The Tiger I was Nazi Germany's first heavy tank fielded in numbers, entering combat in late 1942 armed with the devastating 8.8cm KwK 36 L/56 gun and protected by up to 100mm of frontal armour that made it virtually invulnerable to most Allied anti-tank weapons at the time. This early production variant reflects the tank's original specification, with features such as the early cylindrical/drum-style muzzle brake, S-mine dischargers mounted on the hull sides, twin-piece rubber-tyred road wheels prior to the wartime steel substitutes, and the distinctive commander's cupola of the first production batches. Early Tiger Is like this one first saw action with schwere Panzer-Abteilung 501 in Tunisia and s.Pz.Abt. 502 on the Leningrad front in 1942-43. Dragon's engineering brings this pivotal vehicle to life in fine detail, using slide-mould technology to reproduce crisp weld seams, hatch detail and a hollow, rifled gun barrel without the heavy parts-count of a full-interior kit. The complex overlapping 'Schachtellaufwerk' road wheel arrangement, a hallmark of German heavy armour, is faithfully replicated across individually detailed wheels. The kit includes a comprehensive decal sheet covering markings for early-war Tiger units, photo-etched detail parts for fine features such as engine grilles and stowage brackets, and clear step-by-step instructions. A must for early-war Eastern Front and Tunisian campaign collections, this Tiger I Early Production kit rewards modellers who want to build the tank in its original, historically distinct configuration rather than the more commonly modelled late-production version.
Related
Related
Related