New Updates for: B-17G Flying Fortress and Tiger I (new project) - December 23, 2021
Hello everyone. It's me Antony, back with another Blog.
December arrived and the year is close to the end. Before we move on to the next year, let's write another Blog of 2021; hoping for the things to get better as the World continues in this fight for survival and to develop a (possible) cure for the COVID-19 pandemic - which I'm sure most of the people are vaccinated and taking all the precautions to avoid spreading the virus.
For this month, my university semester has been concluded - allowing me to rest from the studies while my addition to my service at the public health center is still in course.
Now for this Blog. I'm going to show you the new adjustments of the B-17G Flying Fortress. Let me show you what I did so far.
Looking good so far. I made few changes on its wing tips, new windows from the cabin (located near at the tail-fin), the engines were appended from the P-47D Thunderbolt project in order to adjust it and and I made new components like the framing on the bomb sight and some canvas from the bowl turret along the muzzles for the .50 caliber Browning MGs. The wing tips were a little tricky, but I managed to remake it.
Probably for the next adjustments I will focus on its landing gears, armaments, flaps and ailerons.
Now for the new project I started recently. Yeah, I had plans of not starting a new project while I have lots of projects to work, but I decided to start it anyway. I revisited the Panzer I project. I still have plans of concluding it, yet, I decided to make the mighty Panzer VI - popularly known as the Tiger I.
In case you want to know it, when Germany invaded France in June 1940, their Panzer I, II, III and IV proved to be inferior compared to the French SOMUA S35 and Char B1 and the British Matilda II in terms of firepower and armor, but their major advantage was their tactical coordination, communications and the combine offensive with the Luftwaffe and motorized forces. However, it was soon realized the German Army needed a heavy tank. Although they developed the Neubaufahrzeug, it didn't see mass production due to mechanical issues, with small numbers seeing action in Norway during World War 2. After the fall of France in 1940, Henschel and Porsche were tasked to develop a new type of heavy tank. The new tank would be armed with a powerful cannon, having good protection and weighing about 45 tons. While the two companies worked on their prototypes, in 1941, Operation Barbarossa was initiated when the Germans invaded the Soviet Union. To their bitter surprise, they encountered the nearly invincible T-34 and KV tanks - proving to be immune to all weapons. Even the armor piercing rounds from the Panzer 38(t), III and IV were repelled by the sloped armor of the T-34 - a feature little used by other nations, but one that has proven useful for the development of resistant tanks; and the heavy armor of the KV-1. The only thing that could take down the Soviet tanks were the 88 mm Flak 36. With that, the Germans developed a new 88 mm cannon for the Henschel and Porsche prototypes - both receiving the prototype name as VK.45.01 - with H standing for Henschel and P for Porsche - and the two companies had their deadline for April 20 1942 - Adolf Hitler's 53rd birthday. The Porsche prototype suffered from engineering problems due to a complex gasoline-electric hybrid engine installed on the tank and hoping to win the contest they built several chassis - which later became the Ferdinand / Elefant tank destroyer. The Henschel prototype was simple and a little cheaper to build - receiving the designation Panzerkampfwagen VI Ausf H1 (Ausf for ausfuhrung - variant or model in German). It saw action on all fronts - from Tunisia (North Africa) to Sicily and North Italy, France, Ardennes, Leningrad and Stalingrad to Kursk (Eastern Front) and the final days of WW2. It proved to be superior to almost all Allied tanks like the M4 Sherman, M5A1 Stuart, M3 Lee, Matilda, Valentine, Churchill Mk II and Mk V, T-34-76 and KV-1 tanks - thanks to its 88 mm KwK 36 cannon and a powerful front and side armor. It also counted with a German MG34 and/or MG42 for anti-personal and anti-air defense and some smoke canisters located at the turret side. However, due to its firepower and armor, the biggest issues were its speed, mobility and weight. It was powered by a Maybach HL210 P45 gasoline engine - capable of providing 485 kW (650 hp) at 3,000 rpm - quite a good engine but underpowered for a vehicle like the Tiger I. Its suspension system also suffered considerably during the Rasputitsa - a muddy condition that made it difficult for many German vehicles and tanks to move across unpaved terrain, especially for the Tiger I with its heavy armor protection and its poor engine. With some units suffering from engine failures, lack of spare parts and fuel, the crewmen demolished their own Tiger tanks to avoid capture, although few units fell to Allied and Soviet hands. Knowing its strengths and weaknesses, the Allies introduced new anti-Tiger tactics and tanks like the Sherman Firefly, Cromwell, Comet, M26 Pershing, M36 'Jackson' Tank Destroyer, M4A3E8 and Sherman Jumbo, T-34-85, IS-2, SU-100, SU-122, SU-152 and ISU-152 to confront the Tiger at safe distances. Also, the Allied nations counted with air superiority to spot and take down German tanks. The Tiger I had its production interrupted in 1944 due to the development of a new heavy tank and its successor: the Tiger II. With the end of WW2, few Tiger tanks survived - with one in particular the Tiger 131 - a Tiger I captured by the British during the Battle of Tunisia - that is still in display at the UK's Tank Museum and it was also the first operational Tiger tank to appear in WW2 movies like Fury (despite the duel scene between Tiger and the Sherman tanks was a little off in WW2 tank warfare consensus). Variants included the Befehlspanzer Tiger (command tank) and the Sturmtiger (a mobile bunker with a powerful but slow mortar capable of destroying buildings and tanks at long distances).
Let me show you the images of the Tiger tank.
The Tiger tank received its first components like the chassis, turret and the 88 mm KwK 36 cannon. Since it has few curved / smooth parts that require a Subdivision Surface, I may use it along the Bevel modifier for the chassis while the turret, the commander hatch and the cannon will use the Subdivision Surface - with the last component having the Solidify Modifier.
After these renders, I made few adjustments and new components.
I removed the excess layers from the hull for the suspension system and the tracks. Since blueprints has few details that could help, I need to download more photos for reference. The turret has been modified according to the blueprints and the photos. The hardest part was the turret ring - which I have little idea how that component was. The KwK 36 was also adjusted after I noticed it wasn't aligned to the center.
New components were the casing for the Maybach engine exhaustion outlet and the mantlet for the MG34 - located at the hull. Honestly this tank is a little easier for the considerable numbers of flat / solid objects, but there will some challenge for the other components.
The next components for the Tiger I are: the suspension system, the engine exhaustion outlet, the driver sight, the hatches, the tracks, the cannon mantlet, the wiring system, the working tools like axes and shovels, the decals (I can re-use it from the Panzer I), a good painting and rigging the tank.
Well, that's it for now my friends. I hope you enjoy this Blog. In case I have some spare time to enjoy, I'll be working on other things aside from Blender projects and my personal things. Until the time comes, you will be surprised to see them. See you next time.
My DeviantArt:
My second Youtube channel:
My other Blogspot places:
My Facebook page:
My Instagram:
Note: Don't you dare to download these images and re-share it without my permission. If you do, please, leave the original author name.
Comments
Post a Comment