WWII German King Tiger Update set (with barrel)

[Mike]

WWII German King Tiger Update set (with barrel)

1:35 LionRoar

This set is designed to upgrade the detail of the already excellent range of Dragon kits of this late war behemoth, and is a special limited edition and includes a rather handsome turned metal barrel, and includes parts for both Henschel and Porsche turreted versions.

LionRoar's presentation is always impressive and this item is no exception. Packaged in a sturdy top opening box with captive lid, you are first greeted by the sight of bubble-wrap, ensuring that the parts are kept in perfect stasis for the journey from LionRoar's factory to Airbrushes.com and on to you.

Stripping away the bubble wrap reveals a large (and long) two sheet instruction booklet, and under that 4 card backed cellophane envelopes that contain the many components.

Topmost in my box was the envelope containing the barrel, which was quickly unwrapped and a test fit of the components attempted. The barrel is turned aluminium with a threaded business end to receive the multi-part flash-hider, with a small Photo-Etched (PE) fret of detail parts. The flash-hider itself is made up of front, rear, collar and internal bulkead, and fits together very snugly, all screwing smoothly onto the threaded barrel end. It really is a work of art, but my one gripe is that it isn't documented in the instructions, and it turns out that you should fit the smooth ring between the rearmost part of the flashhider and the next part, with the notched rings going either side of the circular "bulkhead" between the two front sections of the flash hider.

Also included in the top envelope is another bag containing two diameters of plastic and two of brass rod that will be used in the forthcoming construction. They really do include everything you'll need to complete the job, which is great and a lesson to other aftermarket producers.

The remaining envelopes contain further 6 frets of PE including a full set of fenders for scale thickness, which is great if you plan to damage them, as was often seen on battle weary machines. You also get parts to upgrade the detail on the rear of the hull, including exhaust shrouds, hinged "mudguards" and various equipment tied downs.

More tie downs are provided for the sides of the hull, as well as the mounting plates for the fenders, again handy if you are depicting any missing parts, and additional detail parts to spruce up some of the pioneer tools and fire extinguishers.

Moving on to the turret, you get details for the closing mechanism for the crew hatches, details for the vision blocks, inside of the hatch, anti-aircraft machine gun track for the commander's cupola, and spare track hangers.

The rear engine deck receives lots of little details and possibly the best PE renditions of the prominent grilles that cover the various louvred vents that cover the rear of most German tanks. The finesse of the detail is stunning, and realistically depicts the round nature of the mesh - I have no idea how, but it works perfectly and has to be seen. I know it's a little sad to get so excited by this feature, but so many sets provide perfectly flat, or computer regular mesh that doesn't really fool anyone but the casual 3ft distant viewer. I hope that this attention to detail will continue with future sets.

Conclusion

At the risk of sounding sycophantic, this is an excellent set and the inclusion of parts for both turreted versions, with variations in equipment between late and early production gives an indication that the designers have worked hard to get it right.

You will need to anneal (heat with a flame and air cool) some parts of the fenders to make them easier to bend, and a little magnification will be beneficial in constructing the realistic hinges of the front and rear sections, and for a bit more strength, I'd recommend soldering the front parts to avoid them coming unglued later.

A PE bending tool will make your job easier, and those fenders are just asking for some battle- and driver- damage, so don't forget to anneal them if you plan to mangle them a little. The inclusion of raised metal plates on the rear deck to counter air attack is another great touch, but it would be a shame to cover up those realistic mesh screens, so perhaps you'll need to pick up another kit to use up the spare parts.

Thoroughly recommended, but due to the delicate and complex nature of PE construction, some experience in working with this medium would be wise before tackling it. With care, this set will raise the detail level of Dragon's base kit to new levels.

Review sample courtesy of: