Elefant German Heavy Tank Destroyer Tamiya 1/35

The 75th Tamiya Pachi Contest “Fine Work Prize.”

This Elephant was built this summer.

This Elefant had a fine work prize in Tamiya’s 75th Patch Photo Contest in the summer of 2015. Because I made many models this autumn and winter, I completely forgot it. The pictures of the making process were taken, so I updated them little by little. They look detailed. There are building instructions and a painting guide.

Compared with the kits of the Dragon or AFV Club, which were assembled in several works in the past, there are few parts, and assembly seems easy.

I like the caterpillars of the partial connection method most. Tamiya elephant tracks are sharp molded front and back and are highly realistic. As for the old kit, it’s not only Tamiya, the backside of the caterpillar had flat, simple, and no mold on a belt caterpillar. This is a significant improvement.

Assemble the chassis and the fighting compartment. The joining of parts is no problem at all.
(30-December-2015)

The suspension parts contain only three parts, and assembling is easy. Now I’m building the sprocket wheels and tracker rollers, etc.

Before doing the Zimmerit coating, assembling is like this photo is best. I think many glued parts make it difficult to work on coating.

There are several kinds of similar caterpillar parts, and the curve condition seems to be delicately different for each. I wrote a number on the backside of the caterpillar before separating it because I was not confused.

If I’m following the manual, a caterpillar tread goes one piece too much, and I removed it one piece, so it’s too short. When I checked, the connection was not a good fit; when it was corrected, I could wind tight by the number shown in the instructions.

First, starting the area is not too hard to cover with Zimmerit coating. By using the WAVE Epoxy Putty, continue little by little.
(14-January-2016)

I used the coating rollers for a base. I carved the small part with the metal spatula and shaped the plastic runners properly.

The WAVE epoxy putty hardens in 3 hours. I recommend using it little by little on the complicated surface because the putty becomes hard in an hour when the temperature is around 30 degrees centigrade.

This part is the most difficult. I put a coating radially like fireworks focusing on the big rivets.

After one side is coated with putty and the plastic wire parts are forced before solidifying immediately, they adhere firmly.

When a caterpillar seems to be heavy, after all, it is good.

The coating around the side rivets is difficult. There is a way to shave and attach them after coating.

The rear round hatch is hitting, and it seems damaged. The hatch rim coating was coming off randomly.

There are almost no accessories on both sides, only wire ropes. If there is no coating, it is quite a flat appearance.
(21-January-2016)

Painted in gloss black.

It is a three-color camouflage painting. About a painting manual of Tamiya, I blew a small pattern by airbrushing this time.

After blowing hair spray lightly, I use the Creos aqueous hobby color. At first, the base is gloss black. I scratched off the aqueous colors randomly for the rust and pell of the painting.

There are three tank crew figures attached to this kit. The mold is sharp and nice.

From the other direction.
(23-January-2016)

I painted a uniform, but the colors seem to be slightly different. They are like an Israeli soldier or a U.S. soldier. When I mixed the oil painting, I thought that it was strange.

The uniform left it and painted the face first of all. I thought the left crew was best. But it is hard to see his position in the tank.

I remixed the oil painting and painted like the German tank crew.
(24-January-2016)

It is the Elephant of Tamiya. I had a fine work prize for Tamiya’s 75th Patch Photo Contest.

At that time, Henschel and Porsche competed in the Tiger prototype competition. Although Porsche lost the competition, dozens of bodies were made before approving the determination, and the chassis of this Elephant was diverted from it.

The electric motor was selected as the drive of a vehicle, so does it look like an electric car in fashion now? Dr. Ferdinand Porsche seemed to be too much ahead of the times.

The power wasn’t enough considering the 65t body, and breakdowns occurred frequently. Without the suspension failure, the Elephant is the strongest tank destroyer with thick armor and 8.8cm anti-tank gun power.

The German AFV is a small production of many types. The number of all production was under 100 even if I considered the Ferdinand, the former type of Elephant. So, I think it’s not so great an impact on the entire front line. This is one of the reasons for many Germany AFV fans.

The rust is put on a reserve caterpillar, and the other weathering is a little.

I think it’s almost no need to do washing on the Zimmerit coating area. I don’t like too much darkening the paint in the ditches.

This vehicle marking is No.232, 2nd Company, 653rd Heavy Anti-Tank Battalion, Eastern Front, Summer 1944.

I added dirt to the wheels, and caterpillar tracks more than the upper armor plates. The paint-to-come-off condition is just right, I suppose.

At first, the dark yellow of Mr. Hobby Aqueous hobby color looked very whitish, but after doing three colors of camouflage, it seemed exactly in a good shade.

Because I usually use only the lacquer, I feel considerably uncomfortable handling the water-based paint. It’s like the thin rubber film, which is slightly sticky, it’s strange, but maybe it’s not yet dry completely. The coating hardens in one day.

I did not usually do much tipping when it was the camouflage painting, but I performed this vehicle a little too much. I love tipping.

The coating came off here and there.

When I began modeling (when I re-started after my interruption), I painted it only in Humbrol, and sometimes I painted it only with the Creos lacquer and tried it in various ways. Now I have lacquer, aqueous, and enamel, so I use it properly depending on the scene.

Tank Crew A. It’s not so good the thick headphone pole. The mold of the face is very good.

I choose red for the combatant branch insignia color of the epaulet. When it is pink, it is a tank division. Because the crew of the Elephant at that time does not seem uniform in the black tanker jacket. By the way, the red color means its artillery crew.

This hatch is not glued in case of removing the figure.

The headphone band is bigger when I use the parts of Tamiya. Tamiya is not active in attaching photo-etched parts. Figure expression is very serious.

This is a large vehicle, but the figure makes it easy to understand the size.

I think Elephant is an excellent tank destroyer. The kit assembly is easy. I want to build again with a different painting.
(26-January-2016)