{"product_id":"heller-79888-sd-kfz-181-panzerkampfwagen-vi-tiger-i-ausf-e-1-72-scale-plastic-model-kit","title":"Heller 79888 Sd.Kfz. 181 Panzerkampfwagen VI Tiger I Ausf. E — 1\/72 Scale Plastic model kit","description":"\u003cp\u003eManufacturer: Heller\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eKit number: 79888\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBarcode: 3279510798883\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSubject: Sd.Kfz. 181 Panzerkampfwagen VI Tiger I Ausf. E\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBoxed scale: 1\/72\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eActual tooling scale: approximately 1\/76\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eParts: approximately 66–70\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOrigin: Airfix tooling, originally 01308\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eHeller release: principally associated with the 1990s\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eKit type: Injection-moulded plastic\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eCurrent status: Older\/OOP Heller boxing\n\u003cbr\u003eHeller's history with this kit\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis is one of the more interesting Heller kits you've supplied because Heller did not design the original Tiger tooling.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe mould originated with Airfix, where the Tiger I was released as kit 01308. The Airfix tooling dates back to 1964 and remained in production\/reissue circulation for decades. It was subsequently marketed by Heller under reference 79888.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThat gives the kit a considerably longer history than its Heller packaging might suggest.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe Heller boxing is consequently best understood as a vintage Airfix Tiger wearing Heller packaging, rather than as a purpose-designed Heller 1\/72 tank.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis also explains the somewhat unusual scale. Early Airfix armour was generally designed around the British 1\/76 armour scale. When manufacturers began competing more heavily in the internationally popular 1\/72 military market, some existing moulds were relabelled 1\/72 without changing the tooling.\n\u003cbr\u003eKit contents\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe kit contains approximately 66–70 plastic parts, depending on how the parts are counted in the particular catalogue\/release.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe model represents the Tiger I Ausf. E\/H with the characteristic:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    heavily armoured hull;\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    large rotating turret;\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    long 8.8 cm KwK 36 L\/56 main gun;\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    interleaved road wheels;\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    rear engine deck;\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    exhaust system;\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    separate hatches and fittings;\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    tracks and suspension components.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eA specialist review describes the Heller version as having approximately 70 pieces, with the modeller able to position various access hatches open or closed. The engine-deck ventilation grilles and gun barrel benefit from additional drilling\/detail work.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe original Airfix lineage also means the kit is a product of an earlier generation of plastic armour modelling. It is considerably simpler than modern Dragon, Revell, Zvezda or Trumpeter 1\/72\/1\/76 armour kits.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThat is part of its appeal to collectors, but it should be taken into account when valuing it as a modelling kit.\n\u003cbr\u003eThe real vehicle — Tiger I\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe Panzerkampfwagen VI Tiger, commonly called the Tiger I, was Germany's famous heavy tank of the Second World War.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIt was developed in response to the increasing effectiveness of Soviet anti-tank weapons and the appearance of heavily armoured Soviet tanks.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe Tiger combined:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    very heavy armour;\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    a powerful high-velocity gun;\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    sophisticated suspension;\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    excellent long-range firepower;\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    and a high level of mechanical complexity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe result was a formidable tank, but also one that was expensive and difficult to manufacture and maintain.\n\u003cbr\u003eDevelopment\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe Tiger's development began before the German invasion of the Soviet Union.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eTwo companies were involved in competing heavy-tank designs:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Henschel\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Porsche\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe Henschel design eventually became the production Tiger I.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe first production Tigers appeared in 1942, and the type entered combat with the German Army during the later part of that year.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe official German designation was Panzerkampfwagen VI Tiger Ausf. E, later simplified in official nomenclature.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe vehicle designation was Sd.Kfz. 181.\n\u003cbr\u003eArmour\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe Tiger's armour was one of its defining characteristics.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe early Tiger had approximately:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    100 mm frontal turret armour\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    100 mm frontal hull armour\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    80 mm side and rear hull armour\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    80 mm turret sides\/rear\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis made it substantially more heavily protected than most Allied medium tanks of the period.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eUnlike many later German tanks, the early Tiger used predominantly vertical armour plates, rather than the extensive sloped armour that became characteristic of vehicles such as the Panther.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe Tiger's weight was consequently enormous for the period.\n\u003cbr\u003eThe famous 88 mm gun\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe Tiger's main weapon was the 8.8 cm KwK 36 L\/56.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis was a tank adaptation of the highly effective German 88 mm gun family.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIt gave the Tiger exceptional anti-armour capability.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAt appropriate combat ranges, the gun could penetrate most Allied tanks encountered during the Tiger's principal operational period.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe gun's accuracy, optics and ammunition combination were particularly valued by Tiger crews.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe Heller model's long gun barrel is consequently one of the most recognizable features of the kit.\n\u003cbr\u003eEngine and mobility\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe Tiger I was powered by a Maybach HL210 in early production and subsequently the Maybach HL230.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe later HL230 produced approximately 700 hp.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThat sounds substantial until the tank's enormous weight is considered.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eA combat-loaded Tiger weighed approximately 54 tonnes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eConsequently, although the Tiger had a relatively powerful engine, its power-to-weight ratio was modest.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIts theoretical road speed was approximately 38 km\/h, but cross-country performance was considerably more restricted.\n\u003cbr\u003eMechanical complexity\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe Tiger's greatest weakness was not its armament or armour—it was its complexity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe interleaved road-wheel suspension provided good ride characteristics but created significant maintenance problems.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eMud, ice and debris could become trapped between the closely packed wheels.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eChanging an inner wheel could require removing several outer wheels first.