I would like to know all of your pros and cons about the 1/25th scale Tiger I German tank by Tamiya.
I found this kit at a antique shop and they are holding it for me, but I wanted to get everyone’s opinion on this kit.
Thank you.
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I built it decades ago. It looks like a Tiger I. But there are far more knowledgeable Tiger modelers who can tell you about subtle differences about what components it has. It is an “early - mid-production” with rubber rimmed road wheels.
Inside, if you haven’t seen one, the interior is basic. The Maybach HL210 is just a piece resembling looking down at the engine. Not a complete engine. No fuel tanks or radiators or fans. It has working torsion bar suspension but there is not much floor detail. The ammo boxes are single-piece parts with shells molded into them.
The turret interior has the main gun and MG. Not bad but basic. “A good start,” as someone once wrote concerning detailing it. I only recall a couple of parts to be mounted on the turret interior. It has a floor and supports that hold it to the turret.
All hatches open and close.
I think it looks okay but I dare say that the 1/35 Tigers with interiors that have been released over the past 25 years are more authentic - just my opinion, which is limited.
I have another of Tamiya’s big Tiger Is and plan to build it someday. A Tiger just needs to be built in a large scale,m although the 1/16 monsters seem too big for my taste. My big disappointment is lack of 1/25 items to detail it with: jerry cans; fuel drums; etc., but Shapeways probably can fill the void. Armorama had a modeler who made some 1/25 items for these old kits but I’ve lost his email and URL.
Tasca and Aber both make some 1/24-1/25 accessories: http://www.artistichobbies.com/products.php?cat=83
Shepard Paine probably inspired more armor modelers with his 1/25 version of the Tamiya Tiger 1 than we will ever know. IIRC he added about 3/4 of the details shown.
Pro’s
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Historic kit, see Shepherd Paine’s Tiger 1
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It was a state of the art halo kit like 45 years ago
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It has a very basic interior & engine top half
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It has individual link tracks that snap together.
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It’s a very fun build.
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It’s very buildable in a reasonable time period.
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If you can paint and weather well it will look nice when completed despite its age.
My ~43 year old build is still on the display shelf. Notice how utterly lacking the model is in fine detail. Tamiya’s 1/35 Late Tiger I from 1988-1989 blow it away in detail. The new generation 1/35 is light years more details than the elderly 1/25 Tamiya Tiger.
I hope one of these years to strip my old 1/25 Tiger 1 and give it a quality repaint.
Cons
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Modeler expectations with wanting it to be something it’s not.
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It’s a 1960’s or 1970’s kit. The detail is sparce.
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To detail it would be incredibly time intensive.
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Little aftermarket support
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No engine deck screens
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Needs the later cupola and other parts as options to open opportunities to do later versions.
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Given its age while the bones maybe pretty good there’s a lot of stuff like asymmetrical turret that weren’t know when this kit was made.
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I have one with the beautiful full box top painting. My mom bought it for me in Japan in the 70’s. I don’t know if I’ll ever build it but I know I’ll never sell it.
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I used it as an ‘excuse’ to build OOB for once. The interior is a joke by today’s standards so I stuffed the hatches with the included crew. Only upgrade was string for tow cables.
Know what? Best fun I had in ages and a lovely big model to catch the eye!
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Hi!
Maybe You wrote about me and my project.
Never ending story- Berlin`s Tiger from Munchenberg Div.
My workbench is here on 1-25 Scale Armor Forum, maybe next month I will update.
My shop Panzer Hobby Art offers modelers a full list od available accessories to this old kit.
Now I work on idler wheels(reworked part from Tamiya) and tension arm. Now ready to cast
Full list of available accessories You can find in this thread. There are other plastic 1-25 scale models too.
Old model, with all his mistakes, but duty for 1-25 scale funs.
I hope help You to take decision.
Good luck!
@Piterpanzer Hi Piotr,
Does anyone make a late style cupola in 1/25 for the Tamiya Tiger?
BTW - that’s a nice list of parts. I really like the steel wheels.
Hello Piotr!
Yes, you are the person I was referring to. I had your PM from years ago in my KitMaker message box but can’t access it now. Glad you are still around - thanks for checking in.
I’ll visit your site soon.
Welcome back!
That’;s my goal for it! It will be fun to have again. I just can’t decide how to build it - DAK, Dunkelgelb, multi-color? So many choices.
For me three colors scheme from Europe was everytime the most interesting.
Three production variants and late war period hybrids.
Rage the soul of Hell is gone
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