Airfix Tiger I 1:72 Airfix A02342

[Julien]

Tiger I

1:72 Airfix A02342 

 

 

Everyone that’s even a little bit interested in tanks will know the name of the dreaded Tiger tank from WWII, which was at the forefront of German armoured might, and if it wasn’t for the limited numbers on the battlefield coupled with their unreliability, plus Hitler’s meddling with his General’s decisions, the invasion in 1944 might have been much harder fought than it already was.  Designed to replace the Panzer IV but often fighting alongside it, the Tiger added extra armour and a larger 88mm gun similar to that of the successful Flak 37 artillery piece, and became one of the most dangerous tanks on the field in the later stages of WWII.  The drive-train was stressed to the max due to the huge weight of the gun and armour, which caused many vehicles to be lost due to breakdowns and subsequent abandonment and scuttling of the hull.  

 

The Kit

This is a new tool from Airfix and is 1.72 unlike some other small scale armour kits which were 1/76 scale. As you can expect from a new tool the moulding are crisp and clean, the plastic also seems to be a bit harder than some of the modern aircraft kits. In a departure from previous kits the rubber band tracks have gone. In this boxing both link and length tracks and single part tracks moulded with the wheels/bogies are included, it would seem Airfix are also going to release a "Simplified" version of this kit with only the single part tracks/wheels included. The first thing to do when starting construction is to select which track types you want and follow the instruction steps for that one. 

 

 

First up the lower hull is built. The sides are attached to the base and the front and rear bulkheads are added. The main top of the tank is then added and the side plates with track guards go on.  At the rear the engine exhausts with their covers, and the rear mud guards are attached. At the front the bow machine gun and drivers vision port are added. To finish of the hull the tow cables are added.

 

 

Construction now moves to the turret. The gun mantlet is built up and then placed in between the tow side of the turret. No glue is used here if you wish the gun to elevate. Hole are drilled in one side of the turret for attaching additional track links. Once the side are together the turret roof can be added along with the  rear storage locker. Hatches and vision blocks can then be added also. Next up the single part barrel goes on, the muzzle brake is in tow halves one moulded in and the other half now going on. 

 

 

If using the simplified tracks these can be glued together and attached to the tank, though this will leave a central seam. If not using the simplified tracks then you dont have to worry about the multitude of interleaved wheels. Airfix have moulded these as one major part onto which the faces of the second row wheels are separate and now go on. The outer wheels are all individual parts. The drive sprockets are made up and then these attach to the front of the completed wheel assembly which also contains the return roller. The link and length tracks then go around the whole assembly.  To finish up the track assemblies are added to the hull along with the turret. 

 

Decals

The small decal sheet is from Cartograf so should post no issues, it has two schemes the Tiger commanded my Michael Wittmann, and a one in a white winter scheme, not very adventurous from Airfix on this one. 

 

 

• Tank commanded by M Wittmann, schwere Panzer-Abteilung 101, Normandy, 1944
• 2. Kompanie, schwere Panzer-Abteilung 501, Byelorussia 1943-44.

 

 

Conclusion

As well as Airfix's drive into 1/35 scale armour it is good to see them sticking with their roots and producing new kits for the small scale armour modeller. The kit looks really good in the box and their should be an appeal to the younger modeller with the simplified track details, or even a market for war gamers?  Highly recommended. 

 

 

Review sample courtesy of 

 

 

[Yorkshire man]

Wrong wheels, no extra track for lower plate and no zimmerit for it to be his tank.

[FalkeEins]

On 1/14/2021 at 9:46 PM, Yorkshire man said:

Wrong wheels

 

on the box-art and side view perhaps.  There does appear to be a set of 'steel' wheels in the box