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Hello all. I present you my last build 1/72 king tiger from revell. I liked the kit. The build was flawless. No need for extra efford. The paint scheme was choosen to be ambush camouflage used in the battle of the bulge. All painting process was completed with brushes only. The weathering was completed with oils and acrylics. All comments will be welcomed. Happy modelling

Hello fellows, Let me show some pics of my last model, the Tamiya King Tiger (Porsche Turret). I've tried to reproduce the camo scheme that is shown in the Tankmuseum... Here, the real thing: All the build was easy, as is usual in Tamiya, and the only problem I had were with the zimmerit. Applying it was a mess...; but, honestly, it was my fault... Apart from this, I'm pretty glad with the whole result, I hope you like it! I left out the right front fender. As you can see, I put and extra chain in the left side of the turret. ...and one slight layer of mud in wheels ans fenders. Your comments will be welcomed. And thanks for watching!! Josep

TopDrawings #99 Panzerkampfwagen VI Ausf.B Tiger II (9788366148703) Kagero Publishing via Casemate UK Hitler's obsession with "bigger is better" is well understood, and that coupled with his constant interference in things he knew little about hampered their attempts to take over Europe. The Tiger tank and its even larger sibling the King Tiger or Tiger II were both part of that escalating size battle, and even before the Tiger design was completed the original drive-train that was used in both tanks was under too much strain that would result in many abandoned or scuttled Tigers and Tiger IIs on the battlefield due to mechanical breakdowns. When either tank wasn’t broken however, they were a terrible foe for the Allies with the Tiger II having almost impregnable sloped frontal armour and a powerful 88mm cannon that could out-range almost every tank on the battlefield. It played havoc with the poor Shermans until the British 17-pounder was fitted to the Firefly, but the Sherman's thin armour was still no match for it and they had to use a tactic of sending several Shermans to try to outflank them and penetrate their thinner side and rear armour. Thanks to a complex design that was never fully streamlined, they weren't able to put Tigers or Tiger IIs into the field in sufficient numbers to halt the tide of defeat, with a small number of the beasts prominently displayed in propaganda films to terrorise the enemy, and very few reaching the frontline. Overall, it could be argued that the Panther was a more successful design than either Tiger when every aspect was taken into account, but they were the most feared on the battlefield despite their shortcomings. Most manufacturers with AFV kits in their range have offerings of this iron beast in all the main scales, as other people's King Tigers don't make money for them, and it's still an amazingly popular subject today as my stash in 1:35 will attest. The TopDrawings series majors on scale plans, which is the main thrust, but also includes a little background information, some pertinent profiles, and often a bonus of decals, loose-leaf plans or masks targeted at the subject matter in hand. With this edition, you get an A3 sheet of double-sided isometric drawings of Porsche and Henschel turreted King Tigers from various angles. The book is written in English on the left of the page, with Polish on the right, which translates to top and bottom for the captions to the various drawings within. The book itself is bound in a card cover with 22 pages, and the rear cover devoted to additional profiles of two tanks in interesting Dunkelgelb-based late war schemes. The first half of the plans begin with the Henschel turreted production machines, then the more complex Porsche turreted tanks that had the curved sides and tubular commander’s cupola side panel. The Porsche turrets were dropped after the simpler Henschel design was implemented, which leads to them sometimes being referred to as “Early”. After this the colour profiles show eight vehicles in differing ’44 dark yellow-based schemes, most wearing the mine-resistant Zimmerit coating that was initially applied from the factory, and includes a mix of Porsche and Henschel turrets. After the break there is another set of plans that focuses on the turrets both inside and out, then the complex wheel arrangement that also plagued the Tiger I, but without rubber tyres to reduce reliance of the scarce rubber of earlier designs. There are also cross-sectional drawings of the turret, detailed scrap drawings of the various aspects of the hull, as well as a detailed view of the running gear from below, showing the orientation of the interleaved wheels. The larger drawings are in 1:35 scale, but some are printed in 1:48 and 1:72 for convenience, and there are numerous front and rear views as well as some overhead and the aforementioned view from below to give a better look at the King Tiger's form. Conclusion These books are essential for the modeller that enjoys comparing their models against scale plans, and wants them to be as accurate as possible, with the loose drawings a pleasant addition. Review sample courtesy of

