1:35 Jagtiger (tamiya)

The real subject

The Jagdtiger was a German heavy tank destroyer of the end of the Second World War. It came into being on an extended Tiger II chassis and, in place of a revolving turret, received a fixed angular superstructure with a gun of 128 mm caliber. The result was the heaviest combat vehicle in production of the war: an enormous frontal area, minimal traverse of the gun to the sides, and a machine that had more trouble getting out of a place than it had defending itself. On a model it is precisely that large superstructure and the long barrel that dominate.

What photo-etch can do on a model

Photo-etched parts are of thin metal sheet and replace the areas that an injection mold cannot make thin enough: covers, grilles, loops, brackets and other small items on the surface. With surfaces as large and smooth as those of the Jagdtiger, the difference is most visible on the edges and on the outline against the background. The extent of the parts and the order of assembly is given in the maker's instructions; according to the name the set is cut for the Tamiya kit in 1:35 scale.

Building and painting tips

Separate the parts with a sharp blade on a hard surface and sand the remains of the fret tabs down. Lead the bend at once along the whole length, in a bending tool or between two blades. For gluing, use cyanoacrylate glue on the tip of a wire, and on larger surfaces two-part epoxy; cement for polystyrene does not hold on metal. Before painting, degrease the metal and cover it with a primer suitable for metal. On large surfaces it pays to build the paint up from thin layers, or the very fine relief the photo-etch is bought for will be lost.

Who it is for

For modelers who build the Jagdtiger in 1:35 scale and want to refine the surface of the vehicle with metal parts. The kit, paints and glue are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.