Tiger 131 is running!

[rw527]

For those that might be interested in Tiger tanks, Tiger 131 is almost complete. The engine has been reinstalled and and the vehicle went for a test drive. Tiger 131 is one of only six PzKpfw VI left in the world. It is being fully restored and will be the only operational Tiger in existence.

Check out the web page and see more photos here: http://www.tiger-tank.com/

http://www.tiger-tank.com/secure/photos/journal45_a.jpg

[Aries]

I wonder if we can get a few hollywood directors to actually look at the thing and accept that this is what the f**king thing looks like.

Or more importantly. if this group can do this much, surely hollywood can make a decent copy with a wooden body so that it actually looks like the real thing.

[VW]

Hollywood's problem is that they want to drive it around in the movies and I don't think a wooden mock up could do that. Making it look real for up close shots is difficult I am sure.

The Tiger in Kelly Heroes does not look convincing, but the one in Saving Private Ryan was not far off. If you looked close you could tell it had the incorrect road wheels and suspension system, but I guess that is the best they could do.

Maybe now that this one is working they can use it for movies.

[Aries]

They could easily drive one around, weight it inside so it moves right and has the right look of heaviness, make the chassis with correct looking road wheels even if without them being made out of the same original steel. Remember, most tanks were basically shaped like a box for a hull, so making a fake Tiger should be brain dead easy. I guess hollywood is just worse than brain dead is all.

I mean the only thing it would not do is stop tank rounds correctly hehe.

We have all seen the money they lavish on other stupidity (like over paid worthless actors). So making a wooden mock up tank is not going to be a task out of reach.

Hollywood just needs to stop placing all their effort on worthless inaccurate special effects and lame excuse actors. Windtalkers was an unmitigated piece of garbage. The special effects were disgusting, and Nicolas Cage was useless (not to mention the movie was supposed to be about the indians not him).

[VW]

Windtalkers was a stinker. Has anyone here seen the German movie Stalingrad?

[ToxicShock]

Windtalkers was a stinker. Has anyone here seen the German movie Stalingrad?

Yes, I have seen it. I also watched Winter War at the last CASLO (which was a reprise of the Finnish-Russian war in 1940).

[Chris Milne]

I have Stalingrad on DVD. Not seen Winter War though.

The most egregious war-movie-AFV-error must surely be Guns of Navarone. Lots of Greyhounds and Walker Bulldogs lined up on the esplanade pretending to be German tanks on a Greek island :)

I think a big problem with mocking-up tanks for movies will be the feel. I'm sure that a wooden mock up of a Tiger would look totally wrong once it started moving...
Perhaps is Spielberg and Hanks come back over here to make their next film/series, I'll get the chance to ask :)

[rw527]

Stalingrad is good. How about Enemy at the Gates. What did you think of that?

[Chris Milne]

EatG the film was average. Good moments and good actors let down by a boring script.
Unfortunately, I don't own OCS EatG :)

[Dr Zaius]

EatG the film was average. Good moments and good actors let down by a boring script.
Unfortunately, I don't own OCS EatG :)

The set was top notch. It really did look like Stalingrad and they went to some lengths to recreate some historic landmarks. The film was okay, but it should have been a lot better. I thought Khruschev stole the show.

[Priest]

Cool Tank.