So, a King Tiger appeared down the chimney for Christmas It has been suggested that I should keep it for the Tiger Tank STGB in May. However, as this is currently my only kit, I couldn't wait that long, so here it comes (maybe I'll just get another Tiger for May ) I've read and watched loads about potential suspension problems, so it was with some trepidation that I cracked open the box yesterday. First impressions: the dark red plastic is slightly strange to start with. However, detail is very good. There's a nice little bit of PE for engine grills, and they've helped out with the tracks by including some 'ready-build' straight sections. No metal barrel for me However, really looking forward to it. Also, coming straight from a Panzer IV build, this feels huge Here goes... Straight into the chassis and wheels. The wheels come with poly-bushes which enable them to be taken on and off the chassis, which is really useful. Just sprue-attachment cleanup really. Despite the horror stories, the suspension sat really well, and the wheels are nice and flat on the surface. Maybe I just got a 'good kit'??? So I'm always learning. If you want to learn about the different Tiger II variants, then I can recommend this excellent video from the Tanks Museum: That's all for now... I'm not a quick worker, but will keep you all posted

Here is my second lock-down build and essentially my second scale model ever. The Tamiya King Tiger 1/35. All questions, criticisms and advice welcome.

Battle of Berlin (April 1945) (DS3506) 1:35 ICM The battle for Berlin was a bloody one between the advancing Russian Armies and the defending Germans fighting street by street, and sometime room by room. The main tanks for the advancing Russian was the T-34 while the Germans just made do with what ever they had left, these could include the odd King Tiger. While on a one to one basis the T-34 was out classed, the Russian had many more of them then the Germans had King Tigers, and the T-34 was a far more reliable Tank, Pz.Kpfw.VI Ausf.B King Tiger With Henschel Turret There has been a proliferation of Tigers and King Tigers of late, and this is ICM's take on this behemoth of WWII. This was a new tooling back in 2016. The successor to the much vaunted Tiger heavy tank instilled more terror in the Allied forces due to initial encounters lending an almost invincible air to the design. It was soon found that although it packed a formidable punch, and could absorb a lot of punishment, it was in fact a flawed design from an engineering point of view. Stressing the transmission even further than the Tiger I, they suffered terrible attrition due to breakdowns, leading to many examples being captured or scuttled by their crew if these breakdowns occurred under fire. When it worked, it was very difficult to kill, and could seriously outrange almost everything on the battlefield, but as with the Tiger I before it, the Allies worked out a strategy to take them out by cooperative attacks between multiple Allied tanks. As well as the reliability issues that were never fully addressed due to the state of the war, the complexity of the design was such that they were never available in sufficient quantities to make a difference, and even when they were, Hitler's obsession with micro-managing every aspect of the war led to some poor placement of resources. Many King Tigers were captured by the Allies and taken back for analysis, with a few remaining intact long enough to find their way into museums, such as the one at Bovington. The Jagdtiger was a development of the King Tiger, using the chassis to mount an even more powerful gun in a casemate, but again very few of these saw action too late in the war. Now for the hull. There isn't a traditional "tub" for the hull, and you start by building up the sponsons, final drive housing and the torsion bars for the suspension. The hull floor is a sled to which the lowest parts are added before being partially covered by the torsion bars that extend across the hull floor. The addition of the sponsons finishes off the lower tub The King Tiger was designed with overlapping pairs of road wheels, learning from the mistakes of the Tiger I which had interleaved wheels to spread the vehicle's weight, which could result in taking off up to 14 wheels if an inner one needed repair or maintenance. The all-up weight increased substantially between the two vehicles, so there are a LOT of pairs of wheels on a Königstiger, with nine axles each side, plus the idler and drive sprockets, all of which are assembled from two parts each and fitted to their respective swing-arms. These are capped off with hubs, and later in the build the tracks are wrapped around them. The upper hull is supplied as a traditional main part with a hole in the rear for the engine bay, turret aperture and the lift-out front section that encompasses the hull crew hatches. The radiator vents are moulded-in, giving no opportunity to display a radiator bay without surgery to the hull, which is a minor negative IMHO. Periscopes are slotted into the front of the hull, hatches are added to the front insert, mushroom vents to the engine insert, and the Kugelblende armoured blister surrounding the bow machinegun is backed with a box to receive the gun stub in preparation for installation, with a small forest of lifting lugs littering the engine deck and lift-out hatches. Armoured covers are fitted to the periscopes and the vents on the engine deck, which leaves it ready for adding to the lower hull in advance of adding all the various smaller parts such as track and pioneer tools, mudguards, armoured exhausts, towing cables,& shackles. The turret secures with a bayonet fitting, and an aerial is glued into a socket on the engine deck, completing the build phase. Markings There are four decal options included in the box, with enough variation in finish from white distemper through Dunkelgelb to two Ambush schemes, that will please most folks without resorting to aftermarket decals. From the box you can build one of the following (which strangely enough none are from Berlin?) Pz.Kpfw.VI Ausf.B, Tank black 300 Feldhernhalle Winter distemper over Dunklegelb , Hungary 1945 Pz.Kpfw.VI Ausf.B, Dunklegelb overall ,Pz.Abt. 503 Danzig March 1945 Pz.Kpfw.VI Ausf.B, Tank blue 332 Pz.Abt. 501 3 tone camo Ardennes Dec 1944 Pz.Kpfw.VI Ausf.B, Tank Red 008 Pz.Abt. 501, 3 tone camo Ardennes Dec 1944 This is an AFV, so the decal sheet is modest in size, with only a few markings on the sheet. The registration is perfect the sample, as is the colour density and sharpness, T-34 Here ICM have re-boxed their 2015 new tool T-34. It arrives in their usual box with the extra flap over the lower tray. Inside are six sprues and two hull halves in green styrene, tracks and towing cables in flexible black styrene, decal sheet and the instruction booklet, which is printed in colour and has profiles at the rear for painting and markings. From the description above, you'll note that these are rubber-band tracks, which suits some and not others, and if you're a fan of metal or individual link styrene tracks, you've probably got your favourite brands already. The detail is nice with a little room for improving the detail with some etched grilles etc., but for most of us the detail is pretty good out of the box, and even though this is an exterior only kit, you get an almost complete breech if you want to pose the turret hatches open, plus a driver's position. For a change the build begins with the upper hull, detailing it with bow machine gun installation with a movable ball, the armoured vents and filling in the other cut-outs on the engine deck, plus the driver's large hatch at the front, which is best left closed unless you're planning on scratching a full interior to back up the seats! The rear bulkhead, armoured exhaust spats and the pipes themselves are all added at the back, and it is then put to the side while the lower hull is prepared with some holes that need drilling, the suspension boxes gluing in behind the hull sides, and the fender extensions added at the rear. After saying there's no interior, there is a pair of control levers and two comfy seats to fit inside the lower hull, but unless you're crowding the area with some beefy figures, there's still a big gap behind them that might be seen. The axles with their swing-arms are all fitted to the hull after the two halves are joined, with two attachment points, the final-drive housing is built up at the rear, and the idler axle slots into the front in preparation for the road wheels, which are supplied individually to make into pairs before they are glued onto the axles. The same happens to the idler and drive sprockets on both sides, then some light detail is applied to the hull in the shape of towing shackles, tie-down bars, and the tracks are joined, then installed. The tracks are in two parts each, which link together seamlessly, but don't react to liquid cement at all, so use super glue (CA), although the instructions are mute on the subject. Aligning the joins at the centre of the track run should hide any visible seams, especially if you're going to paint and weather them with some mud and grit. There is a simple round plug with a built in hatch to replace turret. The hull is then finished off with additional fuel tanks and tarp rolls, plus two tow cables. Markings Again with the T-34 there are no Berlin specific markings. You get 4 options, the colour is any you want as long as it Russian green 1. Tank 242 7th Guards Tank Corps, Germany 1945 2. Tank 201 7th Guards Mechanised Corps, Germany Spring 1945 3. Tank 315 4th Guards Tank Army, Germany Spring 1945 4 Tank 5, unknown Unit, Germany 1945 Conclusion It is good to see ICM bringing us a double boxing like this. Highly recommended. Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd. Review sample courtesy of

