Steel Cats (Sept. 2012-Aug. 2013)

Bish

Ye, thats what i menat, which scheme. I had a bit of a brain fart there for a minute.

Bish: I will definately being doing a winter whitewash on one of the builds for this GB.  The mid seems to be the more appropriate candidate, like the one at the top of this FSM forum page.  I just looked at it again and I see it has the metal wheels.  Did some mid's have those?   This is where I feel like such a dunce...  I know so VERY little about the differences from one version to another.  I do learn as I build each one though!  I better whip out "Tiger In Action" again!

I pulled out the mid from the stash...nothing unique in the paint scheme or decal department.  But I DID find a full set of Eduard PE including the zim"!!!  I even have wheel mask and the kit includes indies!  It's been so long since I opened this kit I forgot I had bought some AM goodies already.   Now all I need to do is track down an aluminum barrel.

The term's Initial Early Mid and late can be rather speculative. But, from memory, the term Late is used for those with metal rimmed wheels. I have noticed a lot of books refrain from useing these designations. They seem to be more of a modelling term. The problem with the Tiger is that changed were made almost monthly. But these cahnges were minor and so didn't reslut in a designation change. That Tiger in Action book is ok. But the best source i have is the Osprey New vanguard book which gives a month by month breakdown of those changes.

But no, a Mid production version would not have steel wheels. The steel rimmed wheels were introduced in Feb 44

The wheels are the most noticeable difference on the late with the all steel wheels. Also the gun mantlet can have a single sight hole in it.

The most noticeable differences on a mid compared to an early is the new cupola and bosche headlight being moved to the center between the driver and mg gunner.

tigerman, i'd like to get in on this for sure...  got a dragon panther g/ 1/72, tiger mid with zimm 1/72,  and afv club tiger late...  i'm slowly building up some am for the afv club...  def. need to find some am zimm, dont know if i'm up for dyi on that one...  can't wait to get this one going!!!

Malone Duke welcome aboard. Nice to have our first Braille scale. Let me know which you decide on.

Eric-I'm in....not sure if it will be a Tiger, King Tiger or Panther....but I'm in.

Glad to have you Bob. I recall you were on board for something like this a long time ago.

tigerman

Bish:

 

TheWildChild:

 

I was going to join but the only tiger i have is about 40% done. its still the academy one with the interior. i will still follow the thread with great interest though.

 

 

Plenty of time to buy another One can never have to many Tiger's.

 

Or you could add a Panther or Jagdpanther.

Thanks Jack!

the next 1/35 kit i buy will most likely be a panther.

I recommend G smart kit. You won't need zimmert and it comes with magic tracks. Or if you want, one of the zimmed Panthers are nice, but might come with DS tracks.

tigerman

I recommend G smart kit. You won't need zimmert and it comes with magic tracks. Or if you want, one of the zimmed Panthers are nice, but might come with DS tracks.

Ye, the early G with Zimm does come with DS tracks. I am not keen on pre Zimmed kits myself, but but decided on one Tiger and one panther with it on. I'm also not sure about those DS tracks. I was disapointed to find them in a small number of kits i got, including the one i am doing for this GB. I'm still in two minds whether i should use them or get some Fruils.

Bish

 

tigerman:

 

I recommend G smart kit. You won't need zimmert and it comes with magic tracks. Or if you want, one of the zimmed Panthers are nice, but might come with DS tracks.

 

 

Ye, the early G with Zimm does come with DS tracks. I am not keen on pre Zimmed kits myself, but but decided on one Tiger and one panther with it on. I'm also not sure about those DS tracks. I was disapointed to find them in a small number of kits i got, including the one i am doing for this GB. I'm still in two minds whether i should use them or get some Fruils.

I don't quite get the bad knock on them. Yes indies tend to be better detailed and look more natural. The DS tracks are a millenium ahead of the older Tamiya rubber-band tracks with better detail and ease of use. They glued down well on my Elefant.

That being said, I loved the magic tracks that I used on my Jagdtiger. 

