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Tiger Model Designs has announced several new sets for 2007 to bring up the level of the Smart Panther to that of a Genius. These resin bits are designed to directly replace kit parts and only once requires the removal of existing detail. This is the set which needs the use of a knife and file to utilize it completely.
Inside the now familiar ©Ziploc bag with the cardboard header, photo 1, we find several resin sprues with the parts and a well done instruction sheet. It is two sided with gray tone photography.
The parts, photo 2, are very well cast with absolutely no blemishes, pits, or bubbles. I recommend using a sharp blade and releasing the part completely. Since the resin is strong, avoid the urge to snap the piece off to avoid damage. This comes from personal experience with this new gray resin.
The details on the parts are outstanding! Refer to the remaining photos to illustrate things such as the subtle cast markings on the hinge, the countersunk flathead bolts, the delicate handle clip, and the provision of two handles. One is the correct scale diameter and the second matches the kit.
The hatches are a vast improvement over the kit parts and a timesaver. It IS possible to replicate the detail with PE and styrene rod but time and dexterity would be required to equal the quality found in this set.
The last items included are replacement hatch bumpers. This requires removing the existing ones from the upper hull and placing the resin items in its places. My only observation was that the bumper brackets are using domed rivets when I believe that standard nails were used. Filing the domes off the rivets to represent the nail heads is not difficult and I did it before removing from the sprue to allow me to hold the tiny parts securely.
This is a highly recommended upgrade to the kit parts and it is nice to see that TMD plans to release a similar set for Tamiya’s kit. My sincerest thanks to TMD for the review sample.
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