Pz.Kpfw.VI Sd.kfz.182 Tiger II (Henschel Feb 45 Production) (84532) 1:35 Hobby Boss via Creative Models Often called the King Tiger (incorrectly) the Tiger II was a German Heavy Tank of WWII and was the successor to the Tiger I tank. The tank still had the thick armour of the original Tiger, however this was sloped like the Panther. The Tiger II weighed in at 70 tonnes putting increasing pressure on the drive train which was based on the original design, The tank featured a long barrelled 88mm gun. Even though orders were placed for 1500 tanks production was severely disrupted by allied bombing with only 492 being produced. Henschel won the design contract for the Tiger II and all the examples were produced by them. Two turrets were designed for the Tank; the rounded Krupp design (erroneously called the Porche turret), the second was the easier to produce angular turret (again erroneously called the Henschel turret). The Kit This is a re-boxing with additional parts of HobbyBoss's King Tiger from 2018. The kit arrives on 14 sprues of plastic for the tank, 11 track sprues,; separate upper & lower hulls, the turret casting, a small PE fret and a metal gun barrel. Overall a nice looking package. Construction starts with the lower hull; the torsion bars for the suspension are attached connectors for the wheels There are 10 pairs for road wheels for each side which are interleaved. Idler wheels, drive sprockets, and return rollers are also added. The tracks go on next. These are individual links which clip together, however care must be taken as the different sides build up slightly differently, this is not helped by the instructions not saying how many links are need for each side. Next up the rear bulkhead for the tank is built up with the exhausts being added. Once complete this can be added to the lower hull. The front MG and mount are then added into the upper hull. At the back the engine deck is made up and added along with tools and towing cables. PE mesh parts are provided for the intakes. The front hatches are then added along with the side skirts. The top hull is now added to the rear hull. Once its on the front mud guards are put in place along with a pair of towing shackles. At the rear another pair of mud guards go on. Moulded cables are provided for the sides. Work now moves to the turret. The commander copula is built up, next up the comprehensive main gun and breach are constructed. There is no interior in the rest of the tank, but the internals for the main gun are pretty good. The barrel is attached and HB provide an open muzzle, or a cover one for you to use. The Gun is added to the turret base and the main part of the turret added over it. The rear hatch is added along with the command copula. Spare track links are provided for mounting to the turret if the modeller wants. The turret is then joined to the hull. Markings Despite this being a big model, it has a smallish decal sheet. markings are provided for 6 different tanks, however there is nothing on the painting guide to indicate anything about them at all. Conclusion There is no doubt this will make up to a great looking model of the King Tiger. It is a shame HobbyBoss cant put in anything about the markings at all. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Hi friends, here you have my last build, a big project: the King Tiger from Takom. Tanks are not my preferred subject, but this one I think turns out quite well. I like specially the interior of the model. It's been difficult to me to ensemble the tracks, since this are separated and I don't know how to calculate how much of each goes for each side. I added some rifles and an MP40 in the interior and three used munitions. I'm think in sell this model... Thanks Ricardo https://flic.kr/s/aHsmHGoht5

Hi everyone, first time poster here. Recently finished a 1/72 scale King Tiger from Dragon. Thought I would share the results. If you think this should be moved to the diorama section, let me know. Thanks! Photos taken on my phone and square cropped for instagram, sorry about that!

So i want to upscale a king tiger (ive just bought a tamiya king tiger 1:35 model) most likely to either 1:16 or 1:10 scale and make it rc. I couldn't believe the price for 1:16 rc or non rc model so i decided i would make my own. I am fine with the programming and putting in the motors in etc. I could do with any advice or tips you would know on how to upscale it and then how to make the actual model. I dont really want to 3d print it if i can help it. I would like to injection mold it but i would have thought you would have to by a large quantities for manufactures to do so. Once again if you would know anything that would help that would be really helpful. Many thanks in advance!

Hi all, Might seem quite late in the day, but as I went away on a break with my family to Lincolnshire for a few days, I took this with me to work on over a couple of evenings. My Tiger construction history is somewhat limited - Failed to complete a 1:76th Fujimi Tiger as a child (Think the tracks defeated me) then more recently a couple of Zvezda wargame tanks and Meng's Cartoon Tiger. No "proper" efforts in that lot then... This is Airfix's recent King Tiger which I hoped would be a simple build despite there being 46 wheels! Do you know what? It has been so far - A couple of evening's work is all that it has taken to get here. The only thing to note is that the tracks are a bit of a pain - rather than the classic welded pin approach, these have had to be glued with CA but would recommend sewing the joints with invisible thread for good measure. I also stretched the tracks a little to relieve strain on the joint. Brush painted with Humbrol primer base coat, I then realised that the shade of Humbrol that I was using to represent Dunkelgelb wasn't correct. I had a pot of Vallejo Dark Yellow but find the greenish cast it displays a bit unpleasant - The only replacement I could find was Revell 88 Ochre so went with that for the topcoat. Vallejo Chocolate Brown and German Camouflage Green completed this phase of the painting. I was truly thankful to discover that the wheels on King Tiger's didn't have rubber tyres Hopefully more progress tonight now I'm back home. KR's IanJ

Hello All, Normally I only do 1/72 or 1/144 scale stuff and rarely venture beyond this. Even rarer, is a diorama attempt. Tamiya 1/48 King tiger (Porsche Production) figure from the Tamiya Wirblewind kit and a Black dog resin building + a custom made base. Just have to fiddle with getting her to sit properly on the base. Happy Modelling all. Ian

