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With their powerful armament and imposing size, it’s not surprising that the King Tiger is one of the most popular subjects with AFV modellers. With the recent release of the Dragon King Tiger (Porsche), modellers now have the choice of two first-rate 1/35 models of those King Tigers equipped with the earlier turret that was designed by Porsche and fitted to the first 50 vehicles.
Contents
The Voyager set comes from China and comprises of 6 photo etch frets (2 large, 1 medium and 3 small), 4 lengths of ABS rod, and two lengths of twisted cable. The thickness of the frets varies between frets to reflect different uses, which is a nice touch. Several of the frets are common to other sets from Voyager such as the Jadgtiger. The overall level of details is thorough, but not excessive. The set is intended for the Dragon King Tiger with Porsche turret (it does not contain parts specific to the later model with the Henschel designed turret). The Dragon King Tigers are sold with a medium sized PE grill containing 6 grills and 2 mesh screens for the engine deck and a length of nylon cord.
The set comes in a foldout cardboard box the size of a CD case with the parts in one pocket and the instructions in the other. Unfortunately having the tow cables and PE in the same pocket caused slight bending of the PE; which can be easily fixed by applying pressure.
This set contains includes the following PE detail parts:
- Large mesh screens that sit over the forward air intakes below the turret bustle for the Porsche turreted versions. These PE screens differ from the equivalent parts in the DML kit. The DML parts are intended to be glued onto the plastic frames in the DML kits, while the Voyager parts are larger and include extra detail to replicate the frame (ie the Voyager part replaces both the kit's PE and plastic frame), as well as the small brackets used to secure the frame to the engine deck. Based on experience with other PE sets I prefer the Voyager approach as the end result is neater since you have fewer joins and is more accurate compared to photos.
- 4 rectangular and 2 circular grilles. These are exactly the same size as the equivalent parts in the DML kit, however the mesh on the DML kit has a closer weave which is more akin with factory photos and I shall be using the DML grills on my kit, but am happy to use the Voyager grills on a future project (n.b. the Voyager set for the Jadgpanther has a closely woven mesh). I tested the Voyager grills on both the Tamiya and DML kits and found it to be a good fit on both kits.
- Front and rear fenders.
- Small parts to replace the tool clamps and tow-cable stays. The tool clamps are made from three parts and the small handle pieces can be added to the kit clamps if you prefer this easier option.
- Small circular mesh grille for the deep forwarding air intake and detail for the exhaust pipes missing in the DML kit.
- Other small fittings for the hull, engine deck, mantlet and turret that largely replace or enhances existing plastic detail on the kit’s exterior. Overall these are well done and I certainly will be using many of them, although in the case of some pieces (e.g. tie downs on the engine deck) I felt on the toss the kit part was better.
Overall the level of exterior useable PE detail included in this set is comparable to that found in the competitors’ sets for King Tigers, including several dearer sets. In keeping with market practice the side fenders are omitted (understandable given their size).
The following other parts, which are not typically found in PE sets, are included and in aggregate make this set comprehensive and quite self-contained:
- ABS plastic rods to replicate barrel cleaning rods etc (3 x 50mm long of .5mm diameter and 1 x 50mm of 1mm).
- Three reusable zimmerit applicators with a pitch of 0.6mm to enable the modeller to replicate zimmerit using putty. Having three applicators is important as the larger one is used to provide a consistent pattern on the larger hull panels, while the smaller one is used for detail such as around the rear turret hatch. These applicators are made of stainless steel which has the benefit of being quite rigid. All King Tigers with Porsche turrets that were issued to the troops in 1944 had zimmerit.
- Reusable PE template for a Balkan Cross mask. This template is intended to be used to make a painting mask out of masking tape, and is not a painting template in its own right. While I like the initiative of including this, I consider that it would have been better to have included a PE or vinyl mask as Eduard often does.
- One silver (0.4mm x 450mm) and one copper coloured length (0.5mm x 400mm) of twisted wire to depict tow cables. These cables are made from numerous thin strands of wire which have been twisted together once (a lot tighter than say picture frame wire, but the dearer modelling cables are double twisted i.e. made by twisting together lengths of twisted cables like the real one). The cables are twisted anti-clockwise as per WWII German practice. While only single twisted, once attached to the cable ends included in the DML kit, it will look as good as double twisted cable.
The Voyager instruction sheet runs to three A4 pages, is easy to follow and includes several intermediate steps which is a useful feature not usually found on PE instructions. The limited text is in Chinese and English.
The set’s parts and instructions as to where the parts are attached appeared accurate against clear wartime photos and scale plans by Hilary Doyle.
Recommendation
This set from Voyager provides a good range of parts to add that extra finesse to the exterior of the DML King Tiger with Porsche Turret. The competitive price and inclusion of the extra parts such as the ABS rods, cable lengths and zimmerit applicators gives this set that extra edge over its competitors that would appeal to many modellers looking for a good value detail set. Well recommended.
Thank you to Voyager Model & Saul Garcia for the review sample. Review and photos by Neville Lord.
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