This is a 1/48 scale assembly model of the German Heavy Tank Destroyer Elephant. The newly tooled 1/48 Elefant has extensive detail, even at this smaller scale, thanks to the extensive research conducted by Tamiyas designers to make the 1/35 scale rendition.
The development of the full-size Elefant is an interesting case study in weapons development. Its chassis was developed by Porsche in the design competition for the Tiger I, but while Porsche was sure enough of its success to ready 100 examples of the chassis before the end of the competition, the design was not chosen. The "left over" chassis were turned into the Elefant on the orders of Hitler in 1942 - some 90 examples were built by May 1943. With armor plates, up to 200mm thick and a powerful long-caliber 8.8cm gun, it was a formidable piece of equipment, and served German troops until the end of WWII.
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