Heng Long - Late Tiger1

[GlynM]

Here are some pictures of the current state of my attempt at a late Tiger starting with the standard Heng Long offering.

It has been upgraded with a Taigen lower hull, new wheels and tracks.

It is definitely a work in progress. I have made a few compromises (like not moving the turret so can't fit the turret armoured ring) and there are some things that I know I have got wrong. It certainly needs more dirt and weathering. I also need to get another c-hook to put the forward deck and add a fire extinguisher.

It is a long while since I have done any model making, and certainly nothing at this level. I found painting the camouflage a difficult experience . I was certainly worried about this stage as I could only find rather vague side and b&w images for reference. Once I started with the camouflage I found myself committed to finish as I thought it would be difficult to pick-up and/or re-work.









Glyn

[doc larsson]

Awe i need to get new wheels and metal tracks ! Nice job

welcome to this wallet-draining fascination ! Liebstandarte is it ?

[lister fiend]

great paint job there
can i send you mine?

[GlynM]

... welcome to this wallet-draining fascination ! Liebstandarte is it ?

Hi doc,

Many thanks.

You are certainly correct about the impact on ones wallet. Ignoring the cost of the big expensive bits, like the tracks, all the little bits soon add up.

It is supposed to be from 3.Kompanie/sSS-PzAbt 101 in Normandy 1944. I started out wanting to build 112 from the 1.Kompanie as I could find more pictures of these but had to compromise with the decals I could get.

Glyn

[Red Devils]

Great looking Tiger Glyn, very sharp...

Derek

[Wildboar44]

Looks very sassy to me ! . Certainly says Normandy to me.

[jarndice]

Glyn, When I want a referance for camoflage paint patterns I go to the REFERANCE MATERIALS site and scroll down to REFERANCE CAMO PATTERNS, select the tank type and their is a wonderful selection, I printed off the ones I wanted and I keep them in a folder. shaun

[Marc780]

I love the way you did the pattern looks great! If i can offer some of ny own experiences i hope you'll allow it in the spirit of aiming towards perfection-you only have to look at my recent post in "heng long builds" section to see why im doing a refurb on mine. Not that yours isn't just fine but the shade and pattern makes or breaks the model and whether i feel UT is finished" (they're never really finished anyway, to me!)

When I painted my KT I used "modern desert sand" which turned out too pale. Also I painted the base rattle can and put down the coats solid-i realized later after I did my tiger 1 a different way- I like the effect better when the model is primed in Grey (some people even use black). Then i airbrush the yellow, from the center out and allow the base to show through the yellow. I make no attempt at complete coverage using the yellow slightly thinner coats, make the appearance a bit darker, more metallic" effect and adds imperceptible depth to the base coat. It is hard to explain but using trial and error, my tiger 1 came out MUCH more pleasing to the eye.

I found some testers in "sand gelb" and this is ideal. There are so many shades of yellow it is easy to wind up with the base coat too bright. As you can see if you happen to look at my aforementioned post, I tried to "fix" it by adding stripes of the sand gelb over the desert sand.. well that didn't work so I'm starting over.

For the green, simply use US Olive drab. It's nearly the perfect shade and one can always add a drop of white to lighten the mix before spraying. The brown is a bit tougher, it's supposed to be a red brown and this is not easy to find sometimes. I'll add a bit of 'rust" to the brown I have if it isn't red enough and that often helps correct the shade of brown closer to what looks right.

Like I said there us nothing wrong with your tank paint job just some ideas you may find useful on your next tank.

[ruben2005]

very nice kitty fella

[billpe]

Looks good to me. All the right lumps and bumps in the right places!