This will be my final g.b.badge offering guys . To make it not confusing i deleted my other ideas .

Now to go thru my stash and pick out a cat !

Shellback:  ANOTHER GREAT DESIGN!!!  This "badge competition" sure produced some fantastic ideas!  Thanks for making the effort, now I know why I decided to make two tanks so I can get BOTH badges!

Bish

Actually i was wrong. I just looked at my kit. The set i used was the two piece link, i must have used set number 16. I just checked my referance and the set you have was not introduced until March 45. This was introduced with the 18 tooth sprocket. So you need the otehr set of fruils. Sorry for the error.

No prob. What I think I'll try is making a very late tank from the kit I have or  an earlier example with the later tracks and sprockets. I need to start looking for references.....

I always liked the green over dk yellow scheme. That was extremely late-war, wasn't it?

Thanks Carl. I will be adding it to the first page.

tigerman

...I will be adding it to the first page.

Eric: The badge is huge on the intro page.  You may want to shrink it to match the size of the other one.  DANG they look good! 

Oh, BTW my Tiger Late just arrived from LuckyModel!, YEAH!!!  All I need to do now is figure out this camo' thing.....I guess 2 1/2 months is plenty of time.

The green & brown over Dark yellow started in Early 43. Towards the end of the war, factories were painting the tanks Grren and them the troops applying the other colours. But i am not sure how late this started.

tigerman i'm gonna give all three a shot...  we moved into a smaller spot so my wife is making me clear stash space before buying more kits...  it's kinda nice though cause i've been able to sneak and get am stuff here and there...   oh, and that last badge from shell is awesome...

SMJmodeler

 

tigerman:

 

...I will be adding it to the first page.

 

 

Eric: The badge is huge on the intro page.  You may want to shrink it to match the size of the other one.  DANG they look good! 

Oh, BTW my Tiger Late just arrived from LuckyModel!, YEAH!!!  All I need to do now is figure out this camo' thing.....I guess 2 1/2 months is plenty of time.

Yeah it didn't resize in photobucket, so I resized on my computer first. Sorry.

Glad you guys like the badge . I've enjoyed doing them for us .

Bish

The green & brown over Dark yellow started in Early 43. Towards the end of the war, factories were painting the tanks Grren and them the troops applying the other colours. But i am not sure how late this started.

Yikes. I need a specific tank to model, something with the single link tracks, that I can build from the Tamiya kit with at most minor mods. That's the ticket.

The good thing with Tiger II is that there was only 489 built, but they were also well photographed. So its a bit easier to pick a specific vehicle.

That's good. I just have to find something. The last KT I did was pretty much a copy of something in the Spanish mag Panzer Aces, apparently a figment of the builder's imagination but a very nice model nonetheless. I'd like to do something a little more historically correct this time.

I would imagine the markings in the kit are accirate, or are you after something different.

Bish

I would imagine the markings in the kit are accirate, or are you after something different.

Since the friuls I have are for something very late production, and I like the look of the more unusual late-war camo, I want to do something different. Hungary maybe? Plus, I like the look of something beat up, chipped up zimm, rode hard and put up wet.

I see where your going. Zimm was stopped in Sept 44. But i think your plan is still possable. I would imagine the real tanks would have fitted the later tracks, including Sprockets, where their older tracks were worn. If you really want Hungary, your looking for a tank from the 503 s. Pz Abt. Somthing along the lines of this.

Eric -- I took a look at the Order of Battle, and I'm mssing! Please put me down for a 1:35 Tamiya KIng Tiger (Porsche) with Cavalier Zimmerit and ambush scheme.

Cheers, looking forward to this!

Mike/TB379

Mike, glad to have you and thanks for bringing it to my attention.

Tigerman, id like to jump aboard with a 1/35 dml panther. i have both eariler releases (A&D) so im not quite sure which ill do, but when i get it straight in my head ill let you know. oh BTW the badges are awesome!!

Excellent S.A.R. I'll put you down for a Panther for now.