Model Forum / General / Models / October 2007

Kit Review: Dragon Models Limited 1/35 Scale '39-45 Series Kit No.
6303:  Sd.Kfz. 182 Kingtiger Henschel Turret w/Zimmerit - Dragon
Zimmerit; 831 parts (437 in grey styrene, 240 "Magic Track links, 142
etched brass, 4 white metal, 3 turned brass, 2 twisted steel wire, 1
brass chain, 1 preformed brass wire, 1 aluminum turned barrel);
estimated retail price US $45

Advantages: older kit brought up to more modern standards with "slide
molded" parts, brass and "Magic Track"; provision of cast-in zimmerit
will be appreciated by many modelers

Disadvantages: Fixed zimmerit pattern not appreciated by all modelers

Rating: Highly Recommended

Recommendation: to all German and Tiger fans

    When larger scale armor modeling (e.g. 1/35 scale) began to catch on
in the early 1970s it did not take long before many German modeling
fans realized many of the German tanks were fitted with a concrete
paste at the factory which was designed to prevent the adherence of
magnetic or "sticky" explosive charges to the outside of the vehicle.
Put on with special trowels by hand, the paste, called "zimmerit" by
the Germans, was an essential item for finishing off the model. This
caused a great deal of grief, as many modelers had no idea how to do
it and as a result wound up in some cases putting in on at a 1/1 scale
thickness.

    Over the years it became a mark of good modeling of mid-war German
subjects to see if the zimmerit paste could be accurately replicated,
and many home-grown formulas came about to accomplish this, usually
involving some type of plastic model putty, liquid cement, and broken
Xacto knives.

    About 15 years ago the Italian firm of Italeri made a bold experiment
with providing modelers with a factory-based choice for optional
zimmerit on their Tiger I and Panther Ausf. A kits. This consisted of
form-fitting panels of injection molded styrene that fit on the model
to replicate the finish. However, while the base kits themselves had
some errors, the problem with this finish turned out that it if was
not use the model was undersized and did not look right.

    Later, new products came out to ease the problem of applying
zimmerit, including thin flexible resin panels and even etched brass
ones. Each had their adherents, but the most popular method still
seemed to be "the hard way." R&J Enterprises offered a "package deal"
of the best of the old methods dubbed "Zimmer-it-Right" and this
became the best approach for some time. Companies like Tamiya even
offered different pattern scale trowels for applying it.

            Then in June 2004 Dragon Models introduced a 1/72 scale kit of the
Tiger I with zimmerit patterns molded directly into the surface of the
kit. This was a major breakthrough as it now meant that a new or
average modeler could produce an accurate replica of a generic vehicle
without the trial and error of applying zimmerit. They followed this
with Tiger II and Jadgtiger variants later on.

    My original observation was that this was a brilliant idea and that
they should carry it over to their 1/35 scale line of kits. Now, three
years later, the first one has been released, and is the very popular
subject of the Tiger II (King Tiger) with Henschel turret.

    DML took the improved parts for their "Premium" kits of the Tiger II
with newly molded bits and their generic accessory kits for German
vehicles and changed out a total of 18 parts from the "Premium" kits,
replacing them with neatly done parts simulating being coated with
zimmerit paste. These include the upper hull (sides only), the turret
shell, the hull rear plate, the machine gun ball mount for the glacis,
the lower glacis, the turret rear hatch (two options), and the turret
glacis.

    The remainder of the kit provides for a Tiger II with Henschel turret
with the "normal" steel road wheels, "Magic Track" pre-trimmed two-
part single link track (toothed links and plate links), a slightly
smaller sheet of etched brass for the screens and detail parts, and a
complete set of the "T" series recently molded German tools and OVM.
The ones provided are as follows: TA - pioneer tools and a fire
extinguisher; TB - jack and cable hooks; TC -tow cable heads; TD -
auxiliary cable heads; TF - 8.8 cm muzzle brake for aluminum barrel;
TG - self-defense projector weapon; TH - hatch braces; TJ - turret AA
MG ring mount; and TK - bow machine gun mount. It also comes with an
aluminum gun barrel with "slide molded" muzzle brake and three turned
brass 8.8 cm rounds.

    But as the old proverb goes, be careful what you wish for. There are
some areas which will require concentration and some extra work. The
zimmerit is there and well done, but it also covers most of the areas
where mounts and clamps need to be attached to the hull and turret.
DML got around this on the hull sides with raised smooth areas, but
for mounting the extra track links on the turret it will take a ruler
and a mini-chisel to skim off enough of the zimmerit coating to get a
good mounting area. It will also require getting a good smooth finish
on the model (as in Future floor wax or a similar product) to permit
the kit's decals to be used and snug down with out the normal pesky
"silvering" caused by a lack of smooth areas for adhesion.

    Also, the kit regretfully uses the "Color Photo" version of the DML
directions, using a pre-painted or primed version of the kit, which
makes it far more difficult to determine the correct location of parts
as it shows them installed and not when or how to install them.

    The kit provides a total of seven different finishing opitions:
s.Pz.Abt. 503, France 1944 (black 300, tricolor pattern); 1./s.Pz.Abt.
101, France 1944 (yellow 111, tricolor pattern); 3./s.H.Pz.Abt. 501,
Ohrdruf, Germany 1944 (red 333, green stripes over sand); s.Pz.Abt.
506, Germany 1945 (red 2-14, three color patch pattern); 1./s.Pz.Abt.
101, France 1944 (yellow 113, three color patch pattern); 3/
s.H.Pz.Abt. 506, Germany 1945 (black 3-13, brown stripes over sand);
and 3./s.H.Pz.Abt. 506, Germany 1945 (blcak 3-14, brown stripes over
sand). The kit has a relatively large sheet of Cartograf decals
provided for these options.

    Overall this is a brilliant idea and while many "die-hards" (those
who broke the "code" of how to apply zimmerit) will grouse, it will be
very popular with "newbies" and those who want a good looking model
without the tedium of applying zimmerit. For those fans of the Porsche
version, be patient; several parts for an early production vehicle
were on the sprues of this kit.

    Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.

Cookie Sewell