Schwimmwagen Wide Wheel Version	Tamiya, 1/35 scale
by Brett Green

Description

Here is my wide-wheel Schwimmwagen, just completed today straight from the box.

Tamiya’s 1:35 scale Schwimmwagen Type 166 was first released in 1998, but it remains a jewel in the company’s extensive military miniature range.

Tamiya has now updated the kit with a new release featuring wide wheels, two new figures and a selection of new and revised parts.

With the addition of two brand-new sprues, the kit now comprises 146 parts moulded in Tamiya’s familiar Dark Yellow plastic, plus a small sheet of nylon mesh, die-cut clear acetate for the windscreen and markings for three vehicles.

It is very much to Tamiya’s credit that the original 1998 sprues still hold up well alongside the new parts.

By far the most obvious difference from the original release is the wide wheels, which lend real character to this version. To accurately capture the deep-dish hubs, each tyre is broken down into five segments plus a separate centre section.

There was no problem assembling the new multi-part wheels (they are made up from seven parts each), and attaching them to the suspension was fine too. The rear wheel attachments are a bit delicate, but nothing to really complain about.the two figures are very nice indeed.

Another gem from Tamiya.

I'll be writing this one up in detail for Issue 242 of Model Military International magazine.

Purchased by the Editor