Kingtiger 1/35th Buildlog
Victoria, Australia
Joined: November 03, 2008
KitMaker: 294 posts
Armorama: 291 posts
Posted: Tuesday, February 14, 2017 - 12:56 PM UTC
Great thread.
I experienced the same problem with the Meng kit, negative camber. I just applied a bit of brute force to get them right. I also wasn't happy with the ride height too, it sits too high. Again brute force here, just pushing the hull down gently when the suspension is fitted and the glue hasnt yet hardened fully.
The two tone King Tiger is the Takom kit.
Sam
England - North West, United Kingdom
Joined: April 20, 2004
KitMaker: 2,439 posts
Armorama: 1,980 posts
Posted: Tuesday, February 14, 2017 - 01:54 PM UTC
Nice looking Tigers.
Did you do the ambush camo free hand?
Never in the field of scale modelling was so much owed by so many to so few.
England - North West, United Kingdom
Joined: April 20, 2004
KitMaker: 2,439 posts
Armorama: 1,980 posts
Posted: Tuesday, February 14, 2017 - 03:34 PM UTC
Instead of starting a new thread can someone tell me if the Hobby boss tracks can fit the Meng kit?
I just don't like the link and length tracks and not going to shell out £30 for metal tracks.
Never in the field of scale modelling was so much owed by so many to so few.
Victoria, Australia
Joined: November 03, 2008
KitMaker: 294 posts
Armorama: 291 posts
Posted: Tuesday, February 14, 2017 - 04:09 PM UTC
Quoted Text
Nice looking Tigers.
Did you do the ambush camo free hand?
Cheers, yep ambush painted freehand. I applied the dots with some 40 thou Evergreen rod, just dipped it into the paint and dotted it on
Sam
Ukraine / Україна
Joined: January 26, 2010
KitMaker: 570 posts
Armorama: 553 posts
Posted: Tuesday, February 14, 2017 - 04:42 PM UTC
Quoted Text
Instead of starting a new thread can someone tell me if the Hobby boss tracks can fit the Meng kit?
I just don't like the link and length tracks and not going to shell out £30 for metal tracks.
HB tracks are for 18-toothed sprocket, Meng KT has 9-toothed one...You may use Tamiya set of tracks as an alternative. They have some nasty, hard to remove pin marks on the face surface. If you have dirty plan for your kit - no problem.
England - South East, United Kingdom
Joined: January 09, 2010
KitMaker: 979 posts
Armorama: 959 posts
Posted: Tuesday, February 14, 2017 - 05:47 PM UTC
The running gear problem is a potentially lethal one for the meng kit if you don't notice and take corrective action before you glue the wheels on.
Australia
Joined: April 04, 2010
KitMaker: 378 posts
Armorama: 348 posts
Posted: Tuesday, February 14, 2017 - 05:51 PM UTC
The problem is completely within Part C 3 and 4 the alignment pin prevents an even sit and only makes the swing arms toe in also here in part is the suspension height problem.
A real easy fix and not one that a bit of force bending parts will correct as it doesn't take much to stress the plastic on the swing arms only creating another problem altogether.
Cheers Ben.
Pennsylvania, United States
Joined: April 10, 2011
KitMaker: 7,941 posts
Armorama: 7,934 posts
Posted: Tuesday, February 14, 2017 - 07:27 PM UTC
Quoted Text
I will do my best Robert in the next update. However the latest Hilary Doyle drawings I have are from Thomas Jentz book 'Germany's Tiger Tanks VK45.02 to Tiger 2' and dated 1997.
If there is a more current set of drawings frankly I wont be purchasing them as I feel that I have enough reference books and build logs on Trumpter's Kingtiger to ably build and superdetail both Kingtigers. Although if someone wants to send me some I will of course use them for this thread.
Jerry the Tiger 1 is in a draw three feet away from me waiting to be finished. The hull is basically done, I just need to complete the turret. To he honest I think that the RFM Tigers (I have the early kit) have made the buildlog rather obsolete.
After the Kingtigers are finished maybe I will complete it...... then again I have been saying that for years.
I am currently finalising the Stug 3 which should be completed towards trhe end of the week.
You did such sweet work on that Tiger I for one would be happy to see it through to fruition. I think it is already quite an achievement buddy !