Wow. What a build. The final reveal: The build thread is at: Apologies - it's a bit long, and possibly a bit dull I've really enjoyed this one. The kit is excellent. I replaced the barrel, but that was just personal preference... The King Tiger. What a beast. Coming from from the Panzer IV, it is huge. I stuck with the kit tracks. and found them really good. To ensure that I could see the tracks, I left the side skirts off, and cut down the front mudguards. Tools were fiddly, as always, but loads of great definition from Meng. All good I'm really pleased with how the rear came out. Overall, a really good kit. Hard work (on my part), but worth it. Always learning... for this build: 3-colour hard edge camo is tricky, but doable. I like Panzer Putty Never try to do chipping with a sponge on a gloss coat, Duh A £2 box of artist pencils is better than expensive pigments Never ‘just give it a final coat of Dullcoat’... Just leave it as it is This model is broadly based on a number of photos/drawings, but does not try to ‘be’ a certain example. Comments happily received A bit of a rest now before the Jagdpanther!

Finally getting started on my first kit of 2019.Had this Meng Tiger II sitting around for a while and thought it was about time to get it done. Meng did a fantastic job with this kit and I'm really looking forward to seeing it complete. Also this is going to be my first time using Mig Ammo paints so we'll see how that goes... I have decided to go with the following camo scheme That's all for now but I will post a build update tomorrow.

Well I'll give this WIP thing another try..... Not an AFV builder at all really (last one I did was the Tamiya Tiger I 30 years ago) But a mate who is into tanks got me interested and the I saw the Takom 2047 at the lhs and next I was outside with that big box! A period of research followed/ continues, but my inspiration is Liejon Schoot's awesome build of the Trumpy 1/16 kit. I'm really hoping i'll push trough with this one, as i'm prone to getting stuck on details, and chasing my tails in research.... This means I jump about on subassemblies for the most part, modding anything that takes my fancy. some random stuff I have done so far, as i'm a random person... AAggghhhh...google photo's won't play nice...postimage it is.... tbc

Hi friends Here i want share to you my Academy King Tiger, which i built last year, i hope thats ok with you that i posting also models from my past. It was my first AFV from Academy, before i built always Tamiya, Dragon, Italeri and Revell. But the Academy kit was really a nice kit, even some parts have to many pieces, example the front machine gun holder have 6 pieces, where the Tamiya one have just 3 pieces, but the fitting was really well and it was a joy to build this kit. As you can see i am not a huge fan of tons of mud, maybe thats could be good for a diorama, but if i build my models just for the shelf then i dont make it so much dusty or muddy, coz i want show the model and not the mud. I wanted build a late version, so i paint it in a very light Dunkelgelb, the green is lightening NATO green from Tamiya even the brown too. so here we go Cheers Werner

Hi, Can anyone tell me please, how many sprues are included in this set? cheers, Peter

Panzerkampfwagen Tiger Ausf.B Construction & Development Peko Publishing The longwinded proper description of the Tiger II, King Tiger, Sd.Kfz.182, or Konigstiger as it is sometimes otherwise known might leave some potential readers a little confused, but the picture underneath the title leaves no doubt whatsoever that this is a book about the King Tiger. The subtitle is the Construction & Development, and this is exactly what the book is about. It arrives in a hard cover with 236 pages of glossy paper inside. Authored by Alexander Volgin, it is a detailed technical reference of the design history, construction methods and manufacturing of the largest and heaviest tank that saw service in WWII. The text starts with the gestation of the type, and traces its roots back to 1941, and the back-and-forth that led to the final design, after which it moves on to discuss the manufacturing in great detail, using German technical documentation, Allied forensic opinion, and lots of unusual photos from the factories that show the process in-depth, many of which I haven't seen before. There are also many technical drawings and general arrangement sketches relevant to the text surrounding them. The initial production is described in detail in chapter 3, and the adjustments to the design are noted in chapter 4, based upon their experience in the field. The problem there was that the whole drivetrain was over-taxed due to the massive increase in weight during design, which was at the heart of the vehicle, so extremely difficult to remedy. Fortunately for the Allies it was never satisfactorily resolved, which led to many King Tigers being abandoned due to breakdowns, rather than enemy action that would have cost lives and tanks. There were other factors holding back production such as the wholesale destruction of Nazi manufacturing by Allied bombers during this period, which is also touched upon, showing some of the factories and the state they were left in after carpet bombing missions by the USAF and RAF. When Allied command heard of the new tank with the 88mm high velocity main gun there were attempts to find out as much about it as they could, which continued after the war with extensive testing of captured examples. The Field Trials section contains information gleaned from these tests, and there are a number of interesting pictures of the vehicles used, as well as some of the weapons tests that were conducted against the armour, with each type of round used being assessed for potency and effectiveness. Tests of the KT's gun were also conducted against their own armour, showing the some catastrophic damage to a Russian IS-3 that was probably kept very quiet at the time. The final page gives a list of references that were used in compiling this very useful volume. Conclusion This is a serious book about the King Tiger, and isn't just about the pictures. There is a lot to read, some of which is quite technical, so will keep you entertained for a while. The photos, diagrams and drawings are of great interest to armour aficionados, and whether you're a modeller or not, it will be a good read. Review sample courtesy of

