Tamiya Tiger model tank late version

 Review of the Tamiya Tiger model tank late version

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Tamiya Tiger model tank
Tamiya Tiger model tank late version

This Tamiya kit has to have the most challenging track construction I have ever made. They were not the usual pieces of one length of rubber, they are in fact 100 individual pieces of rubber per track! To construction each track, I cut the pieces out of their kit frame, removed the spurs left on them, which was an extremely important thing to do, laid them on a piece of shiny card, so they wouldn’t stick to it the same way if I had used newspaper, in a straight line with a small space in between each of them

Tamiya Tiger model tank
Tamiya Tiger model tank late version

I then as quickly as possible applied a drop of glue in each of the three link points on each piece one after the other. I then simply started at the top by pushing the three protruding links on each piece into the glued link points of the piece below it and kept repeating the process as quickly as possible before the glue went off. I then used two straight edges provided in the kit to squeeze the completed track edges together to ensure that the track set straight.

Tamiya Tiger model tank
Tamiya Tiger model tank late version

The model also has the rear exhaust system I love.

Tamiya Tiger model tank

I had the choice of leaving the hatches open or closed. I didn’t have any trouble removing the more challenging plastic replicated ropes from the kit. I like the spare bits of track on the turret, which also moves as well as the main cannon.

Tamiya Tiger model tank

It was suggested in the instructions that I should use a small screw drive and force it into the surfaces of the model to give it the authentic rough grooved surface finish, but as I was not going to paint the model, I choose not to as I didn’t want white plastic strain marks. All in all I love this model.

Tamiya Tiger model tank

Tamiya Tiger model tank

Tamiya Tiger model tank & Tamiya Panther on right

Tamiya Tiger model tank & Tamiya King Tiger on right