WWII German Super Tank "Maus" - 1:35 ET Model

[Mike]

WWII German Super Tank "Maus"
1:35 ET Model

Dragon's Maus kit has been lurking for some years now, being one of Dragon's earlier kits that is quite well regarded, and has stood up to the tests of time and not been superseded. This is a simple set that contains three frets of Photo-Etch (PE) brass to enhance the detail of this behemoth. The kit itself is large and slab-sided, with minimal exterior detail that could benefit from a huge set, but the set will improve the kit subtly and adds a new crew-ladder, which was the only way to get aboard under normal circumstances. This will give a sense of scale to the tank, which is around the size of a house brick even at 1:35 scale.

The ladder is built up from a single piece for the main frame and steps, with a grab hoop at the top added from two additional parts. A stiffener bar fits across the bottom of the ladder to keep it stable, and if you're planning on handling it, you're probably better off soldering the parts together. No information is given on where it is placed for mounting, although I seem to recall it was on the forward fender area away from the massive turret. The vision blocks receive folded up replacements with a more detailed finish, and a stiffener sits under the main barrel and coaxially mounted 75mm gun, presumably to stop the coax from diverging from true during transport or firing. Pure speculation there, but it sounds plausible!

The plateau-like top deck is covered in large louvers to vent heat from the undoubtedly hard-pressed drive-train that had to drag along its immense 100 tonne bulk with only just over 1,000hp to do so. These were backed up by smaller mesh grilles that were curiously placed within the main louvered, contrary to other German engine grilles. I've not been able to verify this either way, as the example at the Kubinka museum in Russia is a re-construction from available parts, and doesn't seem to be photographed from above too often. Make your own decision, but ET's designers must have been motivated to place them underneath for a reason. There are six mesh panels in total, two in mirrored pairs on each side of the deck, and two individuals at front and back of the deck. At the very front of the deck are a pair of C-shaped rails that are to be removed and replaced by PE parts, as are the two shorter ones on the glacis plate. The driver gets a new periscope and armoured cowl that sits just in front of his hatch, while the headlamp is provided with a more realistic bracket that requires removal of the kit's moulded in detail. Two track-links can be mounted on the front of the fenders by drilling four holes to accept short lengths of 0.5mm rod onto which the links are applied, and locked in place by the brass retaining bolts. This helps to break up the rather austere front of the tank, which has seemingly acres of thick, flat 200mm thick armour without a single thing to break it up.

Powered by a variant of the Daimler Benz DB603 aero engine, or a diesel fuelled MB 517 marine engine, the Maus was always going to have a prodigious thirst, which was fed by a huge internal tank, plus an external tank holding a further 1,500 litres. This was lashed to the rear of the tank, and the chunky kit brackets are replaced and the straps moulded into the tank are removed to be replaced by much more detailed and scaled PE parts that attach more realistically to the hull, rather than simply wrap all the way around the tank. The fuel hoses aren't addressed, but that shouldn't be too tricky if you can lay your hands on some pictures of the rear of the real thing.

As a little aside, there's a small stencil on the ladder sheet in the shape of a sickle, which you can use to indicate kills or overspray the German crosses with the Russian sickle to depict a captured vehicle.

Conclusion
A good set that although it has a fairly large area of brass, is relatively simple and quick to add to the kit. The improvement to detail is there, but I'm still scratching my head about those grilles, and whether they should be under or over

Highly recommended.

Available from White Ensign Models in the UK

Review Sample courtesy of

[Panzer Vor!!!]

Ok one to buy the maus needs summat to break it slab sides up

Cheers boss

[badger]

I really wish ET would downscale some of their sets to 1/72 as I have the Dragon kit built and ready for painting and this would improve it no end!!!

I suppose one can live in hope...........................................

Edited August 8, 2013 by badger

[Mandrake]

The Russian hammer and sickle was actually put on by the Germans during testing. The accepted theory is that any prying eyes would see it and assume that this was a captured Soviet vehicle rather than something they were producing.