King Tiger, Initial Production Takom 1:35 Hitler, and therefore Nazi Germany was obsessed with bigger which they equated with better, and this was reflected in almost every aspect of arms production in the run-up to, and throughout World War II. After the Panzer IV had been matched by Allied designs, the Tiger addressed the balance back in their favour, becoming the most feared combatant from any force, despite several draw-backs of its design, such as a weak transmission, and a level of complexity that meant it was slow to manufacture, prone to break-downs and expensive to repair. Expecting the Allies to bring heavier tanks to the field before too long, the King Tiger, Tiger II, or Königstiger as the Sd.Kfz.182 was known came into existence, having begun development even before the war started. Porsche's ground-breaking and complex design was unsuccessful for this reason, while the Henschel proposal was taken forward to production, using the same underpowered Maybach engine that was barely adequate for the Tiger I, and taking on the sloped armour of the successful Panther to significantly increase the effective thickness of the armour whilst keeping weight down to a staggering 70 tonnes. The initial turrets had curved surfaces that were difficult to manufacture, and a redesign was necessary to cure this and remove the shot-trap under the mantlet, with the new design being known today as the Henschel turret, while the old design became the Porsche turret, although both were designed by Krupps. A weak transmission design, coupled with the underpowered engine ensured that many vehicles broke down in the field, and plans were in progress to improve both aspects with fuel-injection and a new drive-train, but were curtailed by the end of the war. Most of the initial order of 1,500 units were built under difficult circumstances due to bombing of the factories and the encroaching Allied forces, and despite its problems it became one of the icons of German tank design of WWII, with a number surviving to be placed in museums, with some still running. The Kit We have had a few King Tiger (KT) kits in 1:35 over the years, but nothing new for quite a while, and at times the preferred brands have been hard to come by with prices reaching silly levels on eBay. Takom's new range of KT kits aims to provide a full set of these imposing tanks, with and without Zimmerit anti-mine coating, with Henschel and Porsche turrets, and with or without interiors. This should cater for almost every possibility, and if you like your tanks buttoned up, you won't be wasting the interior if you buy wisely. The type included from the box is that of the initial production, it therefore includes the Porsche turret and no Zimmerit. It is this and the paint schemes that are represented that make it one of the plainest King Tigers built. Inside the box are a lot of sprues, taking up almost all the available space. There are ten sprues, two hull parts and upper turret in a grey styrene, one sprue of clear parts, one small sheet of Photo-Etch (PE) brass, and a very small decal sheet. The instruction guide is in the by-now-familiar Takom format, in landscape A4, with a separate booklet for the painting instructions. All the parts are beautifully moulded with no sign of flash or other imperfections, but there are quite a few moulding pips, and for those modellers who have an aversion to indie link tracks, look away as, although these are link and length, each individual link is connected to the sprue by no less than ten gates which will require the nice tedious job of cleaning them up before fitting. Before building can begin, you will need to decide which of the four versions you wish to build as certain parts of the front glacis plate and hull deck need to be removed, as well as some holes to be opened up. Construction begins with the the road wheels and the sprockets are made up from two parts whilst the idlers are three part units. Once the gearbox covers and axles, which you will have to be careful in getting the parts fitted int eh right order, have been fitted to the hull all the wheels can be attached to their relative axles. There is a separate lower glacis plate to be attached as well. With all the track links and lengths cleaned up it’s just a case of patience and following the build guide carefully, ensuring it sags in the correct places. Work then begins on the upper hull and the fitting of the towing cables, pioneer tools, and the separate panel for the drivers and bow gunners hatches. Inside, there is a large panel glued to the inside of the glacis plate, along with the two periscopes. The three piece bow machine gun is then assembled and glued into the ball socket in the bow plate. Then, on the outside the rest of the ball mechanism is fitted, along with the armoured hood. The track guards are also added at this point, although I’d probably leave them off until the entire hull is complete and the tracks fitted. Once you’ve decided which version you are building he rear bulkhead is fitted out with the engine gearbox cover, a smaller access hatch, the alternative exhausts and exhaust covers, track puller, the two rear mudguards and rear mounted towing shackles. The completed bulkhead is then attached to the rear of the hull. On the rear upper hull alternative centre engine covers, one is fitted with three individual engine hatches each fitted with a ventilation style dome and two other access hatches. The alternative centre hatch is fitted with a single large hatch each with two ventilation domes. There are also alternative radiator covers, attached each side of the centre hatch, there have different grilles and on one style the grilles are covered by armour plate. Each of the centre mounted circular opening is covered by PE grilles. Each assembly is then glued into position. The upper hull is then glued to the lower, then the upper bow mounted track guards are fitted, followed by the three piece bow mounted light and lower, inner gearbox covers, to which the towing shackles are attached. The turret is assembled next, with the single piece centre section of the turret fitted with the roof, inner rear bulkhead, gunners internal hatch framing, inner section of the commanders cupola, outer rear bulkhead gunners hatch actuator, in open or closed position, three piece gunners hatch, periscope cover, small access hatch and grab handles. The large eight piece rear mounted hatch is then attached with its hinge covers, along with the roof mounted ventilator cover or alternative cover plate. The turret base is fitted with the gun trunnion section via two trunnion mounts and then glued to the turret. The outer commanders cupola is fitted with the seven periscope covers before being glued into position. There are two types of gun barrel, dependent of which version is being built, each made up from five parts before being fitted to the mantlet and the breech end within the turret. The completed turret is then attached to the hull, completing the build. Decals There are four paint schemes, one for each version. All the paint codes are for AMMO paints, but with the German names for each colour. There are six schemes with vehicle numbers; the other two just have generic crosses etc. The decals have been printed by Takom and although only a small sheet they are nicely printed, in register with good opacity. Three of the options are from November 1943 when at the Henschel Factory, each in the same Dunklegelb overall with Panzer grey barrel and red brown muzzle. The one different scheme is for a vehicle from January 1944 at the Henschel tank proving grounds, Houdenbeck, Germany, in Panzer grey overall Conclusion This is a very nice kit, as we have come to expect from Takom. The track links could cause some modellers sleepless nights, but with a bit of patience they should be fine. Other than that a fairly easy build and will look great in any collection. Review sample courtesy of UK Distributors for

