Looks like Takom are expanding on two popular designs with the King Tiger (Tiger Ausf. B) – Initial Production and the Merkava Mk.II in 35th scale to hit soon – see what we know and how these variants are different in our preview…
Two new Variations on a much-loved theme from takom on the way...
King Tiger (Tiger Ausf. B) – Initial Production
From: Takom
1/35th scale
Kit # 2096
Designed by Dino Sun
Features workable early track type
Colour schemes provided AMMO
We have a new release of the initial heavy hitter of the tiger II line – the King Tiger (Tiger Ausf. B) – Initial Production in 35th scale in Takom, carrying on with their family of “King Tiger” kits. We have a CAD drawing of several parts on this that looks interesting and notable to point out – you have seen the other Tiger II’s here built up on TMN, let’s look to see what is coming with this kit
The Tiger we are assuming this one has been measured by is one of the two remaining examples, one being at Bovington Tank Museum, the other Panzerkampfwagn VI Ausf. B Tiger II, can be found at the National Armor and Cavalry Museum workshops in Fort Benning. Columbus, GA, USA. Commonly referred to as the Köningstiger, King Tiger, Royal Tiger or Tiger II tank was armed with an 88 mm (3.46 in) KwK43 L/71, 86 rounds and two or three 7.92 mm (.3 in) MG 34 machine guns, 5800 round. Its armour ranged from 25mm to 180mm. It had a crew of five: commander, driver, gunner, loader and radio operator/machine gunner. It was powered by a V12 Maybach HL230 P30 690hp petrol engine. It weighed 69.8 tonnes. It had a top road speed of 41.5km/h (225.8mph). It had an operational range of 170 km (110 miles).
The CAD of the kit shows a "series" Initial Turm (turret) with 40 mm forward and rear roof plates that apply to a total of 48 Tiger Ausf. B’s.
The CAD shows the Schnorkel cover on the rear deck, the choice of baffled exhausts or pipes with heat shrouds. Also, the pressure testing exhausts of Tiger Ausf. B Fgst. Nr. V2 and the baffled exhausts with sheet metal covers of Tiger Ausf. B Fgst. Nr. 280001 and a few other Initial Turm tanks. The curved exhausts with sheet metal covers as seen on Tiger Ausf. B Turmnummer 02 and 10 from s.Pz.Kp. 316 (Funklenk) are also included.
The CAD drawing gives us the option of several well-known and readily photographed Tiger Ausf. B’s with Initial Turm & the flat front track guards of Tiger Ausf. B Fgst. Nr. V1 and V2.
Merkava Mk.II
From: Takom
1/35th scale
Kit No# 2080
Designed by T-Rex Studios
Markings from AMMO
We also see a new CAD design from the team at T-Rex of the next Merkava in the family – the Mk.II in 35th scale. Similar to the Mk.I & Mk.I Prototype kits we have already seen, this tank fundamentally the same as the Merkava Mark I, it incorporated numerous small adjustments as a result of the previous year's incursion into Lebanon. The new tank was optimized for urban warfare and low-intensity conflicts, with a weight and engine no greater than the Mark I.
Using the same 105mm gun as the Mk.I with the 7.62 mm machine guns as secondary armament, the inclusion of a redesigned 60 mm mortar to be located within the hull and configured for remote firing to remove the need to expose the operator to enemy small-arms fire. An Israeli-designed automatic transmission and increased fuel storage for increased range were installed on all further Mark IIs. Anti-rocket netting was fitted for increased survivability against infantry equipped with anti-tank rockets. Many minor improvements were made to the fire-control system. Updated meteorological sensors, crosswind analysers, and thermographic optics and image intensifiers gave greater visibility and battlefield awareness.
Mark II’s improved variants
Mark IIB, with thermal optics and unspecified updates to the fire control system.
Mark IIC, with more armour on the top of the turret to improve protection against attack from the air.
Mark IID, with modular composite armour on the chassis and turret, allowing rapid replacement of damaged armour.
In 2015 the IDF had begun a plan to take the old models out of storage and repurpose them as heavy armoured personnel carriers. Cannons, turrets, and spaces used to store tank shells inside the hull were removed to create a personnel carrier that outperforms the lighter M113 APC. Converting hundreds of Mark II chassis provides a low-cost way to upgrade support units' capabilities to perform medical, logistical, and rescue missions.[19] By late 2016, after 33 years of service, the last conscripted brigade to operate Merkava IIs was scheduled to transition to Merkava III and Merkava IV tanks for battlefield missions, relegating the vehicles to reserve forces for border patrols during conflicts and conversion to personnel carriers.
A close up of this kit in CAD
Look out for these next two releases from Takom in maybe late December or January if our guess is correct- let’s hope before Christmas!
