arg Posted December 30, 2016 Share Posted December 30, 2016 I usually build aircraft, but occasionally do tanks and ships. It seems there's been a rash of King Tiger kits released over the last year or two, and I was wondering if there are recommendations on the "best" (knowing that "best" is very subjective) 1/35 scale kit with the Henschel turret. Doesn't matter if it has Zimmerit or not. Any thoughts from the 'experten'? Thanks!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Don Posted December 30, 2016 Share Posted December 30, 2016 I am far from an 'experten' but I've built my share of Tigers over the years (Tiger I's are more my cup of tea). Odds are opinions will differ here, but here are my thoughts based on the King Tigers that I have actually built and not just stared at: For ease of assembly/hassle free/quick build get the Tamiya King Tiger. Tamiya armor (for the most part) falls together, even their old stuff from the 70's. Great kits for the beginning armor modeler. However...the details will be simplified when compared to the competition and the tracks are going to be the one piece rubber band type tracks (although now they are more plastic then rubber and they take paint like a champ compared to the older 70's and 80's Tamiya tracks). I found the tracks to be too small and really put stress on the idler and sprocket (fixable by moving the idler a tad but a PITA). Some folks are put off by these types of tracks so its up to you. I will say this though, Tigers tracks always sagged and were HEAVY. It is much easier to shape individual track links then one piece rubber/plastic band type tracks. Aftermarket tracks are obviously available and I would go this route if I built the Tamiya kit again. Then again, if you are leaving the side skirts/fenders intact then shaping the upper run of tracks won't be as big an issue. Just food for thought. For more detail, more accuracy, much MUCH better tracks, PE engine screens and just a whole lot more bells and whistles in the box then I'd go Dragon everyday of the week over Tamiya. Price wise the Dragon kits run a little higher (not much though) but you would need to drop considerably more coin on the Tamiya kit to bring it up to or surpass what you get inside the Dragon boxing(s). Consider also that if you are shrewd and take your time you can grab the Dragon KT's for less then the Tamiya kit (I just grabbed one off of EBay before Christmas for less the $30 shipped). But...and there's always that "but"...the Dragon kits that I have built were a little more fiddly and not as easy to assemble. You just need to study the plans and pay attention to your assembly sequences with the Dragon KT's then the Tamiya. But you will be rewarded with an awesome looking beast of a KT! Now Takom has come out with a new King Tiger that looks absolutely stunning! Full interior and all the bells and whistles: http://www.themodellingnews.com/2016/10/in-boxed-takoms-35th-scale-sdkfz182.html I know nothing about it, haven't seen it with my own eyes and therefore obviously haven't assembled one. So I can't comment on ease of assembly or anything. But it looks like a dandy and cost wise isn't that far off of Dragon. But do you really want to mess with that full interior is a question you'd have to ask yourself. Sorry about the long winded post. Like I said opinions will vary but what I wrote is based on what I have built. Good luck with your King Tiger hunt. She's without a doubt an eye catcher and a true beast of a tank! Cheers! Don Quote Link to post Share on other sites
arg Posted January 28, 2017 Author Share Posted January 28, 2017 Don - Thanks - a lot of good info. I was all ready to pull the trigger (no pun intended) on tracking down and getting a Dragon kit, when I saw that the Meng kit has just come out. Read through some reviews of the Meng kit that were very complimentary, and I think I'm going to give the Meng kit a shot. Al Quote Link to post Share on other sites
scottr5213 Posted February 10, 2017 Share Posted February 10, 2017 I think dollar for dollar I am going to try the Takom kit I feel when you pay good bucks for a kit you shouldnt have to throw a ton of aftermarket at it Quote Link to post Share on other sites
murad Posted February 17, 2017 Share Posted February 17, 2017 (edited) and there is this too: http://www.themodellingnews.com/2017/02/construction-guide-andy-builds-mengs.html Edited February 17, 2017 by murad Quote Link to post Share on other sites
arg Posted March 3, 2017 Author Share Posted March 3, 2017 Thanks Murad! I bought the kit, and the surface detail is fantastic. I'm not interested in an interior, so the Meng kit really seems to fit the bill. I only wish they'd have indicated which tank used which options (e.g. road wheel centers), but that's pretty minor! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
murad Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 2 hours ago, arg said: Thanks Murad! I bought the kit, and the surface detail is fantastic. I'm not interested in an interior, so the Meng kit really seems to fit the bill. I only wish they'd have indicated which tank used which options (e.g. road wheel centers), but that's pretty minor! iirc there were reports of axles having a camber out in the meng kit, so better watch out during the build - tho withtout the kit at hand i am not sure what could be done to remedy the problem. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ChesshireCat Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 I read a review awhile back concerning the new Revell (ICM) King Tiger. He actually liked it, and for the price (about $35) it was steal. Good review over on Tracklink. I have the Takom kit with zimmerit (505 ), and this thing has a scary parts count! Still a nice kit. gary Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jester292 Posted April 3, 2017 Share Posted April 3, 2017 Andy at Andy's Hobby Headquarters did a multi video build of the Takom 1:35 King Tiger. I highly recommend his YouTube channel. I'm not even an armor modeler and I'm hooked on his videos. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ChesshireCat Posted April 10, 2017 Share Posted April 10, 2017 I have a couple Takom Tiger II's and at least one Meng. These are in a class by themselves. On the cheap side (but still good), look at the Revell / ICM kit. It needs the track changing cable and maybe a couple other small bits, but at $35 it's a steal. The only real draw back with the ICM kit is the side shields being attached to the fenders, instead of being separate pieces. Not a big fix, but still wants to be done. gary Quote Link to post Share on other sites
lgl007 Posted September 13, 2021 Share Posted September 13, 2021 Agree with Jester. Andy does a great job of not only reviewing but building up kits on his channel. Well worth subscribingredients... Greg Quote Link to post Share on other sites
arnobiz Posted September 13, 2021 Share Posted September 13, 2021 The Dragon offering is pretty good too, and the Zvezda reboxing made it pretty cheap (which it was definitely not under Dragon brand!) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.