Last year I purchased the meng king tiger and full interior set. While I was preparing for the build I noticed that I couldn't find many sites showing a step by step guide in construction (I have recently found out that there are many and I just wasn't looking), so I have decided to log the build on this feed. I am aiming just to build the kit straight out of the box. I hope everyone enjoys my work. I will post more pictures as and when I manage to get bench time.

Hey Everyone, A new tank has found it's way onto my workbench, The mighty King Tiger Background The German Tiger Ausf. B, or King Tiger was arguably the very best tank that was put onto the battlefield during WW2, as well as the most costly. With each unit requiring some 300,000 skilled man hours to complete, the King Tiger went into serial production in December 1943 at the Henschel factory in Kassel. At the peak of production it took only 14 days to complete, and by the end of the war 492 examples were ultimately produced of the 1500 units ordered due to the intense Allied bombing campaign. With frontal armor reaching up to 150mm thick and side armor 80mm thick, this nearly 70 ton tank was built around the famous dual-purpose semi-automatic 88mm canon firing armor-piercing or high explosive rounds, the KwK 43 (L71) production by Krupp, with the T.Z.F.9b/1 binocular gun sight (later followed by the monocular T.Z.F.9d) built into the cradle. This set-up allowed the tank to engage virtually any enemy tank before it could come within firing range. The Henschel production version carried 86 rounds of internally stored ammunition for the main gun. Additional armament came in the form of 3 Rheinmetall Machinengewehr 34's with 5800 rounds; one mounted in a kugelblende on the right bow position; one mounted coaxially to the main gun; one mounted externally to the commander's cupola. This massive tank was mobilized by a OLVAR EG40 12 16B mechanical transmission with 8 forward and 4 reverse gears powered. The only other variant of the King Tiger was the Hunting Tiger, or Jagdtiger. With the exception of the initial prototype, all King Tigers were coated with zimmerit until September 11, 1944. The King Tiger dominated the battlefield in terms of capabilities, but often suffered from shortages of lubricants & fuels. These tanks proved themselves in battles ranging from Normandy, the Ardennes, Lake Balaton, and Berlin. Although they lived up to the expectations of the 'Wunderwaffe', the King Tigers were ineffective in stopping the overwhelming numbers they faced on the battlefield. Today there are a total of 11 King Tigers preserved around the world, with the rest having been long lost to the scrap yards. The Kit So I have decided to go with the Takom King Tiger Sd.Kfz.182 1/35 Henschel Turret with Full Interior. The Build So on with the build, Looking at the parts there is very little flash and the parts are detailed and well formed. Here is some shots of the Hull: This is where I decided to start the build, It made sence to start at the bottom and work my way up and after a few painting mistakes I made with my other Tiger build the lesson had been learned. So some progress: I have since given the base a coat of Mig-014 Rotbraun and im waiting on it drying before adding some details and Mig-017 Cremeweiss to the side sills: That's as far as I have got today, more to come over the weekend Chris

