Heng Long Tiger II "Porsche" turret (Early Tiger II)

[VonDomenic]

Well lookie here. That's a cool project you have coming along.

Good work, keep it up. I am looking forward to your updates and whole process.

Chef

Thank you! I also follow with interest your work on the panther! You're already in the painting stage and I can't wait to see the tank in a new outfit!
it will be a way to learn and expand my skills, for me as well. In fact, I'm going to use the airbrush for the first time (I got a cheap one around 50 euros) obviously after having done the relative tests on sheets of paper and pieces of plastic!

It's time to continue!
The hatch handles of the driver and radio operator are reproduced through a unique fusion of plastic, with the hull of the tank.
For such a large scale we can do much better.



With a pliers, I cut the original handle:



I sand the excesses, creating a uniform surface. Then I start to create the holes where the new handles will be inserted.



A wire is what I need, obviously of the right thickness. I love these projects, because everything can be useful:



Both handles are placed. Obviously, to keep them in place, for safety, I apply a little glue to the inside of the tank.
Better than before, right?



At this point, I also return to the tailgate. The original handle needs to be replaced. I make one:



Same procedure: cut and trim



I make two holes, and insert the new handle:



Definitely better!



Next time we move on to the fenders and the reconstruction of the side armor!

Take care!

[HERMAN BIX]

Love it, you have got the right feeling for this hobby and thanks for sharing your work with us.

[Herr Dr. Professor]

VonDomenic, could you please tell me what gauge wire (in millimeters) you use for the handles? Thank you. I sure like watching your build.

[VonDomenic]

Love it, you have got the right feeling for this hobby and thanks for sharing your work with us.

It's a pleasure, thanks to you all too for sharing your work. I hope this topic can be helpful or inspiring, at least half of many I've read before mine.
I know that when I'm undecided about what to do, you'll be able to give me an exhaustive answer or solution!

VonDomenic, could you please tell me what gauge wire (in millimeters) you use for the handles? Thank you. I sure like watching your build.

I bought it months ago, I went to the eye!
I hope I'm not wrong, I tried to measure it and I really think it's 1mm.
If I find the piece of cardboard with the exact measurement written on it, I'll let you know within a day! However I would go on the safe side with 1mm.
Thanks for your interest!

[Meter rat]

Love this build. I did not have the confidence to try Zimmerit on my Tiger. Thank you for sharing this build with us..

[Ad Lav]

Good work so far and the Atak Zimmerit is perfect. Used it on my Tiger I and very happy with the fitment.

[VonDomenic]

Love this build. I did not have the confidence to try Zimmerit on my Tiger. Thank you for sharing this build with us..

Thanks for your comment, it's a pleasure! I thought the same thing, so I took some sheets of zimmerit already shaped and ready to be glued! ATAK comes to the rescue of model makers with these kits, which I find really convenient!



All you need to do is apply some glue! I think it's worth a try.
There will be small areas left to make zimmerit with milliput, and I think I can!
If I can do it, surely you can too!

Good work so far and the Atak Zimmerit is perfect. Used it on my Tiger I and very happy with the fitment.

Thank you! I hope to do a good job with this kit when it comes time to apply the zimmerit!

It's time to continue:

First of all, better to clarify, even for those who are about to buy a Heng Long kingtiger.
To do this, a panzer rear view helps a lot.
The side armor is one with the fenders. This can be seen from the empty space that is left.



There are two ways forward, and I will highlight them in GREEN and RED, also in the image below.



THE EASY WAY:
This is the simplest and most immediate solution.
You can only remove the lower part of the fender, the protruding one, leaving the side armor intact.
Although the initial protrusion of the entire fender structure remains evident, and you are not fussy about realism, it is the happiest and least stressful solution. Follow the green cut of the image, and the job is done. Nothing to rebuild.

THE HARD WAY:
This is the complete removal of the fender structure. This means that in case of complete removal of the fender, you will have the entire lower part of the side armor missing.
It will mean that you will have to get some plasticard / forex, and rebuild the missing piece. This method requires more effort, but the end result is much more realistic.

Since complicating life is an eternal delight of mankind, I have chosen the red route.

