"Wittman's Tiger Early Production" from Rye Field Model

Scale: 1 / 35

The kit's background

This Tiger kit from Rye Field is something of a "de luxe" edition, having a full interior and some transparent body panels to display it. The tracks are provided as 3-piece individual links.

The six optional transparent panels comprise the upper faces of the hull and the entire turret shell. They can be mixed with opaque panels as desired. They omit some equipment from the inside turret walls to aid visibility.

The kit builds an "Early" Tiger issued in the period March - May 1943. The interior parts are inherited unchanged from a previous Rye Field kit, "Eastern Front Tiger" kit. None of the faults in that kit's interior have been corrected here.

Decals for two of Michal Wittmann's Tigers are provided: "1331", his mount during the Battle of Kursk, and "S04" which featured in a photo shoot of him and his crew. The kit's interior is a much more accurate rendition of "1331" than of "S04".

There is an upgrade set, "Engine pipeline parts", that provides much of the detail that is missing from this kit's engine room.

My ongoing review and comments;

The S04 option	MG ammunition bags in turret	Kff2 openings
Turret base	Angle of the fan drive	Road wheels
Turret seating ring	Snorkel	Mounting brackets for Feifels
Nuts inside the rear wall	Bolts on the turret ring	MG ammunition storage
Bins under the floor	Early turret floor	Turret circuit board
Kff2 scope	Bolts on the 'early' cupola	1331 decals
Air ducts for engine	Gunner's eye holes	Electrical connector cable
Modern electrical panel	Fan cover plate	MP40 ammo pouch
S-mine controls	Air filter on engine	Bipod box
Cupola ring	Underside of loader's hatch	Building S04
Turret roof wiring	Ammunition rack cover

These are other reviews of the kit;

• www.panzer-modell.de
• www.1999.co.jp

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