and a suggested paint color listing of Tamiya’s paints.
The bottom of page 2 through to page 8 gives a grand total of 15 assembly steps.
The second instruction is a single-sheet printed on both sides in 7” x 10” format.
The face side is a painting and marking guide. It shows a 3-view illustration of the Tiger I in the box art scheme (already described above).
Below is a illustration of the tank commander-assembly and painting instructions and a side-view of the Tiger I in the box art scheme, but with either a white outline of no. 3 or a solid white 007 to put on the turret sides.
The reverse side of this instruction gives more painting instructions and decal application instructions in multiple languages, including English.
The Kit catalog has hundreds of Tamiya models listed in it.
Trees are alphabetized, but not illustrated anyplace in the kit. Strange and a bad move Tamiya!
Tan letter A tree holds: tow cables, 2 main gun barrel variants, fender end flaps, hatches, turret rear storage box, gun breech, tools etc. (75 parts) Part no. A-16 on this tree is a long bar with square holes in it. It is to use when assembling the individual tracks by placing a run of them against its side to get the run straight. Nice idea!
There are 2 identical tan letter B trees. They hold: road wheels, idler wheels, drive sprockets, bogies, exhaust shields, grab handles etc. (42 parts ea.)
Tan letter C tree holds: turret parts, hull top and front wall, figure (divided into separate head, full body, arms and a billed cloth field cap) headlights etc. (21 parts)
The tan hull tub is next (1 part)
There are 3 identical non alphabetized jet black trees of individual track links (80 parts ea.)
There is a small sheet in the kit that has IMPORTANT INFORMATION CONCERNING THIS KIT in English on one side, with Tamiya’s street address of their offices in Germany and England.
The decal sheet completes the kit’s contents. There are no clear parts included.
External detail is excellent. The only interior detail is inside the turret, with the gun breech and 2 seats.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.