J
Alberta, Canada
Joined: August 20, 2008
KitMaker: 1,295 posts
Armorama: 1,191 posts
Posted: Tuesday, February 14, 2017 - 07:33 PM UTC
Quoted Text
Quoted Text
I will do my best Robert in the next update. However the latest Hilary Doyle drawings I have are from Thomas Jentz book 'Germany's Tiger Tanks VK45.02 to Tiger 2' and dated 1997.
If there is a more current set of drawings frankly I wont be purchasing them as I feel that I have enough reference books and build logs on Trumpter's Kingtiger to ably build and superdetail both Kingtigers. Although if someone wants to send me some I will of course use them for this thread.
Jerry the Tiger 1 is in a draw three feet away from me waiting to be finished. The hull is basically done, I just need to complete the turret. To he honest I think that the RFM Tigers (I have the early kit) have made the buildlog rather obsolete.
After the Kingtigers are finished maybe I will complete it...... then again I have been saying that for years.
I am currently finalising the Stug 3 which should be completed towards trhe end of the week.
You did such sweet work on that Tiger I for one would be happy to see it through to fruition. I think it is already quite an achievement buddy !
J
I for 2, even though I have the RFM Tiger, and the Takom Tiger II, would also love to see the Tiger finished.... you have done an absolutely amazing job of super detailing it, it would be a shame if it stayed 3 feet away in the draw...
Do what you love, and love what you do... then everything else is simply an extension of that which drives your heart.
Alberta, Canada
Joined: April 24, 2014
KitMaker: 342 posts
Armorama: 342 posts
Posted: Tuesday, February 14, 2017 - 08:27 PM UTC
Quoted Text
Hello All,
I can say that I love the texture on the rolled steel armour present on the Meng kit, but hate the cheap looking redbrown colour of the plastic, even though the kit itself seems high.
The red brown colour was most likely done by Meng to represent the red primer that was applied to the real thing. Maybe thinking it will make it easier for modellers to apply the chipped paint effect.......
Illinois, United States
Joined: November 20, 2012
KitMaker: 203 posts
Armorama: 198 posts
Posted: Tuesday, February 14, 2017 - 09:59 PM UTC
Steven,
Great thread! Really enjoying your breakdown of these kits as I'm planning to buy one of these and it's v. helpful to see the +/- of each. Thanks!
England - South East, United Kingdom
Joined: January 09, 2010
KitMaker: 979 posts
Armorama: 959 posts
Posted: Tuesday, February 21, 2017 - 12:12 AM UTC
Hello All,
Before I start the buildlog proper I will have a look at the parts which several people have commented that they had problems fitting in theit Meng Kit.
Unfortunately the Meng Kingtiger does not come with full torsion bars. The outer parts of the torsion bar fit into plugs contained within components C3 and C4. These parts should not be used if you purchase the Meng Interior kit so I wont be using them.
The parts seem to fit together quite well. The Torsion bar has a grove in it so it only fits in the plugs one way.
I cant replicate the problem so early in the build but I believe that not fitting full torsion bars is the reason why certain KIngtigers have the problems with 'toe in' once the wheels are installed. Lets hope the full interior is better engineered.
Thanks for looking
S
Minnesota, United States
Joined: July 20, 2004
KitMaker: 1,513 posts
Armorama: 1,449 posts
Posted: Tuesday, February 21, 2017 - 05:00 AM UTC
I found out about this problem after my roadwheel arms were glued on.
You'll knock it out of the park Steven.
Dan
Looking to meet other MN Armor modellers. I live in Buffalo.
England - South East, United Kingdom
Joined: January 09, 2010
KitMaker: 979 posts
Armorama: 959 posts
Posted: Wednesday, February 22, 2017 - 02:43 AM UTC
Dimensionally the Meng and Takom turrets kits are very similar although there is a accuracy problem with the Meng kit.
These are the measurements of the Kingtiger turret (copyright Hilary Doyle 1997)and there is no significant deviation in either kit.
The accuracy problem with the Meng kit is that the weld seams are just too large, perhaps three times the Takom kit.
Upper hull tomorrow
Thanks for looking
S
Ontario, Canada
Joined: February 04, 2009
KitMaker: 743 posts
Armorama: 549 posts
Posted: Wednesday, February 22, 2017 - 02:53 AM UTC
Great stuff. All I can say about those Meng weld seams is Ouch!
http://ghmicro.wix.com/twis-first-cut
Victoria, Australia
Joined: November 03, 2008
KitMaker: 294 posts
Armorama: 291 posts
Posted: Wednesday, February 22, 2017 - 03:02 AM UTC
The Meng one was researched by David Parker who spent 3 years rebuilding the 16th scale Trumpeter kit and climbing and measuring the real thing, so knows a thing or two about King Tigers.
