Hi guys,
I plan to buy the Tamiya German King Tiger Heavy Tank "Ardennes Front". Have any of you build this in the past? What would be the quality of the kit?

The kit in question is basically a re-issue of Tamiya's previous King Tiger Henschel Turret. The new kit includes some nice figures, a motorcycle and a few extra parts to make a very specific "batch" of King Tigers.

The kit is overall very nice and needs very few improvements. I like to add engine deck screens, Friulmodel tracks and a CMK barrel.

Later,
Tim

Sebastian,I haven,t built that one But from what I hear it's a pretty good kit The only thing bad that I've heard about the Tamiya King Tiger is that the tracks are a little tight I think it was Folgore who told me that Not real sure

Just thought i'd post this FYI:
Panzers in Normandy then and now by Eric Lefevre ISBN 0 900913 29 0
The above book is loaded with pictures from Normandy and there are a few good shots of the King.
I can recommend this book to anyone, although in B&W.
It tells of the German unnits in action and little histories of battles too.
HTH

I built the previous King Tiger and I have got to say it was the "Smoothest" kit I have ever built.. Very well engineered with no problems..
The tank turned out so well, I am kinda afraid to paint it..

If you only care about the Tank then buy the cheaper Henschel or "Production" version. If you wnat the figures and motorcycle go with the Ardenez

Yep, it's a good kit. The figures and motorcycle are a nice addition, making it virtually a diorama in a box. The vinyl tracks are not so much tight as they are difficult to get the proper sag. I bought Model Kasten tracks for my next King Tiger. I think some replacement tracks (Tamiya also sells indi-link tracks for the King Tiger, I believe) and some photoetch grilles are all that is needed to really make the kit shine. More good news is that you don't need zimmerit for this version of the King Tiger :-)

Nic

#:-) It's really one of my favorite models....The paint scheme with the blue numbers and the really YELLOW cammo paint. It's a nice model right out of the box...and...oh yeah...you DON'T have to add zimmerit for this version. Later...Jeff

Thank you guys for your help. I got the Ardennes kit. I have opened the package and found a huge body of the tank. The only problem that I spotted so far is that the two pieces that make the hull, don't fit as nicely in the front. Some putty will do the trick.

If you're talking about the spaces on the left and right, you don't need to fill them as they are covered with pieces C44 and C45. If there is a space on the horizontal between the top and bottom halves of the hull then one piece must be warped because mine fit very nicely together.

Nic

Thanks Folgore for your answer. I was almost completely disappointed with Tamiya's job on this kit and was about to give up buying the second one (I intend to get the second one within a month or so). Are there any issues with this kit though?

Not really. The back piece can be a little tricky I suppose, but other than the fact that the vinyl tracks are tough to get sagging down to the roadwheels the kit is your typical Tamiya of the '90s, great fit and crisp detail.

Nic

Thanks again Folgore. Actually, I intend to buy the separate track links from Friulmodel (when the budget will allow me to) :-). After I seen how they can change the appearance of the kit on a T55, I said to myself that all of the tanks that I'll build from now on will get the Friul treatement. I know they're expensive (~$70 plus tax here in Toronto) but I believe they worth every penny.

Hi, I just bought a King Tiger (Ardennes Front) from the net last week,
from my view there is no much different from the old released model,
but the figures of the bike and soldiers are very nice,
also for the TAMIYA T-55, it is a new release and very high detailed,
I got them both Tiger and T-55 from www.ent-mart.com for about US$40 only.
It's really a nice price though need to wait 1 week for shipping.

Hope this info help you.

I have both kits, and agree, the Ardenne is the same kit with the addition of the motorcycle and figures. That being said, the kits are very nice, and I enjoyed building both very much. They just seem to fall together, typical of Tamiya's stuff. Recommend both highly!

Gentlemen,
Thanks again for your help.

Sebastian,

You only need individual tracks if you model your Konigstiger with some or all of the skirts off. The sag really isnt as much of an issue under the mud skirts. Some tank like Panthers and Tiger, etc... really show the sag, and the vinyl tracks are a real PITA to get to look decent.

I am doing an M3 Honey right now, and it has skirts so I am using the vinyl tracks. I think they look fine.

Scott