Zvezda 1/72 scale Tiger I

Zvezda’s 1/72 scale snap-fit Tiger I (early production) is breaking new ground as a tank the wargaming crowd will enjoy. The kit comes molded in tan plastic with tracks molded in black plastic and markings for three vehicles.

The model represents an early-production Tiger I with its Feifel sand/air cleaners and S-Mi35 anti-personnel mine dischargers. It does not have all five mine dischargers, though; the one by the commander is missing. The pistol port on the turret side sticks out too far for purists, too. With some photo references, you can make different early production models by filling in the holes for the air cleaner and mounting spare tracks on the hull front to build a tank for North Africa or the Eastern Front.

After building and painting the hull, I assembled the running gear. Having the road wheels molded as a single group made for a painting challenge. I painted them Tamiya dark gray and airbrushed through a circle template to define the rims. The instructions show the road-wheel assembly snapped together with the tracks, but I had my misgivings about how well that would work. Putting the assembly on the lower hull and snapping the track together broke the little axles off the hull. I did one track without reshaping it, and the track broke. Reshaping it with my hands brought it around. I would suggest building the entire running gear off the model, then installing it on the hull sides.

The turret comprises four pieces, with the storage box molded on and hatches closed. A mold seam halfway up the turret side needed to be sanded off. No smoke dischargers were provided for the turret. A decal is provided to simulate the hole at the end of barrel, but it’s easier to just drill it out. The turret assembly does not fit without modifying the locking tabs.

I painted the model with Tamiya dark yellow (XF-60) and used Tamiya NATO green (XF-68) for the striped camo scheme. Decals did silver a bit after drying; I used some Solvaset to get them to settle down.

It took me all of five hours to build this little Tiger, with more than half of the time devoted to painting. If you’re not fanatical about details and just looking for some fast fun, this is a good kit for you.