Trumpeter: Pz.Kpfw.VI Ausf.E Sd.Kfz.181 Tiger I Medium Production in 1:16

Trumpeter: Pz.Kpfw.VI Ausf.E Sd.Kfz.181 Tiger I Medium Production in 1:16
 The Pz.Kpfw VI (Sd.Kfz.181) Tiger is a German heavy tank of World War II, one of the most famous combat vehicles of the era. Since the beginning of the war, the command of the German Panzerwaffe had the idea of a heavy tank, but the first attempts, in the form of the multi-purpose tank Neubaufahrzeuge, were unsuccessful. In 1939 and 1940, they were carried out ineffectively, but after the clash with the T-34 and the KW-1 on the Eastern Front, work on the new heavy tank accelerated. On April 20, 1942, the prototype of the new tank, under the designation VK 4501 (H), underwent field tests in the presence of Adolf Hitler and was put into mass production shortly thereafter. The first production versions were designated Pz.Kpfw VI Ausf.H1 (later Ausf.E). During production, in the years 1942-1945, the tank was systematically modified, for example by adding Feifell dust filters, different placement of headlights, modernization of optical equipment, modifications of the commander's turret, etc. The drive was provided by a 12-cylinder Maybach HL230 P45 carburetor engine with a capacity of 700 hp. The Pz.Kpfw VI tank, although it did not have such a streamlined front hull as the T-34 or Pantera, was a heavily armored vehicle (frontal armor up to 120mm), armed with a very effective KwK 36 L/56 88mm cannon, which earned it the reputation of being the most effective tank of the Second World War. It was a much better vehicle than the Allied M4 or Churchill and the Soviet T-34/76. It could also easily fight the IS-2 or the M-26, surpassing them with the effectiveness of its main armament. On the other hand, the Pz.Kpfw VI had some drawbacks - first of all, it was extremely long to produce and had a very complicated suspension. In the last period of the war, the quality of the Tiger's armor also deteriorated, which was a result of the German economy's lack of access to molybdenum deposits. Despite these drawbacks, the Tiger proved to be a very effective weapon on the battlefields. It fought successfully in Tunisia, the Kursk Arc, Normandy, and on the Eastern Front. Technical data: length (with gun): 8.45m, width: 3.7m, height: 2.93m, engine power: 700KM, weight: 56.9 t, range (on road): 100km, maximum speed (on road): 38 km/h, armament: 1 x 88 mm KwK 36 L/56 gun, 3 x 7.92 mm MG 34 machine guns.