Description

The German Tiger I Initial production early was the first tiger I to be developed by the German armored forces in the months following the invasion on the Soviet Union. Fitted with the formidable 88mm gun, the Tiger I initial production early provided the German army with their first heavy tank on the battlefield. The Tiger I later on appeared in almost all front-line battles in Germany. The German Tiger I heavy tank had a strong psychological deterrent effect to many opponents. Its very complicated design, requiring a lot of expensive materials and heavy production facilities, combined with the manufacturing time led to around only 1,347 units built between August 1942 and August 1944.

Ryefield Model‘s 1/35th scale Tiger I depicts the early initial production version of the German Tiger I, which saw combat in Soviet Russia during WW2, featuring the initial type turret stowage boxes and fenders, exhausts, and mirrored tracks. The box contains 16 tan, 1 clear, 22 light grey plastic sprues, a slide moulded lower hull, 2 nylon wires, 1 PE fret, a decal sheet, and a set of 3D printed parts.

The kit features fine, delicate details as can be seen on both the hull’s and turret’s replicated welds lines, cast markings on the road wheels, and various details on the vehicle. This kit includes the newly designed workable tracks set developed by Ryefield Model, requiring far less effort and number of parts, guide horns and pins to be glued, as with the previous version. In addition, the workable torsion bar suspension system allows for an uneven terrain diorama setting if the scale modeler chooses to.

All boxes and hatches can be assembled in the open or closed position with details visible on the interior surfaces as well.  Additional parts consist of finely 3D printed 2 types of smoke discharges, 88mm shells, and the rear engine deck’s wading snorkel.

The included PE fret contains parts for various parts of the kit such as the engine grills and front fenders.

One marking option is included in the kit for one tank, No:100, belonging to the 502nd Heavy Panzer Battalion (PzAbt. 502) during January 1943 painted in either over all German Grey or with a field applied washable white camouflage.