Michael Wittmann's Befhelstiger 1 early production

[MarkVerploeg]

Hi guys
So a new Tiger build from me (not quite the first Tiger for me)
This time i will be building this kit

As many will know this is a more recent release in the line of Tiger tanks made by Dragon
And there are a bunch of reviews on here and on youtube of this kit
But i will still show the kit content as i already uploaded the pics






























So there is a lot of styrene in the box
But because i bought the kit from a German i am missing the unit markings
The kit does allow you to recreate the photo shoot of Wittmann and his crew in december of 1944 in the Ukrain
The tank in the kit and photo's is not really Wittmann's Tiger though
The Befhelstiger with turret number S04 was the tank of Wittmann's platoon commander but because Wittmann's own Tiger was being repaired at the time
So S04 was picked instead and the barrel was given the victory markings

So now it is time to build it
I have some worn down wheels and antenna set for it aswell to replace 1 or 2 wheels and the antenna's wich are missing all together
Hopefully i have a update soon but this build is already competing with another build
But that is a plane so i can work with that

See you soon
Cheers
Mark

[AdamLuscombe]

Great looking kit, good luck with the build

[MarkVerploeg]

Thanks Adam
The build part should be fine as it is my 9th Tiger build and 7 of those where Dragon kits
They are all about the same with only small differences depending on the production version
I already recognized most of the sprues from the kit as those are found in most other Tiger kits from Dragon
But i think it is a bit weird they didn't include the antenna set for command vehicles
They have one allthough that is getting old

[chalkyw]

got my first Dragon Tiger in the post so I'll sit back and watch with interest

[MarkVerploeg]

Thanks
I have build my share of Tigers already but this is a version that i didn't build before
Only the regular Early but there aren't that many differences between a regual and command version only a tube on the back and a couple of antenna's

[digger303]

Hi guys

So there is a lot of styrene in the box
But because i bought the kit from a German i am missing the unit markings

See you soon
Cheers
Mark

Gotta watch those Germans......

[MarkVerploeg]

Hi guys

So there is a lot of styrene in the box
But because i bought the kit from a German i am missing the unit markings

See you soon
Cheers
Mark

Gotta watch those Germans......

It is the law over there
Any SS unit markings and such are not allowed
They even put a little sticker over the unit markings in the instructions
But i can borrow some from another Tiger kit i think or i will have to order a set of new ones

[digger303]

Hi guys

So there is a lot of styrene in the box
But because i bought the kit from a German i am missing the unit markings

See you soon
Cheers
Mark

Gotta watch those Germans......

It is the law over there
Any SS unit markings and such are not allowed
They even put a little sticker over the unit markings in the instructions
But i can borrow some from another Tiger kit i think or i will have to order a set of new ones

Given the history, understandable I suppose.
Thanks for enlightening me

[MarkVerploeg]

There is not much we as modellers can chance about it i think
But it is too bad they don't reseal the bags of the decals
They where in the large bag and the smaller bags with the grill where in there aswell so those where scattered around the box because they fell out of the opened bag

[Stokesy44]

Looking forward to this one. Got it in my stash so watching and learning!

[MarkVerploeg]

Thanks
As far as i can tell it is 90% the same as other Dragon Tiger kits
It has a few new parts
But i will add some stuff to it aswell
I will use the Aber antenna set for command vehicles and maybe 1 or 2 worn wheels from a Voyager set
I bought that set for my Tamiya DAK Tiger but those parts that where advertised as for the Tamiya kit only fit on a Dragon kit
Good thing i have a bunch of Dragon Tigers to use them
But other then that it will be the kit parts only

[digger303]

I have this kit, so will be watching with extra interest.

[MarkVerploeg]

Be my guest
I made a small start but i am also writing a article about the build
So i needed a new cutting mat as a background but i got one today and now i can continue the build once i get back home

[Augustus]

Be my guest
I made a small start but i am also writing a article about the build
So i needed a new cutting mat as a background but i got one today and now i can continue the build once i get back home

Does this mean you'll make a video?
Either way I'll be along for the ride.

