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Building the Eduard Hetzer!

The painting instructions are given by Eduard as construction proceeds and are quite comprehensive, the colours being given as Gunze-Sangyo numbers, but also have the colour written underneath, this being helpful for anybody not using these paints.

Although there is some nice detail on the engine parts, as I’ve said, it’s a very simplified representation of the real thing, but very little of what you’re given is very visible after construction is complete, even with the engine plates wide open. With this in mind I added some wiring to make the engine appear more ‘busy’, but did little about the basic shape. The location of part L53 is incorrectly shown on the first page of the instructions, however if you refer to the next diagram it is shown correctly. I used Tamiya paints for spraying, and Vallejo acrylics for all detail painting. After the basic colours were applied I dry brushed everything with Humbrol Matt black, trying to achieve a dirty, oily look, and I also applied a pin wash of burnt umber around all the details.

detailing

Construction continues with the crew compartment. On the rear of the engine firewall, there is a radio set fitted in a small recess, so I decided to add wiring etc. that with hindsight I feel I shouldn’t have bothered with as very little is visible when the model is finished. That seemed a common theme as I continued the build, since very little of what I added could be seen at all at the end of the build! I even added various bolt heads along the inside of the hull walls. These proved not just difficult to see but totally impossible, but at least they gave me the chance to try out the ‘Nutter’! Ah well! The old adage... I know it’s there!

Whilst building the crew compartment, you’ll find that part L11 on the instructions is actually part L46, and it’s here that I found the biggest problem with the kit. Misaligned mould halves. They plagued the kit. You are given a full load of ammunition for the racks that line the inside walls. Very little of this is actually useable. I began by trying to clean the seams off, but quickly gave up when I realised that I was only going to end up with oval shells or very thin ones! I sorted out the best few and positioned them so they wouldn’t be a problem. As mentioned, the inside detail is very difficult to see anyhow, so leaving some of the racks empty turned out not to be a problem.

Construction proceeded with all parts being painted and weathered separately before being installed in the hull tub. Various bits of wiring were added, to and from the junction boxes supplied by Eduard, and when all finished and the decals added, it certainly looked good, at least with the hull superstructure off! The drivers controls are supplied as an injection moulded piece or photo etch with a paper insert. I used the styrene one, which in my opinion looks just as good, and yes..... you’ve guessed it......once that hull top goes on you’ll never see it again anyway.