Porsche Turret King Tiger w/2T crane

Plastic model kit for an Sd.Kfz. 182 Pz.Kpfw. VI Tiger Ausf. B "King Tiger" with Porsche turret and 2-ton field crane

• 1:35 scale
• Field crane can be built in two different versions
• Two different gun barrels
• Two different 3D-printed muzzle brakes
• Includes clear parts, metal parts, and photo-etched parts
• Workable individual-link tracks
• Hatches can be built open or closed
• Workable gun with breech details
• Side skirts (Schürzen) as separate parts
• 5 marking options
• Unassembled, unpainted
• Paint and glue not included

The Sd.Kfz. 182 Panzerkampfwagen VI Tiger Ausf. B "King Tiger" (Königstiger), featuring the so-called "Porsche turret" and a 2-ton field crane, is one of the particularly distinctive early variants of this German heavy tank. With a combat weight of around 69 tons, the King Tiger was the heaviest German mass-produced tank of World War II and was powered by a 700 hp Maybach HL 230 P30 V12 gasoline engine. Its main armament consisted of the powerful 8.8 cm KwK 43 L/71 gun, supplemented by 7.92 mm MG 34 machine guns.

The turret often referred to as the "Porsche turret" was actually designed by Krupp. The name stems from the fact that the first 50 turrets were originally intended for the VK 45.02 (P) developed by Porsche. After the Henschel chassis was selected over the Porsche design, the turrets that had already been manufactured were mounted on the first 50 Henschel King Tiger chassis. A characteristic feature is the heavily rounded turret front—approximately 100 mm thick—with its distinctive gun mantlet. The tall commander's cupola and the early arrangement of the turret hatches also distinguish these turrets from the later version.

However, the curved turret front had a ballistic disadvantage: at certain impact angles, projectiles striking the turret front or the gun mantlet could be deflected downwards, thereby endangering the significantly more thinly armored roof section of the hull. Consequently, on the later "Henschel turret"—also manufactured by Krupp—the turret front was fundamentally redesigned to have a flatter profile.

The addition of a 2-ton auxiliary crane is of particular interest regarding maintenance, repair, and overhaul operations. Such an auxiliary crane enabled the lifting of heavy components and facilitated tasks involving the engine, transmission, or running gear, for example. For a vehicle as complex and heavy (weighing around 69 tons) as the Tiger II, this type of support was of considerable practical value for field repairs. A Tiger II featuring the early Porsche turret and a 2-ton auxiliary crane is therefore particularly well-suited for depicting a maintenance or workshop vehicle in frontline service, combining the distinctive early turret design with unusual and technically interesting maintenance equipment.