[MarkVerploeg]

Be my guest
I made a small start but i am also writing a article about the build
So i needed a new cutting mat as a background but i got one today and now i can continue the build once i get back home

Does this mean you'll make a video?
Either way I'll be along for the ride.

No there won't be a video i'm affraid
I don't have a good camera and computer to make that happen
Besides that i really don't like being in front of a camera
I get really uncomfortable when that happens
I got a new cutting mat just so i have a nice and clean background or surface for the photo's
The actuall cutting mat i use to work on has a lot of paint splattered on it and is missing half of the grid pattern
It looks a bit too used for what i hope will be a article in the magazine of the modelling club i am a member of
And everything has to be right for that as there are some rivet counters over there that i want to silence
They always have something to moan about but can't except my critism of their work
Wich is not perfect either ,just like mine

[Augustus]

I hear you on that. There's people like that everywhere, in all walks of life I'm afraid mate. Just concentrate on what makes you happy, and f**k them.

[MarkVerploeg]

I hear you on that. There's people like that everywhere, in all walks of life I'm afraid mate. Just concentrate on what makes you happy, and f**k them.

I do like to think like that
But if you can build something that makes them quiet then that is dort of a victory
Wich is fun too

[Stokesy44]

I like your attitude Mark. Looking forward to the build.

[MarkVerploeg]

Thanks Stokesy
I hope to get some work done tonight

[digger303]

Be my guest
I made a small start but i am also writing a article about the build
So i needed a new cutting mat as a background but i got one today and now i can continue the build once i get back home

I will await your article with anticipation. I do like the written word.
Don't buy into the crap delivered by those who proclaim to be expert know it all's. Life's too short. Give them the finger then soldier on to your own satisfaction.

[MarkVerploeg]

Be my guest
I made a small start but i am also writing a article about the build
So i needed a new cutting mat as a background but i got one today and now i can continue the build once i get back home

I will await your article with anticipation. I do like the written word.
Don't buy into the crap delivered by those who proclaim to be expert know it all's. Life's too short. Give them the finger then soldier on to your own satisfaction.

The article will be in dutch though
It is for the magazine of my modelling club so it will be hard to read for most
But the information will be the same as what i will post here

[MarkVerploeg]

Hi guys
I think it is time for a little update
I haven't spend that much time on this build yet but i was a bit busy last week and the modelling mojo was a bit low
But some progres was made


For some reason this kit starts with the rear plate
The exhausts need some sanding as the upper and lower parts have a big seam line where they are glued together


Then with a half finished rear plate the work switches to the hull
It is just the same as most other Dragon Tigers
The torsion bars where fitted after i had to remive a small part from them as per instructions and the swing arms where placed after that
And the front of the side plates and final drives where placed


The torsionbars fit but i think the ones you find in other Dragon Tiger kits are better where the swing arm and torsion bar are 1 part
Like you see with their Panther kits


Then i placed the rear plate on the hull


And some more parts where glued to the rear plate


And the last parts for the rear plate where placed
I had some trouble with the jack as the crack was far too long
In the end i removed about 1 to 1.5 mm of that part to make it fit
The feifel filters will be placed later on in the build once the hull is fully constructed

And that is all i have for now
I hope to get back to the build in the next couple of days and finish the hull
Thanks for stopping by and having a look
Take care
Cheers
Mark

[MarkVerploeg]

Hi guys
So i think it is time for a update on this build
At the moment the Tiger is build up to the point of priming and painting
So for now i will show the remaining part (and majority) of the building stages


After the hull tub was made it was time for the roof
Because i want to make it look like the S04 Befehlstiger during the photoshoot in late 1943 i need to pay attention to a few little details
The hatltches of the hull and turret where open during that shoot
So the latches need to be placed before i glue the roof on the hull
Other then that i placed the large parts for the roof like the cooling hatches and the engine access hatch


Once the roof was ready to install the work moves to the drivers plate
This armor plate holds the bow mg and the view port for the driver
This may be my lack of knowledge but there are no small view holes above the large viewport wich seems a bit odd
How does the driver looks outside when the armor block is lowered


After the first step the mg was installed and the part is ready to be installed


Then the small armor block on the upper glacis was placed and all the parts to assemble the hull


And then the hull's large parts where fitted
I do have a small caution about Dragon Tiger kits
In some kit instructions Dragon wants you to place the upper glacis first and then the drivers plate
This however doesn't work as the drivers plate locks on to the glacis and hull
It is better to glue the drivers plate to the roof and glue that assembly to the hull
And finally place the upper glacis plate
This way you have a perfect fit of the parts
Not all kits have this flaw in the instructions but some of the older ones like the 6600 initial production do
In this kit it is corrrcted though


Then i went on with the engine deck
Parts like the grills where first to be installed


After the basic parts on the rear i started with the tools and cables


Then the headlights and s mine launchers
Unlike a regular Tiger wich has 5 of the Smine tubes this only has 4
The one in the middle on the sleft hand side is not placed as there is a antenna on that same spot


I then started to work on the side skirts
First i cut them up into seperate parts and by using a pair of pliers i add some damages to them
For some reason these side skirts always look pretty beaten up and bend


So after a little cutting and bending i ended up with 8 seperate parts for the side skirts


Then the side skirts and Feifel air filters where installed
And that finishes the work on the hull


With that part done it was time for the turret
Starting with the commanders cupola and siccor telescopes
It took some digging but i couldn't find any reference that Tiger S04 actually had these telescopes installed
It is known that Wittmann had them as he was used to them from the time he was a STuG commander but i don't know if his Tiger in the post Kursk period was still Tiger 1331 and if his later Tigers had these
And all of that is very long way of saying you don't have to install the telescopes to be accurate


Then the mighty 88 was build
It is the same build up as with the older kits tjat had a spring in the tube to get a recoil action


I then made the seats and other turret interior parts


Everything was glued in place


Then the gun was installed
It is nice to get some interior detail but if you look at reference you will find the turret and hull where packed with ammo for the main gun and mg's
Electrical and fuse boxes and all sorts of stuff to keep a Tiger going


The hatch and cupola where placed on the turret roof


To add some damage to the turret bin i used a chisel to make the styrene a bit thinner and easier to damage


All the other parts where added like the smoke dischargers and clamps for the spare tracks
I didn't add the spare tracks yet as they would make painting a lot harder


The track changing cable was added


And the tank was almost finished


The 2 hull hatches
I glued them to some cocktail sticks for painting
Just to make sure i can cover the entire surface of the hatches and hull without using a large amount of paint and possibly get paint build up on the model


The exhaust shrouds where sanded down with a dremel tool and damaged and the idlers and sprockets where put together


All the parts before painting
I made a little mistake at first because i didn't have 2 sets of wheels with the outer wheel removed
This was done to prevent a build up of mud or snow behind the road wheels
But luckily it was a easy fix


And finally the Aber antenna set was placed
Reference shows the star antenna is missing but because i have no use for it in the spares box and i like the look of all 3 antenna's more then with 1 missing i installed that one aswell

And that concludes the construction stage of this build
By now all the parts are put on cocktail sticks and are ready for a coat of primer

Thanks for stopping by and having a look
Take care and untill next time
Cheers
Mark

[Kevthemodeller]

I have this kit, so will be watching with extra interest.

Me too going to watch this one very closely

[MarkVerploeg]

I have this kit, so will be watching with extra interest.

Me too going to watch this one very closely

Build wise it is a fairly easy kit
The only part that needed some dry fitting and extra attention are the Feifel hoses
I actually had to trim a small bit from the clamp that holds them down
But no real big issues as far as i am concerned

[digger303]

I have this kit, so will be watching with extra interest.

Me too going to watch this one very closely

Build wise it is a fairly easy kit
The only part that needed some dry fitting and extra attention are the Feifel hoses
I actually had to trim a small bit from the clamp that holds them down
But no real big issues as far as i am concerned

always good to hear that a kit doesn't have any big problems. And nice to hear about the ones it does have. I read so many magazine articles which tell you nothing even some so called professional reviews choose to ignore the obvious. Reason why I stopped buying as many mags as I used to....sorry back to the thread...

