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Tiger I 1944 - Western France (SS Panzer Ableitung 101 #231)

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  • Member since
    November 2016
Tiger I 1944 - Western France (SS Panzer Ableitung 101 #231)
Posted by RudiSonnekus on Thursday, November 3, 2016 4:30 AM

My first project. Based a lot of my techniques on Adam Wilder's KV-1 videos.

Some background on the tank (taking one or two liberties here with the historical account). 231 was assigned to the eastern front at the time of the D-day landings, and was pulled back to the western front immediately. The tank was ambushed by a M4A1 Sherman in the forest and knocked out. This will go into a diorama with a muddy river crossing (the Sherman ambush), hence the "over-done" mud effects.

Thoughts and comments please.

The tow cables came loose from their mounting just as I started taking photos, didn't bother to glue them down again.  And yes, I know the mud is too red for the Western France areas 

 

 

 

More images:  http://imgur.com/a/fOKyA

  • Member since
    March 2003
  • From: Rain USA, Vancouver WA
Posted by tigerman on Thursday, November 3, 2016 6:44 PM

The build looks pretty decent, especially if those are Indy tracks. For accuracy sakes, the vehicle would have a three-tone camo and zimmerit, especially being in France in 1944. I do think the mud might be overdone on the upper hull, especially the turret. Good luck on the rest of the dio. Looking forward to more.

   http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y269/wing_nut_5o/PANZERJAGERGB.jpg

 Eric 

  • Member since
    July 2003
  • From: On my kitchen counter top somewhere in central North Carolina.
Posted by disastermaster on Thursday, November 3, 2016 8:47 PM

http://i717.photobucket.com/albums/ww173/prestonjjrtr/Congrats/F.gif
Considering that this is your first project.
Good tips from Tigerman there.

                                           
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b232/gluetank/Animated/Disastermastermotion-3.gif

 https://i.imgur.com/LjRRaV1.png

 

 

 
  • Member since
    November 2016
Posted by RudiSonnekus on Thursday, November 3, 2016 11:39 PM

I actually went for the three tone disruptive, but was way too timid with the airbrush and it ended up a blended mess.  Still too unsure of myself to do zimmerit.  Any good tips of how to do it?  I've seen two methods, one with clay and one with a hot screwdriver directly on the model (which seems really silly).

  • Member since
    November 2005
Posted by T26E4 on Friday, November 4, 2016 9:26 AM

Nice early effort! May I suggest one alteration? US forces encountered Tiger 1s very sporadically in NW Europe. Indeed author/historian Steve Zaloga can only find THREE actual accounts of US forces engaged by Tiger 1s in NW Europe. By the summer of '44, they were very rare. Numerically, Tiger 1s fought UK & Commonwealth forces. Tiger 1 units (like SSsPzAbt 101) didn't engage in areas where US tank forces were roving.

 

https://tankandafvnews.com/2015/01/27/zaloga_interview/

 

May I suggest a Firefly VC tank?  Or a Churchill or Sherman 75mm gun tank instead?  M4A1 76W gun tanks did find their way into UK/Commonwealth units but later than summer '44.

Roy Chow 

Join AMPS!

http://www.amps-armor.org

 

 

  • Member since
    March 2003
  • From: Rain USA, Vancouver WA
Posted by tigerman on Friday, November 4, 2016 5:38 PM

Maybe I missed the camo. I'm looking on my phone. I've never tried doing my own, but Cavalier resin zimmerit is excellent. You get pre-cut pieces that you glue on. It looks really good to.

   http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y269/wing_nut_5o/PANZERJAGERGB.jpg

 Eric 

  • Member since
    September 2005
  • From: Groton, CT
Posted by warshipguy on Saturday, November 5, 2016 8:02 AM

Have you considered using an after-market zimmerit set?

Bill

  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: SW Virginia
Posted by Gamera on Saturday, November 5, 2016 8:02 AM

Yeah, she does look really good for a first effort. And with more practice other than a few mis-steps here and there you'll only get better. 

As the guys said the pre-cut zimmerit is probably the easier way of doing it. As Tigerman said the Cavalier seems to work the best for me. Sadly they seem to be out of business. The PE stuff is a little more work since doesn't flex as well. 

I've not heard of using clay but have seen the hot knife method though it seems more trouble than it's worth. I sometimes go with just filler putty and scraping it with a razor saw. Also some of the newer kits like Dragon mold the zimmerit on the parts already, I haven't build any of these so I don't know how good it looks. 

 

"I dream in fire but work in clay." -Arthur Machen

 

  • Member since
    October 2015
Posted by Modelrob on Saturday, November 5, 2016 9:30 AM

Very nice effort, I can't say anything on zimmerit becouse I have not tried a kit that needs it yet. Again job well done

 

Robert

  • Member since
    September 2005
  • From: Groton, CT
Posted by warshipguy on Thursday, November 10, 2016 8:09 AM

I just received a set of photo-etch Zimmerit by Eduard for a mid-production Tiger I, and I have to say that it is excellent!  I have also used paper and resin zimmerit sets and have been happy with them as well.  They are easy to use and are generally inexpensive.  They beat doing it yourself!

Bill

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