Tiger I Interior

[RupertTheBear]

Hello everybody,

so...I had the silly idea to do something new, outside my "comfort zone" if you will and after watching several episodes of "Uncle Night Shift" on Youtube I got myself a RyeField Models Tiger I with full interior detail. I didn't get very far and quickly noticed that this is way over my head. Not necessarily because of the kit itself, which initially managed to stagger me with the amount of parts that completely filled the enormous box, but rather the painting. The instruction is a bit vaque here and there, so I'd like to ask you if you have any recommendations - websites, books, museums - that show the colors of the bits and bobs inside a Tiger I. I found a few shots but most are either black and white, bad quality/small and most seem to be taken during the restoration of the Bovington Tiger. What I'm looking for is a...let's say guide of some sorts, for the lack of a better term, that could help me with the details and also the weathering of the cockpit and turret and maybe engine compartment.

Thanks in advance and sorry if that has been discussed here already.

P.S. to specify it a bit - I've got the Wittmann Tiger I Early Production and I wanted to do the No. S04 in winter camo (Russia 1944)

[spruecutter96]

The book "Inside The Great Tanks" has some colour shots of a restored Tiger 1's interior, IIRC. It can be found on the Bay and the Zon, for generally quite reasonable prices. 

 

If you want the ultimate book on the Tiger (and have some cash burning a hole in your pocket), I would thoroughly recommend The Research Squad book on the subject. The detail in this book is ASTONISHING. The photographers had several years of access to the Aberdeen Proving Grounds Tiger restoration and they covered the vehicle in the most intimate detail you can imagine. The "going rate" for the book is around the £25.00 mark (don't let the gougers on either site trick you - this book is readily available and is NOT ultra-rare.... they just paint a picture like this to justify their ridiculous, inflated prices). I think you can buy it direct from the publishers. 

 

Hope this helps. 

 

Chris.   

Edited April 23, 2021 by spruecutter96
Amending some information.

[M3talpig]

2 hours ago, spruecutter96 said:

If you want the ultimate book on the Tiger (and have some cash burning a hole in your pocket), I would thoroughly recommend The Research Squad book on the subject. The detail in this book is ASTONISHING. The photographers had several years of access to the Aberdeen Proving Grounds Tiger restoration and they covered the vehicle in the most intimate detail you can imagine. The "going rate" for the book is around the £25.00 mark (don't let the gougers on either site trick you - this book is readily available and is NOT ultra-rare.... they just paint a picture like this to justify their ridiculous, inflated prices). I think you can buy it direct from the publishers. 

100% agree with Chris the above book is a goldmine of info and i ordered mine from them direct along with both parts of the Panther volumes they also do..... link below

 

 http://adhpublishing.com/shop/store/products/tiger-a-modern-study-of-fgst-nr-250031/  

[spruecutter96]

Correction to my previous, the Tiger book is £30.00 plus postage, direct from the publishers. This book has more great material in it than 5 or 6 other Tiger books, so I reckon it's good value for money. 

 

Chris.   

 

PS: The two Panther books produced by this publisher are also amazing. The second volume (turret and engine compartment) is arguably the more useful one, but both are well worth having.  

Edited April 23, 2021 by spruecutter96
Amending some information.

[RupertTheBear]

Thanks guys, I just checked out the link you provided and it looks very promising. Plus 30 pounds for almost 700 images and 69 diagrams seems very reasonable. I think this will be my go-to lecture on this topic  

[spruecutter96]

I think you will be very pleased with the book. It simply misses nothing out. 

 

Chris. 

[Bozothenutter]

Then there is Tiger1.info

By David Byrden who is an expert on the subject with, shall we say a rather DEEP focus. 

[Longbow]

S04 was a command vehicle, with the extra radios and antenna, and can’t be built straight from the box. 
To build an accurate S04, you’re going to have to get after market radios for the turret and hull sponsors, and the correct radio mount for right side of the hull and the turret roof. 
 

It is a very nice kit, though. 

 

[fishplanebeer]

Re' possible paints Colourcoats (enamels) do a Wehrmacht AFV colour called Tank Interior Cream along with Dunkel Gelb and a few others that may be of help.

 

Regards

Colin.

[fishplanebeer]

The following information is from the Colourcoats (Sovereign Hobbies) web site which may also be some help:

 

WEHRMACHT DUNKELGELB:

There has been lots of interest regarding this colour, and specifically its use as a base colour on Tiger tanks. Here's what we can tell you. There were apparently two slightly different versions of the colour. The problem in matching them is that the standard upon which they were based--RAL--changed after WW2 and the current RAL standard colours differ from their wartime predecessors. Therefore, any colour callout for WW2 colours based on the current RAL colours is almost certainly incorrect. Compounding the problem is the almost complete lack of extant wartime RAL colour cards. So, with that in mind, here's what we can say. The early version, which some have dubbed "Dunkelgelb I" and which was purportedly matched to RAL 7028 came into use as the Wehrmacht's standard base colour in February 1943. Colourcoats ARG 02 is a virtual match to the early Dunkelgelb. The later version, dubbed "Dunkelgelb II" and with an RAL standard listed by some as 7028/1 (suspect, because RAL never listed their colours in that manner) came into use as the standard base colour from October 1944. Colourcoats ARG 11 is the match for this colour, and is based on a series of colour matches made by Steve Zaloga on Wehrmacht machines in the armour collection at Aberdeen Proving Grounds in the U.S. So, depending on the time period you are depicting on your German armour--Tiger or otherwise--you can select the proper Dunkelgelb base colour.

 

Regards

Colin.

[Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies]

I have to admit I didn't realise that was on my site. It must have been some WEM text inherited when we bought Colourcoats in 2014. I certainly didn't write it, as I know absolutely nothing about armour paints. The entire armour range is unchanged from WEM days. Mike Starmer did loan me some very valuable documents to check the British Army stuff we have, but that's it.

 

I couldn't tell you if that stuff about German army paints is write or wrong so I certainly can't endorse that and am about to remove it from the site accordingly!