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe vehicle was also extremely heavy, placing considerable demands on:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    engines;\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    transmissions;\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    final drives;\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    suspension;\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    recovery equipment;\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    bridges and roads.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis meant that Tiger units required substantial logistical support.\n\u003cbr\u003eProduction\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOnly approximately 1,350 Tiger I tanks were produced between 1942 and 1944.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThat is a very small production run compared with German medium tanks such as the Panzer IV and Panther.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe limited production figure is important when considering the Tiger's reputation. It was a relatively rare vehicle even within the German armoured forces.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe combination of rarity, formidable battlefield performance and distinctive appearance subsequently made the Tiger one of the most famous tanks in military history.\n\u003cbr\u003eCombat history\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe Tiger first saw combat around Leningrad in 1942.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIt subsequently served on virtually every major German front, including:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Eastern Front;\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    North Africa;\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Italy;\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Normandy;\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Western Europe;\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    and the final defensive campaigns in Germany.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eTiger units were generally concentrated in specialised schwere Panzer-Abteilungen rather than distributed throughout ordinary armoured formations.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThese heavy tank battalions allowed Germany to concentrate the vehicle's firepower where it was considered most useful.\n\u003cbr\u003eNorth Africa\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eA small number of Tigers were sent to North Africa with the German Afrika Korps.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe appearance of the Tiger in Tunisia gave Allied forces a serious new armoured threat.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eHowever, the tropical environment and difficult logistics also highlighted the vehicle's mechanical and fuel-consumption problems.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe North African Tiger units were eventually destroyed or captured during the collapse of Axis forces in Tunisia.\n\u003cbr\u003eEastern Front\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe Tiger became particularly prominent on the Eastern Front.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThere it encountered Soviet tanks including the:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    T-34;\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    KV series;\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    later IS series.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe Tiger's 88 mm gun gave it a considerable long-range advantage against many Soviet tanks, while its heavy armour could resist numerous contemporary anti-tank weapons.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eHowever, Soviet numerical superiority, artillery, aircraft and increasingly capable anti-tank guns meant that Tigers were not invulnerable.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eMechanical breakdowns and recovery difficulties were also a constant concern.\n\u003cbr\u003eNormandy\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eTigers became particularly famous during the Normandy campaign of 1944.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eHeavy Tiger battalions fought against British, Canadian and American forces.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe terrain of Normandy could actually be difficult for heavy tanks because of:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    narrow roads;\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    hedgerows;\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    soft ground;\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    bridges with limited capacity;\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    restricted manoeuvring space.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eNevertheless, the Tiger's long-range gun and heavy armour made it a dangerous opponent.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSome individual Tiger commanders achieved extremely high numbers of claimed enemy tank kills, although individual wartime claims should be distinguished from independently verified losses.\n\u003cbr\u003eMichael Wittmann\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe Tiger is also closely associated with Michael Wittmann, one of Germany's best-known tank commanders.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWittmann commanded Tiger tanks with Schwere SS-Panzer-Abteilung 101 and became famous for his actions during the Normandy campaign.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eHis most publicised engagement occurred near Villers-Bocage on 13 June 1944, when his Tiger and other German armoured vehicles attacked elements of a British armoured column.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe event became a major part of Tiger mythology and post-war popular history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eHowever, the exact circumstances and number of vehicles destroyed vary between wartime German accounts, British records and later histories, so claimed totals should be treated cautiously.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWittmann himself was killed near Gaumesnil, Normandy, on 8 August 1944.\n\u003cbr\u003eCaptured Tigers\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eA small number of Tigers were captured intact or sufficiently intact by Allied forces.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe Tiger's rarity meant that captured examples were particularly valuable to Allied technical intelligence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThey were examined for:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    armour composition;\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    gun performance;\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    optics;\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    engine design;\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    transmission;\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    ammunition;\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    and manufacturing methods.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSome captured Tigers were subsequently displayed or tested.\n\u003cbr\u003eSurviving full-size Tigers\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eUnlike many German WWII tanks, several original Tiger I tanks survive.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe most famous is probably the Tiger 131, captured by British forces in Tunisia in April 1943.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIt is now preserved at The Tank Museum at Bovington in Dorset and is widely regarded as the world's only operating original Tiger I.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOther surviving Tiger Is include museum examples in France and Russia, although their condition and completeness vary.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe survival of original Tigers is unusual considering that only around 1,350 were produced.\n\u003cbr\u003eFull-size vehicle values\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThere is no normal open-market selling price for an original Tiger I because surviving examples are museum pieces and are not regularly offered for public sale.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eConsequently, I would not assign a conventional \"current selling price\" to the full-size Tiger.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFor your catalogue, the appropriate entry is:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Full-size Tiger I: museum\/heritage asset; no reliable current open-market sale price.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis is very different from a WWII vehicle that still trades privately in meaningful numbers.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Heller","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57512972222844,"sku":"Heller-79888","price":11.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0432\/8584\/0033\/files\/CCE010E8-DC07-4E5B-A865-282031691E8D.jpg?v=1790663311","url":"https:\/\/sussex-model-centre.co.uk\/products\/heller-79888-sd-kfz-181-panzerkampfwagen-vi-tiger-i-ausf-e-1-72-scale-plastic-model-kit","provider":"Sussex Model Centre","version":"1.0","type":"link"}