Tiger-1 Mid Version the Zimmerit conundrum

[steven_kerfoot]

Having been on somewhat of a 1/35 building kick since the pandemic started, I've worked my way through close to a hundred kits, mostly tanks, mostly WW2 and mostly German. The variation in camouflage compared to the Allies makes them a tad more interesting, but son I have a plethora of British, American and Soviet tanks to get through, and the experimental ones from the old USSR are especially high on my list. But before them, a last push to get through a dozen or so German heavies. Among the four Panthers, (one A with travel turret, one D with Zimmerit, one Dragon Nightfighter and one Dragon F), one very unusual E-100 by Modelcollect, (the metal twin barrels were a surprise) is my last Airfix Tiger, the mid-production.

If you've seen it, it's essentially a combination of the early and late versions, (duh) and this time it was going to be Zimmeritted. Unlike some kits, the Airfix doesn't have the wretched stuff as a separate part of already moulded on. No, they give you a wee applier and you have to attempt to find a substance that works for you to make the thin layer out of. It is a great way to ruin a kit current selling by Airfix for £52. Tamiya et al offer stick on kits for their kits, but that's an extra £10, or more, and doesn't apply to this kit, so I looked around for another way.

Below are photos of the tank after I cut and stuck on Zimmerit from Master Tools. It is a single A4 sheet of Zimmerit, the reverse plain and all you need do is cut it to a rough shape of whatever part you want to cover, (you'd work out whichever method works for you, and then, before adding extra parts, etc. glue the Zimmerit onto the part. Make sure you make holes, etc. where you need to put other parts onto it, again, you'll work it out. However, I've found this so much better than trying to produce my own Zimmerit. Oh, and you het enough on one sheet of Zimmerit to use on maybe four or five kits, everything from Panthers, Tigers, King Tigers, etc.

[Tomek22]

hi steven, looks good so far - I´m curious about the finalised model! yum

[steven_kerfoot]

Hi Tomek,

Thanks, and you are in luck, while I've mostly been building the last few days, (to the extent that the list of kits currently with hulls-turrets build and filled but not painted is now 1/35 kits of night-fighting Panther and Panther F, both Dragon, Panther D and A, Italeri, with 1 Meng travel mode turret replacement, Tamiya Tiger 1 and E-100 Twin gun and E-60 with E-75 128mm turret, both Model Collect) I did get the Airfix mid-production Tiger to near finished state. I used the sand and green base coat with white winter over paint, (on the instructions as tank number 333) and managed to have it so you can still just about make out the green of the camouflage in some places. Not fully weathered after adding all the shovels, etc. but probably enough not to matter for a few quick photos . The Zimmerit looks great, as it has on the last few kits I used it on, these are with a new camera and honestly, the Tiger is a little out of focus, (everything behind looks great, so will post a few now and replace once the camera is bedded in. Fool-proof indeed :),