The welds are quite accurate in the Meng Kit.
England - South East, United Kingdom
Joined: January 09, 2010
KitMaker: 979 posts
Armorama: 959 posts
Posted: Wednesday, February 22, 2017 - 03:13 AM UTC
Quoted Text
The Meng one was researched by David Parker who spent 3 years rebuilding the 16th scale Trumpeter kit and climbing and measuring the real thing, so knows a thing or two about King Tigers.
The welds are quite accurate in the Meng Kit.
In that case Tamyia, Trumpter, Takom, Dragon and Doyle have it wrong.
I have just checked the photos in David Parkers book P437 the seams are simply overscale on the Meng kit
England - South East, United Kingdom
Joined: January 09, 2010
KitMaker: 979 posts
Armorama: 959 posts
Posted: Wednesday, February 22, 2017 - 02:46 PM UTC
Hello All,
I have been conducting some further research on the Meng Kingtiger turret vs real Kingtigers to support some conclusions on its accuracy.
Please note that I don’t have some agenda behind making the Meng Kit look bad, I bought mine (alongside the interior) with my own funds for the purposes of this thread and if I find any inaccuracies with the Takom kit I will also point them out.
The first image is from David Parker’s Kingtiger book and posted for discussion purposes only.
Note the depth and length of the weld seems. This is a picture of the Swiss Kingtiger (Hull No 280215) currently undergoing full restoration and is of a vehicle produced after September 1944.
The next picture is of Kingtiger 104 at the Bovington Tank Museum (Hull No 280093) and is of a vehicle produced before September 1944. Again look at the weld seams. The pictures are copyright Alan Brown.
This is an image from of the Meng Kingtiger turret; the weld seams are too large and slightly too shallow in my opinion.
Further Bovington Picture
Thanks for looking
S
England - North West, United Kingdom
Joined: April 20, 2004
KitMaker: 2,439 posts
Armorama: 1,980 posts
Posted: Wednesday, February 22, 2017 - 04:19 PM UTC
This will be hard to fix without losing some of the texture detail.
Never in the field of scale modelling was so much owed by so many to so few.
England - South East, United Kingdom
Joined: January 09, 2010
KitMaker: 979 posts
Armorama: 959 posts
Posted: Wednesday, February 22, 2017 - 04:25 PM UTC
I agree, its my intention just to leave it, its not really a big deal to me but its something that needs to be considered
Ukraine / Україна
Joined: January 26, 2010
KitMaker: 570 posts
Armorama: 553 posts
Posted: Wednesday, February 22, 2017 - 04:41 PM UTC
Weld seam can be corrected easily:
Make a groove
Glue in a rod of stretched sprue
Sand it flush
Make a narrower groove
Glue in another sprue string
Imitate weld seam!
I can point out on two more issues of the Meng kit if you wish...
England - South East, United Kingdom
Joined: January 09, 2010
KitMaker: 979 posts
Armorama: 959 posts
Posted: Wednesday, February 22, 2017 - 04:45 PM UTC
Quoted Text
I can point out on two more issues of the Meng kit if you wish...
Please feel free, this should be a comprehensive thread for the community.
Burgos, Spain / España
Joined: September 08, 2005
KitMaker: 117 posts
Armorama: 74 posts
Posted: Wednesday, February 22, 2017 - 04:47 PM UTC
Quoted Text
I can point out on two more issues of the Meng kit if you wish...
As you wish...we are ready
I still continue with my DML's
Ukraine / Україна
Joined: January 26, 2010
KitMaker: 570 posts
Armorama: 553 posts
Posted: Wednesday, February 22, 2017 - 05:13 PM UTC
SBS images of Meng and Takom parts taken from tigerscorner.ru:
http://www.tigerscorner.ru/index.php?topic=180.195The planks between elongated reccesses are too thin:
There is no visible hoop on the largest radius, closest to the rim:
United Kingdom
Joined: June 07, 2014
KitMaker: 45 posts
Armorama: 45 posts
Posted: Thursday, February 23, 2017 - 01:00 AM UTC
The welds on the turret roof are too wide but at least Meng have got the type a weld right.
A bigger gaff in my opinion is the missing fender mounts at the rear of the hull. How they missed that one I don't know!
