Tiger I Early Production
(Lucky Tiger Special Edition)

Vespid Models, 1/72 scale

Reviewed by Brett Green
 

Summary

Background

The Tiger I was a German heavy tank of World War II that entered service in 1942 in Africa and in the Soviet Union, usually in independent heavy tank battalions. It gave the German Army its first armoured fighting vehicle that mounted the 8.8 cm KwK 36 gun derived from the 8.8 cm Flak 36. 1,347 were built between August 1942 and August 1944. After August 1944, production of the Tiger I was phased out in favour of the Tiger II.

While the Tiger I has been called an outstanding design for its time, it has also been called overengineered, using expensive materials and labour-intensive production methods. In the early period, the Tiger was prone to certain types of track failures and breakdowns. It was expensive to maintain, but generally mechanically reliable. It was difficult to transport and vulnerable to immobilisation when mud, ice, and snow froze between its overlapping and interleaved Schachtellaufwerk-pattern road wheels, often jamming them solid. This was a problem on the Eastern Front in the muddy rasputitsa season and during periods of extreme cold.

The tank was given its nickname "Tiger" by Ferdinand Porsche, and the Roman numeral was added after the Tiger II entered production. The initial designation was Panzerkampfwagen VI Ausführung H (literally "armoured combat vehicle VI version H", abbreviated PzKpfw VI Ausf. H) where 'H' denoted Henschel as the designer/manufacturer. It was classified with ordnance inventory designation Sd.Kfz. 182. The tank was later re-designated as PzKpfw VI Ausf. E in March 1943, with ordnance inventory designation Sd.Kfz. 181.*

FirstLook

Vespid Models has returned to WWII German subjects with perhaps the most famous of all - the Tiger I.

This is a completely new kit, and it surpasses all other Tiger kits in terms of detail and surface textures.

Vespid’s brand new 1:72 scale Tiger I comprises 316 parts in grey coloured plastic, 21 brass photo-etched parts, one pinkish orange coloured 3D printed resin part, two turned metal pieces and decals for three marking options.

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This is a hefty parts count for a small-scale model but it does include a partial interior.

In common with Vespid’s previous releases, surface textures are superb with a combination of recessed and raised structural features as appropriate. Moulding is perfect on my sample.

Detail is excellent too.

Parts breakdown is conventional. The lower hull is moulded in one piece including the inner lower hull sides and front. The hull floor is moulded with deep torsion bars in place.

Bulkheads are added to the fighting compartment. These will form a nice base for further interior detailing. I am sure that we will see after-market interior sets to follow.

Swing arms are separate pieces and keyed to ensure the correct alignment.

A full set of early-style rubber-tyred road wheels are supplied. There are 21 interleaving road wheels per side. The wheels are moulded as a single plastic part each - no vinyl tyres.

Link and length tracks are included. Individual links are supplied to wrap around the drive sprockets and idler wheels, with long top and bottom runs and a few short runs to complete the tracks.

Track link detail is crisp and convincing.

The engine deck and upper hull include separate tools and other on-vehicle equipment plus the Feifel air filter hoses.

Tow cables are impressively thin and crisply detailed, but you will need to take care when you are removing these parts from the sprues.

Underneath the deck, Vespid supplies two nice detailed fan units (but no engine).

Hull hatches are all hinged and workabe. The loader's side and top hatches and the Commander's hatch are all separate parts and may be posed open or closed.

The engine deck grates and some other details are moulded in place. They look good.

Photo-etched mesh is supplied for the engine deck vents. Other photo-etched details include the smoke dispenser bases and handles.

The turret is treated to some nice interior detail too. Structural detail on the turret ring, seats for the Commander and Loader, side vision blocks and nice breech detail (made up from only around 13 plastic parts but impressive nevertheless) are all included.

A lovely two-part turned metal gun barrel is provided as an alternative to the kit’s plastic counterpart. A pinkish-orange coloured 3D printed muzzle brake is also included. It is ready to use almost straight from its small plastic bag.

The turret will rotate and the gun will elevate and depress once the model is assembled.

Markings

Markings are supplied for three marking options – all attached to Schwere Panzerkompamie SS-Panzer Regiment 2 Das Reich in 1943, and all in a three colour camouflage finish.

 
The decals are nicely printed and in register.

Conclusion

Vespid Models keeps raising the bar. Along with their new 1/72 Centurion released around he same time, these kits set a new standard of excellence in small scale.

There is no compromise in detail despite its small size. In fact, the level of detail and surface textures on this model would put many 1/35 scale kits in the shade.

Of course, this results in an inevitable buildability trade-off. There are a number of tiny plastic parts in the box and the parts count would be more typical of a 1:35 scale kit, so the Vespid Tiger I will be best suited to an experienced modeller.

Oh Vespid, you've done it again!

*Historical text adapted from Wikipedia

Thanks to Vespid for the sample