GERMAN HEAVY TANK DESTROYER ELEFANT TAMIYA 1/35

The 75th Tamiya Pachi Contest “Fine Work Prize”

This elephant was built in this summer.

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

Compared with the kits of the Dragon or AFV Club, which were being assembled numbers of 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 is highly realistic. As for the old kit, it’s not only Tamiya, the backside of the caterpillar had flat, simple and no molded on a belt caterpillar. This is a significant improvement.

Assemble the chassis, 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 difficult to work coating.

There are several kinds of similar caterpillar parts, and the curve condition seems to be delicately different each. I wrote a number in 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 is not a good fit, when it was corrected, I could wind tight by the number as shown in the instructions.

First of all, starting from the area seems not too hard, to be covered 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 shaping plastic runners properly.

The WAVE epoxy putty hardens in 3 hours. I recommend to use 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 the both sides, only wire ropes. If there is not coating, it is the quite flat appearance.
(21-January-2016)

Painted in gloss black.

It is the three-color camouflage painting. In reference to a painting manual of Tamiya, I blew a small pattern by air brushing this time.

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

There are 3 tank crew figures attached in 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 is best. But it is hard to see the position where he is in the tank.

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

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

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

The electric motor was selected as 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 breakdown occurred frequently. Without the suspension failure, the Elephant is the strongest tank destroyer with a thick armor and 8.8cm anti-tank gun power.

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

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

I added a dirt to the wheels and a 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 was seeming exactly in the good shade.

Because I usually use only the lacquer, I considerably feel a sense of discomfort in the handling of the water-based paint. It’s like the thin rubber film, which are 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 performed this vehicle a little too much. In fact, I love tipping.

The coating came off here and there.

When I began a modelling, (when I re-started after my interruption), I paint 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 the best is I use it properly depending on a scene.

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

I choose the 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 to be a uniform of the black tanker jacket. By the way, the red color means it’s 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 to attach photo-etched parts. The figure expression is very serious.

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

I think the Elephant is a cool tank destroyer that I would like to build again with the different painting. The kit assemble is easy.
(26-January-2016)