I have been working on the Trumpeter Tiger II for almost half a year now (yes I have pictures of the progress). But I've run into a problem with the Turret basket, on the real Tiger II there is the diamond plating at the bottom of the basket and in the kit the basket is bare. I also noticed that the diamond pattern around the turret basket is also incorrect and they are missing the diamond pattern for the drivers' feet. I am curious as to where one could acquire the correct diamond pattern and size. I have been looking around and couldn't find anything that is correct.

Mengs 1/35 scale King tiger or Bengal tiger as the correct translation from German word Königstiger. And that animal name was the reason to start this. As “Beast of Nature” was the subject for a scale modelling show in Friesland and also for the upcoming IPMS euro scale modelling on 25 November. However my last tank build experience was over 25 years back. Thought it would be an relative easy build. I was totally wrong! By that I meant the painting and weathering job. Not the superb plastic fit. Only one intervention was needed to align the suspension (those axis were the wheels are mounted on). From late 1944 the Tigers camouflage scheme were (factory dilivered) hard edged patterns. At SennelÄger (Germany) Schwere Panzer-Abteilung 509 (sPzAbt 509) received their new Tigers ausf. B in the last months of 44 till January 45. It was then hastily send to Hungary where they were partly white painted for the operations in winter conditions. From 18 January to 9 May 1945, sPzAbt 509 was continuously involved in offensive fighting in Hungary and (until the surrender to Americans) in Austria. So instead of using simple hand airbrush spay technics a lot of effort was done to simulate the hard edge pattern. To give the model more colour appealing I did not paint the tooling on the hull sides white. But I suspect that in real those tools were also white. The tracks are from Dragons mini tracks series and the tank crew figures from MiniArt. The display is made from wood, filler and bakers flour. Some steps from the construction process followed with final outdoor photographs . Thank you for watching.

Hi Folks, So this is my first AFV build, I have previously being building things that only have wings so decided to give something different a go and try and learn a few new techniques along the way. I first spotted this kit when it came out and I was immediately drawn to it so I am glad I finally got my hands on it. It is the Takom 1/35 King Tiger full interior kit featuring Abt. 505. I will be doing my interpretation of how the tank would have looked at the time. Considering I haven't been able track down too many references of this particular KT I am taking a little bit of an artistic licence with the weathering and battle damage. I plan on building the tank as if it was engaging a target from a static position at a distance as I have learned these machines weren't built for close engagements. With this in mind it will mean leaving it buttoned up, but I am going to leave a large portion of the doors and panels unglued so they can be removed and you can have a look at the interior. Unfortunately I never took any pictures when I was building up the interior so I only have them after it has been built and painted but will try and keep up with pictures as I progress. I think I was a little heavy handed on the chipping, but should be able to clear all that up when I start weathering. The engine all painted up. I later gave this a run over of panel line wash and will rust up the exhaust pipes a little later. Also need to add some chipping. And the weathering begins...and finishes: I then started to put everything into place. Thankfully even with the paint everything managed to slip together nice and snug. I have added a lot of grime, oil and even a few leaves to portray the winter environment and the crew dragging the dirt inside the tank. Nothing special was used, litte european earth pigments, streaking grime for interiors, black night panel wash and also some black ink was flicked from the brush to replicate oil stains and spills. If anyone has any questions or comments please feel free to share and chat! Cheer

Ok so rather than Flooding the forum with a huge amount of new topics I'd just condense some of my favourite 1/16 models all done in the last 18 months. Theres a few more to come still!!! I've a Bulldog and tank transporter to detail and paint too.and will need to take some photos of my winter KV1 note the T34 interior was based on photos I took from inside one at a show that was happily driving around the arena... the amount of rust and paint flake has NOT been exaggerated album link as there are many more. https://flickr.com/photos/150255258@N02/sets/72157686523917386 Sorry so so many photos!!!