Sd.Kfz. 182 King Tiger Henschel Turret Last Production w/Transport Track

Reviewed by Cookie Sewell

Summary

FirstLook

Dragon has now released what is essentially its ninth Tiger II kit (six under the aegis of DML and two cyber-hobby.com variants) and now provides their Henschel variant kit with a set of narrow transport tracks. This kit was originally forecast for release in 2006 but was held back for some reason.

The kit provides its transport tracks in the form of new flat links (the R sprues) and a set of Panther transport tracks (E sprues) which are assembled to form the transport tracks. The assembly is very confusing as DML only provides a single photo in Step 9 to show how they assemble which is not clear – there are A links (Panther tracks with dual guide teeth) and B links (flat links with dual connectors of which only one is used). Assembly will be tedious, particularly since the Panther links have three ejection pin marks on each one.

New or modified sprues have been added to the kit, but many parts from the last one (one with zimmerit from 2007) are now missing – the kit comes with one cupola and no clear styrene, and all but two of the supplemental “T” sprues with more detailed OVM and tool sets are now gone.

Having been taken to task about fender bolt holes being too big on previous kits, DML now the modeler redrilling them and using brass parts to cover the holes.

The remainder of the kit provides for a Tiger II with Henschel turret with the “normal” steel road wheels, a smaller set of etched brass for the screens and detail parts, but only the TD auxiliary (track replacement) cable heads and TG self-defense projector weapon detail sprues. No separate muzzle brake is provided for the turned aluminum barrel; if you want to use it, you have to assemble the two-piece styrene barrel and cut off the muzzle brake with a razor saw.

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. To make matters worse, this time they are printed in black and white!

Technical credit is given to Tom Cockle and Gary Edmundson.

There are three finishing options covered: Unidentified Unit, Eastern Front 1945 (“Ambush” scheme, no markings); Unidentified Unit, Eastern Front 1945 (three-color scheme, no markings); and 3/s.Pz.Abt. 511, Eastern Front 1945 (“Ambush” scheme, no markings). Three tiny crosses are provided on a Cartograf sheet, albeit none of the schemes show them being used.

Overall this is a somewhat “discount” project missing some of the nicer touches of recent DML kits.

Sprue Layout:

A 17x2 Tiger II drive wheels
B 50x2 Tiger II hull fittings and exhausts
C 35 Tiger II hatches and hull fittings (early kit parts)
D 33 Tiger II upper hull and fittings, bow tow mounts
E 80x4 Panther - transport tracks
G 26x3 Tiger II standard (Normal Type) steel wheels, road wheel arms
I 1 Tiger II lower hull
K 10 Tiger II fenders and fittings
N 48 Tiger II cupola and turret fittings
O 44 Tiger II Henschel turret base and fittings
P 22 Tiger II (H) Late - drivers, mantlet, details
R 52x4 Tiger II track center pads
S 1 Twisted steel wire - heavy
T 1 Twisted steel wire - light
TD 4 German tools - track recovery cable heads
TG German tools - close-in defense weapon
MA 18 Etched brass
MB 1 aluminum turned barrel
MC 5 Etched brass
MD 5 Etched brass

Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.