"In 1940 I could at least fly as far as Glasgow in most of my aircraft, but not now! It makes me furious when I see the Mosquito. I turn green and yellow with envy.
The British, who can afford aluminium better than we can, knock together a beautiful wooden aircraft that every piano factory over there is building, and they give it a speed which they have now increased yet again. What do you make of that?
There is nothing the British do not have. They have the geniuses and we have the nincompoops. After the war is over I'm going to buy a British radio set - then at least I'll own something that has always worked." Hermann Göring, January 1943.
Given that the same 'piano factory' designed and built the 'Tiger', which has, despite some 'operational abuse' survived the test of time. Given that the inherent simplicity and 'toughness' of the design made it 'easy' to repair. Given that 'in the old days' the engineers were, by nature, no less interested in doing the 'right thing'. I am left wondering: allowing for the passage of time, the different operator interests, multiple inspections and 'rebuild' phases of the 'modern' Tiger, could even the most slip shod workmanship of the past affect today's tiger, in such a dramatic manner?
The Grandfathers axe argument has real merit.