“We will attack in staggered formation. First, Lion on the assault, second Panther.”
– Actor Robert Shaw portraying the fictional Colonel Martin Hessler, “Battle of the Bulge”
We waited until today, Valentine’s Day, to throw open the pre-order doors for Walterson’s newest 1:16 scale entrant to its wildly successful Extreme Metal series. Due out later this year, their first introduction picks up where the series left off with Unimax, by offering a mid production Tiger I heavy tank. The mid production version features a revamped cupola with side-swinging hatch as shown in this picture. The mid-production version also boasts the early model road wheels, which proved to be insufficient in dealing with mud during the rainy season. The vehicle does not come with the rear-mounted Feifel air filters that became standard with the release of the late-production Tiger series.
Waltersons has indicated that the retooled tank will come with sprockets and road wheels that are made of diecast metal instead of plastic, thereby enabling smoother operation on flat surfaces. Thus far, it’s not clear which commander and unit will be portrayed, although they have indicated the vehicle will include a fully detailed interior compartment as well as all of the attendant accessories and paraphernalia that have made previous releases such a success in the marketplace. With several of their previous releases commanding in excess of $1,000 or more in the secondary marketplace, this is one introduction you may not want to pass by.
Here are some recent eBay listings showing similar, previously released 1:16 scale Tiger I tanks and their asking prices:
And, there’s even one listing for the Maybach engine by itself that came with previously released Tiger I tanks: