Friday, March 2, 2018

Tamiya 1/48 Jagdtiger - WIP

Greetings all. Apologies for the long absence, but here's a "keep it alive" post on another 1/48 scale Tamiya kit I've been working on. Actually, I put the kit together a couple of weeks ago, but was trying to find a local, off-the-shelf spray paint which would approximate the dreaded "dunkelgelb," the German Dark Yellow used on most of their late-war production tanks. I finally broke down and picked up a can of Tamiya TS-3 Dark Yellow off of ebay - if not for the shipping it would've been a decent price. Anyway, this is another superb kit with minimal parts; and I am actually getting better with putting the multi-piece tracks together. Here it is after a coat of the Tamiya Dark Yellow and some hand-painted camo stripes.
The green stripes were applied using successive layers of light watered down Vallejo acrylic. I plan to dry brush the base coat color over the stripes to soften the edges and tone down the green. Also, attaching the tools and spare tracks should hide most of the imperfections of the brushwork.
Doing some online researching, this green stripes over the basic dunkelgelb combination seems common for the 653rd Heavy Panzerjager Battalion - one of only two units which were issued Jagdtigers; the other being the 512th.
A total of only about 80 Jagdtigers saw service from late-1944 until the end of the war. It weighed 71 tons and the main gun was the 12.8cm Pak 44 L/55. It performed best in an ambush role, as would be expected by it's powerful main gun. However, due to its weight it was prone to mechanical breakdown. Also, by the time it entered active service, the Allies held air supremacy which also limited its deployability. Interestingly, the first Jagdtiger that was destroyed in combat was taken out by a bazooka! Not sure who the grunt was who fired it, but he should've gotten a medal just for that.
In addition to the dry brushing, it'll also get some pin washing and a little weathering. The kit also comes with a commander and driver - both will be added later. The hatches are held in place with masking tape on the inside for now.
Here I am next to the Jagdtiger at The Bovington Tank Museum which I visited several years ago. You can see how large it is - I'm about 6' tall - give or take a foot.
So much for now; thanks for stopping by and best wishes to you all!

15 comments:

  1. Six feet tall give or take a foot is a great one and fits me too!
    Excellent looking model. How will this beast be used?

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    1. Lol! Thanks, Jonathan! Someone had once suggested I would've made a good tanker due to my height. As far as game use, it would cost the better part of a normal Bolt Action force, and the payoff would be negligible as far as I can tell. Thanks so much for the visit and comments as always. Warm regards, Dean

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    2. I have been told being a tunnel rat would have fit my build. We must have similar friends!

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  2. Haha, love the expression. I'm about the same! Great model and you've done a fine job with the stripes. Should look fantastic when you're done. And it's probably quite a nice little project to have on the go.

    Cheers,
    Aaron

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    1. Thank you kindly, Aaron! Yes, indeed, modal building can be quite enjoyable...as long as it's a quality kit,like Tamiya. Kind regards, Dean

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    2. I do enjoy Tamiya’s 1/48 armor kits especially the ones with the metal hull.

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  3. A very nice job for an impressive model!

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    1. Thanks, Phil! Appreciate the visit and kind words again. Best, Dean

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  4. Very cool looking kit. Nice start to it as well. Will look great when the crewmen are added to it.

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    1. Thank you very much, Simon. Yes, can't wait to add stuff to the tank as well as the crew. Best regards, Dean

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  5. Oh, excellent work Dean! Cant wait for more :)
    Have a nice day friend!

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    1. Thank you kindly, Michal. Appreciate your visit and kind words. Suffice to say I am a bit smitten with these tank models at the moment. Warm regards, Dean

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  6. Nice looking model, I really must get to Bovington, can't see me persuading the family though! Like you I'm about average height (for the 18th century!)
    Best Iain

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    1. Thanks for the nice comments, Iain. I could have spent a whole day at the museum. Warmest regards, Dean

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