Front Hull

The build on the Front Hull started with the previously-done removal of the mud flaps. To make the new ones which date the Tiger to late-1942, I cut a piece of 0.040" styrene sheet 24mm wide x 28mm long for each side. A very light score was cut at the mid-point on the long side. I then cut a piece 24mm wide x 25mm long of Eduard etched-brass deck plate, and super-glued this to the top. The brass should be compressed to the plastic without gaps. You should have a section of uncovered styrene 3mm wide, which will be located at the top of the flap, where it means the hull.

A bend of approximately 10-degrees should be in the middle of the flap, so that once mounted, the bend will point the forward edge of the flap downward. Attach the flap, again with the 3mm gap from the etch at the top, and with the front edge about 3mm down from the top of the hull side plate (where it meets the front plate). Use plenty of liquid cement from the underside.

That 3mm gap at the top of the flap, where it meets the hull, was filled with a narrow, thin, section of plastic, and topped with a 0.020" section of styrene rod. This will replicate the hinge for the flap. Not an exact duplicate, but again, I am trying for the visual scale effect, and I think that it works.

I also cut the barrel off from the hull-mounted MG34, and installed it in the ball mount at this time. There is a weld that is on each side of the top plate-just to the left of the machine gun, and next to the left flap-and these were cut and dressed-up.

To complete work on the front of the hull, the spare track bracket, Part D6, was removed, and the mounting holes filled and sanded.