Unfortunately removing the fenders is a step I did some time ago so I no longer have any action photos.
Surely though, having removed the one-piece mudguard, I can show you how it was before, and then show you the after:

With fenders



Without fenders



This is obviously a matter of personal taste, but I like the Kingtiger early much better without the fenders.
The turret with its sinuous and elegant lines, in my opinion, does not go well with the mudguards, which mitigate its dimensions and are bulky.
The hull of the tank appears leaner, which helps the turret to be more prominent.

How did I remove the fender?
I simply used a cutter, starting to make repeated passes on the joint line with the hull, and then increasing the cutting pressure more and more. It's a job that takes time, and above all, be careful not to cut yourself.

The result is what you see in the picture: the white part is Forex shaped with a cutter. You have to consider that initially it was a missing part.
Of course, behind the forex itself, I glued plastic brackets to increase its structural strength with the hull.

Now the side armor rests precisely on the ledge, or the "roof" of the track.
You could settle it, you can do it if you want, but I couldn't stand to see that huge seam between the lower and upper hulls of the tank, especially once the tiger is painted.
It obviously can't be grouted, unless you accept the fact that you can never open your tank again. And I think it's a risky choice for this type of radio-controlled model.



So...

You have to make the lower part (the yellow one) an integral part of the side armor.

I start by tracing a 2/3 mm line along the roof of the track with a pencil.



I cut it out, trying to be precise, with a circular saw bit for plastic, for the mandrel.
It is necessary to take your time, because this piece of plastic will be needed later.



In fact, I glue it back under the side armor, holding it in place with some clothespins.



The side armor is now one piece, solid!
There are no obvious aesthetic differences for now, but structural differences, yes!



All that remains is to grout, and I will do it in the next steps.

You may have wondered: Wasn't it enough to create the forex part a few mm larger, downwards?

The answer is no:
You should have pushed the stop downwards, deforming it, or let the side armor tilt more, spoiling itself, trying to contain the roof of the track.

Now, however, the upper part of the tank rests on the lower part, covering the roof of the track within itself.

It's not as difficult as it seems: it was one pass after another and it took me just over an hour, doing everything calmly and letting the super attack dry, calmly and for both sides.

I hope I was clear!

Take care!

[MrChef]

Thank you for sharing your progress. I appreciate the work on zimmerit because I have several projects planned that will require it and I don't have the determination or balls of steel Like Herman Bix to do it with a hot screwdriver.

Personally I love the without fender look. Makes it look much more aggressive and imposing.

Keep it up you're doing great!

Chef

[Jimster]

I agree about going fenderless. My Tiger has no fenders at all. Some tanks just look better that way.

[VonDomenic]

Thank you for sharing your progress. I appreciate the work on zimmerit because I have several projects planned that will require it and I don't have the determination or balls of steel Like Herman Bix to do it with a hot screwdriver.

Personally I love the without fender look. Makes it look much more aggressive and imposing.

Keep it up you're doing great!

Chef

Thank you! Personally I think there should be no rush for these projects. Nobody runs after it, so even at the cost of applying 5 cm of zimmerit a day, it's worth a try! I think it's a typical man thing, everything is difficult until you start.

I'm happy that you like the absence of mudguards too!
I have recovered perhaps all of Herman Bix's works. He is extraordinarily talented, his works are truly inspirational.

I agree about going fenderless. My Tiger has no fenders at all. Some tanks just look better that way.

Thank you very much! The absence of some original parts actually tells of the wear and tear of the marches and of the war, especially on the German side, where there was no time to stop to think about the mudguard, it was already enough that the panzer had the petrol to move.

I move forward,

I proceed with the plastering of the side armour, using a Tamiya basic putty:



I use a large flat screwdriver to spread the putty along the crack.



This is what it looks like, after covering the entire length of the armor. One solid piece:



An idea of how I would like to position the tow cable in the future





And now, some sanding with fine sandpaper:



The surface does not need to be perfectly smooth. I remember that the upper part will be covered with the ATAK zimmerit sheet, while the lower part will be covered with zimmerit made with milliput.
(The ATAK zimmerit originally stops above the mudguard attachment, so I have to continue it downwards with Milliput, since on the KT early it was applied before fixing the fenders)

Here's what it looks like so far:





A historic photo, just for a quick glance!



Hope you like it, until now!
Thanks for your contribution! Take care!