Tamiya German King Tiger Production Turret (1/35)

This item is sold brand new. It is ordered on demand from our supplier and is usually dispatched within 3 - 5 working days

In order to counter the increasing threat of Russian tanks during the

latter part of the Second World War, Germany began development of a new

heavy tank in February 1943. Officially designated the Panzerkampfwagen

VI-B Tiger II, but better known as the King Tiger, it featured thick

armor and a powerful main gun. Henschel and Porsche, who had prior

experiences in the manufacturing of heavy tanks, came up with rival

prototypes incorporating different turret configurations. After trials,

the Henschel design was adopted for production. The King Tiger carried

the Type 43 L71, 88mm high velocity main gun which was capable of

penetrating 170mm thick armor plate at a distance of 1000 meters.

Auxiliary armament included two 7.92mm machine guns mounted on the

front hull section and on the turret. The extremely thick armor on the

turret front measured 185mm and 88mm on the side panels. Power for this

massive tank was supplied by a Maybach HL230 P30 V-12 cylinder, liquid

cooled engine, producing 700 horsepower. The King Tiger went into mass

production at the Henschel factory beginning August 1944, following the

delivery of the last Tiger I tanks. Although the tank possessed

advanced technology and sophistication, only 430 units incorporating

the Henschel turret came off the factory line, and less than 500 total

were ever available for combat.