Tiger I with Zimmerit

Dragon
DML

Reviewed by Cookie Sewell

HyperScale is proudly supported by Squadron.com

If you model German armor, especially the mid-war items that left the factory with the "Zimmerit" concrete paste on them to attempt to defeat Soviet magnetic mines and grenades, then you know that for years you have had to do it the hard way. Only Italeri ever attempted to give modelers the option in 1/35 scale, and their two kits (Panther Ausf. A and Tiger I Ausf. E) met with mixed results. Part of the problem was that their kits were provided smooth, and the zimmerit parts had to be bent to shape and installed to the outer surface. Since they were designed to carry these parts by the manufacturer, if you built them with it you had a hard time getting a good fit and good finish; if you left them off, the models were underscale and looked anemic.

DML has now made a shot at this, and their initial effort is this kit of a Tiger I with the zimmerit paste applied. As such, all parts come with the surfaces engraved to represent the coating and appear to be very nicely done. (Realize in real life this coating was only about 3-6 mm thick on average, which amounts to about 0.04-0.08 mm in this scale.) This is also the first kit in this scale with any attempt at it, and the initial look is that they did a great job of it.

The zimmerit is represented on the lower hull front, sides, rear plate, turret sides and mantelet, and upper hull glacis. All of these parts are new to the earlier "clean" Tiger kit and totally replace them.

The only bugaboo may be getting a good seam at the rear of the turret, but with some judicious use of a good slow-drying liquid cement like Testor's and a good Xacto knife, the seam should be easy to conceal.

This looks to be a really straightforward model, and the only complaint I foresee from some more serious modelers is the fact that the shovel and other small bits are molded in place on the top of the hull. It does, however, include a scale thickness steel cable for the tow cables.

Two finishes are suggested: s.Pz.Abt. 102 in Normandy, June 1944, and s.Pz.Abt. 101 in Normandy, July 1944.

Overall, this is a nice step by DML and one that should be well received, especially among new modelers not sure as to how to best replicate zimmerit. It also cries out for drybrushing!

Highly Recommended.

Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.

Review Text Copyright © 2004 by Cookie Sewell
Page Created 13 June, 2004
Last updated 13 June, 2004

Back to HyperScale Main Page

Back to Reviews Page