[MarkVerploeg]

I have only one magazine that i am subscribed to and that has the same problem
Their reviews are not very good and always late
In some cases i already owned the kit for months before they review it and they always are a bit too possitive
The same with some builds as they always have builds from master modellers that only explain half of what they do

[digger303]

I have only one magazine that i am subscribed to and that has the same problem
Their reviews are not very good and always late
In some cases i already owned the kit for months before they review it and they always are a bit too positive
The same with some builds as they always have builds from master modellers that only explain half of what they do

I have some from 2012 and I can see the difference the type of articles. It was better back then.....Publishers wonder why we don't buy them anymore and magazines struggle financially.

[AgentG]

The build is looking superb sir! I have this one awaiting it's turn so I am following.

I let a magazine subscription lapse as the reviews they published were always telling of rainbows and unicorns.
You'd get the kit and think, hey, WTF this is a dog.

G

[MarkVerploeg]

Thanks G

[MarkVerploeg]

Hi guys
So it has been a long time since i posted anything on this build
I had it on hold for a while
Then finally primed only to put it to the side again
Then it took a long time to even start painting the thing and so on
It didn't help that i had a very big amount of builds at the same time but this month i finally started to finish builds and get some proges done
In fact i had to check if i even made a thread for this build as i couldn't remeber if i did or not
But by now there is some progres and i think it will be finished fairly soon
So i atleast can show what i have done so far


I started out painting the entire tank in dark yellow
I used Aquaous paints for this
A mix of H403 dark yellow and i think H85 (not sure) sail color wich is a dusty sand like color ,kind of similar to Tamiya's buff but a bit darker


Then the detail painting was done
I used Andrea paints for the metals and various Vallejo colors for the wooden handles and the boltcutters
Those are bakelite handles so i used a orange brown for those


A look on the rear deck


A coat of Aqua gloss was applied before i started the winter wash


And then the entire tank was covered in 2 layers of Ultimate winter wash
I had my doubts at first as i find clay washes harder to use then enamel washes
But with the use of a airbrush and a little break in between layers i gives a very nice white layer
But to be sure i had a gloss coat as a base






I then started the chipping and wear of the winter wash
For this i used a #4 flat brush from AK and a piece of sponge
In some places i made a full worn spot where the white is completely gone other places have some small scratches and the part that i really like about this wash
You can make slightly worn areas where the base color is barely visible through the white
They show up as a dark area on the white but it gives the idea of the white wash that is slowly wearing down

After this step i gave it another gloss coat to prepare it for the washes
The decals needs to go on there aswell so that will slow things down a bit but not more then a day i guess
So no big loss
And that is all i have for now
Hopefully i can get the last update posted soon but for the upcoming week the Anneliese build for the Winter is coming gb is the priority build as i do want that to be finished in time for the GB's end

Take care and happy modelling
Cheers
Mark

[MarkVerploeg]

Hi guys
I think it is time for one final update for this build
I finished this along with a couple of other builds today so i might aswell post the last update while i am at it


All i had left to do where some rusty bits ,final assembly and mud and snow
So istarted out by rusting up the exhausts
At the same time i was doing the same with all the King Tigers in the back ground


I also used some rust wash on the tow and track changing cables


I then started to add all the seperate bits and pieces like the wheels and hatches


And ofcourse the exhaust shrouds


Then the DS tracks where glued in place


Amd some left over Friul tracks where dropped in the Ultimate burnishing fluid and glued in the spare track holders on the turret


Almost there
Those spare tracks do look cool on the turret


To add some snow to the tracks i sprayed some hairspray on them and sprinkled sodium bi-carbonate on the hairspray
Any left overs on the raised parts where whipped away with some tissuepaper


Amd then i called the tank finished
I may end up making a base for it and adding the figures but for now i will leave it like this

Thanks for stopping by and having a look
Take care and happy modelling
Cheers
Mark

[Topcat]

Excellent model, nice.

[MarkVerploeg]

Thank you

[mick]

great work

[MarkVerploeg]

Thanks Mick

[digger303]

GOOD STUFF !!

[Bissyboat]

Well done on the results. It´s a cracker!

[MarkVerploeg]

Thanks guys