Product Features and Details
Artitec 387.246 Highlights:
Model: Artitec's 387.246 1/87 scale Tiger I is fully assembled and painted Gelbbraun for Afrika Korps service. Several Tigers served in North Africa from November 1942 until the Axis surrender there in May 1943. All the new Artitec finished models are highly detailed works of art. They are all hand painted and finished using the highest quality resin, plastic and metal parts. Add a few to your collection today before they are sold out. Models are made in small production runs so don't delay in ordering.
Prototype: The most feared opponent of Allied tank crews was the Panzerkampfwagen VI or Tiger tank. Designed following the German invasion of the Soviet Union, the Tiger broke with the previous German doctrine of building well-balanced tanks in relation to protection, armament, and speed. This was due to the Panzer III and IV’s initial inability to effectively counter the better armed and armored Soviet T-34 and KV-1 tanks. The Tiger was armed with the Krupp-designed 8.8 cm KwK 36 L/56 gun which could penetrate 83 mm of armor at 2,000 m, immediately making it a lethal tank killer. Its 100 mm frontal armor and 60-80 mm side armor made it nearly impervious to attack from medium to long range until more effective guns were mounted on Allied tanks late in the war. The Tiger was also easy to drive with a steering wheel with automatic steering as well as a semi-automatic pre-selector gearbox. All of these benefits came at a price however; the Tiger’s immense weight of 54 tons caused frequent engine, suspension, and gearbox breakdowns. Its weight and Schachtellaufwerk interleaved wheel configuration caused difficulties in muddy, off-road operations. Finally the intricate suspension, transmission, and electrical systems, requiring significantly more production time, as well as a steep price tap (four times that of a StuG III) meant that the Tiger could not be effectively mass-produced – only 1,347 Tigers were produced over two years.
PLEASE NOTE: These models are all handmade and painted which makes every one unique. This means the paint patterns may vary a little and the detail parts like sandbags, turret tracks, antennas, etc. may also be arranged differently. This was also the case in real life. These models are very prototypical.
