Putting a tank in your Tiger.. The jouney continues, with (big) pictures!
For all of you out there who were dying to hear more about my little Tiger (you know who you are), here's an update.
After a weeks worth of sweating and chewing on fingernails, even my own, my Jordi Rubio barrel arrived. And there was much rejoicing. Oh the joys of a round barrel. I looked at the original item said to myself: "it must go.." and headed back to Krikket.. I have to think about how I want to attach the gun now, because as its sitting now, it needs a healthy dose of viagra. Maybe some lead in the shape of a loaded shell in the chamber will make it perk up. Never the less, it adds some weight and grandeur to the massive 88. A plastic barrel just wouldn't be the same.
During a construction break I parked the various bit of semi assembled tank next to my 1:35 Land Rover ambulance for a scale reference. I know a couple of guys who own these and own a similair vehicle myself. Comparing the two I could only think "fuuudge..". I tell you, I was that close to thinking "Caramel!". Wasn't quite "chocolate chip", but almost. Definatly more than "crushed peanut sprinkels", though.
I proceeded to attack the loaders hatch, but first diverted to add a bit of detail to the interiour. I'll have you know, my carefully planned approach to this kit has gone completely out the window and I've adopted a more idiosynchratic approach. The detail I decided to add was a small arbitrary box on one of the recoil dampers and the coaxial machinegun. This gun was plucked from the spares box and is in fact a reincarnated M16 rifle from a Tamiya Bradley. Nip here, tuck there and hide it well enough in the turret so that the contours allow you to say: "Hey, a gun!" and not: "Hey, and M-16!". Another detail I added was the breech mechanisme-loading-wheel-with-handle-thinggy-to-close-the-chamber-I-think-whatsit. I'm not sure thats the technical term (but I think I'm pretty ballpark-ish), but there's one on a reference pic, so its on the gun now. I've got a few extra things I want to add, such as a commanders blastshield and some of the gunners equipment, but thats for later.
Where was I? Oh yes, loaders hatch.. Ehm.. Hang on.. The commander, loader, driver and radio operator all get their own hatch.. Why not the gunner? If anyone should share a hatch I reckon it should be the radio operator. Don't question me on that one though, it makes sense in my world. Besides the MG, what else can he do? Taunt the opposition over the wireless? "Fffffzzzzsshhtt.. ACHTUNG! Your fahzer schmelled of elderberries und your muzzer waz a hamzshter! ffffzzzzzzzzssht" RATATATATATATATATATATAT! Sounds reasonable to me..
..ehm..
Ah yes.. The kit hatch was a molded closing mechanisme, an operating wheel, two internal handles and an external handle. No more. I removed the offensive looking molded on details and lovingly crafted the PE bit to go onto it. These bits added four locking arms, four tiny 0.25mm wire hingepins, four tiny locking arm brackets, a locking arm baseplate and a brace. It took me a good couple of hours (all the way through "Boston Public", "Gilmore girls", "I'm with her" and halfway through "Forces of Nature".. I do so hate ben Affleck..) to complete this, as it called for wrapping the ends of the locking arms aound the wires and then attempting to attach themto the base plate. Never the less, all went swimmingly.
Well, thats it for this episode. Have a look at the piccies to admire my handywork so far.
