Tamiya 1/35 scale Jagdpanzer 38(t) Hetzer

Kit: No. 35285
Scale: 1/35
Manufacturer: Tamiya, from Tamiya America, 800-826-4922, www.tamiyausa.com
Price: $48
Comments: Injection-molded, 237 parts (10 vinyl), decals
Pros: Excellent fit; good detail; injection-molded link-and-length tracks
Cons: Challenging hard-edged camouflage; decals slightly translucent

Tamiya's new 1/35 scale Jagdpanzer 38(t) Hetzer features excellent detail molded in Tamiya's standard German yellow-tan plastic. The kit depicts a midproduction Hetzer, with traits of both the early- and late-production vehicles. Included are both one-piece vinyl tracks and injection-molded link-and-length tracks. The latter have the proper sag molded into the upper runs.

The instructions are typical of Tamiya, with good diagrams and helpful hints throughout. A nice touch is a four-page, full-color markings and painting booklet. Markings are provided for four vehicles. No photoetched-metal parts are provided, but there is one standing figure.

As I do with most tracked vehicles, I began with the suspension. Tamiya provides two jigs to make sure the suspension arms are aligned. Normally, I would assemble as much of the vehicle as possible before the main painting. But because of the hard-edged camouflage, I changed my approach a little. All the major upper-hull panels were assembled and the main gun was added, but I left off most of the small detail parts. The rear upper hull is divided into several sections, presenting optional positioning of parts for different construction possibilities.

Thanks to Tamiya's excellent fit, the upper and lower hull halves could be left apart to make painting the hull and installing the tracks easier. After a base-coat mixture of Tamiya desert yellow (45 percent), dark yellow (45 percent) and white (10 percent), I masked off the Panzer yellow areas with Tamiya tape cut to match the painting diagram as best I could. I applied Tamiya olive green, then masked the green areas and added Tamiya red brown. After the paint was dry and masking removed, I applied decals to a coat of Future floor polish. The decals worked fine with a bit of Micro Sol, but the red and white hull numbers are a bit transparent.

Next, I installed running gear on the lower hull. The one-piece vinyl tracks fit well, but I couldn't help using the injection-molded tracks. I painted them with Tamiya dark earth and dry-brushed with steel before installation.
Tamiya has taken a trick from its 1/48 scale kits and pegged the start of the tracks on the return roller to make sure the tracks fit perfectly. I added the parts that needed to be installed from inside the hull, glued the upper and lower hulls together, then mounted the rest of the small parts on the hull after painting them to match the camouflage. Finally, I gave the model a light spray of very diluted Tamiya buff, applied an oil wash, and dry-brushed highlights.

The finished model exactly matches dimensions in David Doyle's Standard Catalog of German Military Vehicles. Fenders and skirts are tapered on their inside edges to provide a good-looking scale thinness.

It only took me about 18 hours to build my kit, about half of which was spent painting the complex camouflage. While Tamiya's kit might not have all the bells and whistles of other recent Hetzer models, it has great detail, and its superb engineering makes it easy to build. Except for the complex painting, this would make a great armor kit for a beginner. - John Plzak