Pzkw. VI Ausf. E Sd.Kfz. 181 Tiger I Late Production 3-in-1 Kit

by Cookie Sewell
 

Summary

Dragon's 1/35 scale Sd.Kfz. 234/4 is available online from Mission Models
 

FirstLook

There is a point in life when the number of versions of a specific vehicle offered tend to boggle the mind of the average modeler; in the words of Al Capp's famous mountaineer, Li'l Abner, "it's cornfusin'." Such is the case for most of us when it comes to DML's Tiger releases.

There are now five of them on the market based on availability (at least one is "sold out") and as near as I can figure it looks like this:

Kit Number Production variants Release Date Parts in kit Price

6252 Initial Jan 2005 756 $32
6253 Late Jul 2005 1,134 $45
6286 Initial - DAK Oct 2005 950 $45
6350 Early "Wittmann" Nov 2006 1,053 $100 (cyber-hobby.com)
6406 Late Jun 2007 720 $45

Most kits were "3-in-1" kits, but in this case the choice was basically a line tank, company commander, or battalion/regimental commander based on radio antennas. This new kit is also a "3-in-1" with the same level of options and command antennas. The "Initial" production ones were either the dual "saddlebag" bin ones used near Leningrad or single bin "common" versions with "Fiefel" air cleaners. The "Early" Wittman tank was a special release "boutique" version, but the late ones have the final "Steel Wheels" vice the "Rubber Tired" wheels and a number of detail options for specific sub-variants based on build date.

The main difference between the kits other than their variant was the inclusion of either more or less etched brass (five frets being the maximum noted), figures, and the use of regular, "Magic Track" links or now the much simpler DS plastic runs. Some purists have already squawked about the latter, but many modelers have found out the hard way to be careful what you wish for, as single link tracks, some consisting of as many as five parts a link, may look good but are incredibly boring and tedious to build, plus generally quite fragile on top of it. The DS plastic looks good, takes paint well, and glues with common plastic solvents; it also permits undercutting such as the pin ends of the track and even open teeth to replicate castings as is the case here. Overall, cleanup is simple and I do believe most people will like these better. The two "sag guides" from previous kits are included so you can get a good fit over the wheels with the tracks.

There are a great number of options with the kit: two styles of idlers, two different rear plates, three different mantelets, two different turret roofs, two different commander's cupolas, two different muzzle brakes – the list goes on. As before a partial interior is included for the engine compartment as well as all of the torsion bars and the 8.8 cm gun breech in the turret.

There are still some oddities, such as no zimmerit yet even though it has been provided on the 1/72 versions of this tank. I suppose some modelers prefer doing their own and matching a specific tank, but for the majority providing it would make life easier. While the mount for the AA MG is provided, no machine gun is provided in the kit once again.

I noted changes in only three of the sprues that came with the kit from the previous "late" version, but DML has once again included a four page "brag book" as to what has been done to the kit. They state they have redone the mufflers and armored covers for the rear plate, fixed some problems with the turret escape hatch, redone the hull shell to make more use of "Slide Molding" features, and provided for the use of a engine pre-heater (read blowtorch) at the rear of the hull. However, if you wish to use that you will have to either knock one together from scratch or use the one in the VW Starter kit that DML just released.

The amount of etched brass has been reduced, and my take on that is that the molds have all been "tweaked" a bit to clean up earlier problems and thus much of the brass detailing is now superfluous.

The kit comes with a nice sheet of targeted Cartograf decals and a choice of one of six different finishing options, all but one in a variety of late war tricolor schemes: "334", 1./s.Pz.Abt. 505, Nowe Koszary 1944 (green over Panzerbraun); "122", 1.s. SS-Pz.Abt. 101, Normandy 1944; "242", 2./s. SS-Pz.Abt. 102, France 1944; "304", 3./s SS-Pz.Abt. 101, Normandy 1944; "933," 9./s. SS-Pz.Regt. 3, 3rd SS Panzer Division "Totenkopf", Poland 1944; and "133", 1./s. H. Pz.Abt. 510, Kovno 1944. Technical assistance and research for this kit came from David Byrden, Tom Cockle and Gary Edmundson.

In summary, this is a nice kit and simpler to assemble due to the lesser amounts of brass and single-section track runs, but I am not sure how many more Tigers the market can absorb with relatively minor "tweaks" between kits or choices of options.

Highly Recommended.

Sprue Layout

A 26 (Tiger I generic) 8.8 cm gun
B 40 (Tiger I generic) drivers and idlers
C 39 (Tiger I Late) fenders and alternate drivers
D 30 (Tiger I Late) turret
E 35 (Tiger I Late) turret roofs and optional details
F 12 (Tiger I Late) hull sternplates
G 31 x 2 (Tiger I Late) Steel road wheels
g 4 (Command antenna) star type
H 54 x 4 (Tiger I Late) torsion bars and single track links
J 39 (Tiger I generic) interior components
K 12 (Tiger I Late) hull roof and grilles
L 2 (Command antenna) whip type
L 12 (Tiger I generic) clear blocks
MA 99 Etched brass (Tiger I Late)
MB 1 Spring
MB 1 Prebent wire
MB 4 etched brass
MB 1 Preformed etched brass
N 2 (Command antenna) whip type
P 39 (Tiger I Late) hull sides and cable details
R 15 (Tiger I Late) turret stowage bin
S 9 (Tiger I Late) clear
U 2 (Tiger I Late) cupolas with or w/o rain gutters
TA 5 (German OVM) pioneer tools
TB 9 (German OVM) jack and hooks
TC 4 (German OVM) cable heads
TD 4 (German OVM) small cable heads
TE 4 (German OVM)
W 2 DS tracks
X 1 (Tiger I generic) hull bottom
Z 2 Twisted steel wires
 

Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.