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Mig Productions
King Tiger Scale Thickness Hull Plates
Mig Production Set #MP 35-129
1:35 Scale
Review by Terry Ashley

Mig Productions continue to release out of the ordinary resin sets that offer something different for those wanting to tackle a subject with a difference and this new set is just that.

The set provides all the basic hull plates and engine compartment bulkheads in scale thickness allowing you to produce an accurate to scale Tiger II hull that can be displayed in a production line diorama or with more work as a knocked out hull and with even more work a full Tiger II using parts from any of the Dragon Tiger II kits to finish the job.

The set consists of just 22 parts in light cream resin and 5 in etched brass with the standard of resin casting being excellent with just the usual casting blocks and some thin resin film to be removed from the parts which is easily dealt with.

Etched parts
Mig Productions

There were a few air holes along the bottom of one of the hull side plates but these would disappear when glued to the lower hull plate and the flat lower hull and top hull plate had ever so slight bowing that can be straightened by running under hot water for a short time and bending straight. The bowing is so minor it could also be pulled into line as you glue the parts together but it’s best to straighten so you don’t have to worry about this during assembly.

All the panels are the correct thickness but have a very thin backing film from the resin pouring process but this is so thin it is not worth bothering with and didn’t alter the thickness to any degree on my parts. You just have to trim along the edges of the parts to smooth out any excess resin from the pouring.

The surface detail on the parts is well done with subtle cast texture on the plates as well as some flame cut texture on the join fillets that will come up well with careful weathering.

Each plate has the milled holes for the suspension, rear exhausts and access panels as well as the lower hull having the open access panels holes with the hull top panel having open screw holes around the crew access panel.

With all these open access panels and bolt holes it makes the model more applicable to a production line model as building a full production model either disabled or running would require considerable more work in added all the access panels and recessed screw heads.

Assemble is very straightforward as you would expect with only 22 parts but there are a few things to watch out for. The long torsion bar retaining brackets added to the inside of the lower hull have no indication where they should be fitted width wise and I used the etched engine bulkhead with cut-outs that fit over the brackets as a template to mark the correct width on the hull plate before gluing the brackets in place. The is a small lip at the front of the lower hull plate that ensures the brackets are fitted correctly lengthwise so you only have to work out the width as mentioned.

I would use thick cyanoacrylate or epoxy resin to join the main hull plates for added strength as well as helping to fill any of the gaps in the process.

All the main hull plates are cast exactly like the real things with the tongue and groove joins and you just fit the plates together like a big jigsaw puzzle without any problems as they all fit together easily.

Fit of front plates, note large gaps that will be covered when applying the putty weld seams.
All photos of the assembled kit have the parts either tac glued or dry fitted.

Mig Productions

The lower hull has recesses along the edges to sit the side plates into and the upper sponson fillers also have recess to ensure they line up okay.

While the plates all fitted together without problems there are some large gaps between the joins most of which disappear as you have to add all the weld seams using putty or epoxy resin duly textured in the process.

Adding these welds helps secure the joins as well as filling the gaps so they are really not a problem but a few will need some additional trimming such as the nose joins which see the upper and lower front plates not matching exactly.

Also the lower hull plate was short by about 2mm in my set leaving a large gap at the rear hull join which is best filled with a strip of plastic card, but being on the underside will not be that noticeable after assembly.

Inside view showing the torsion bar bracket and the gap at the rear plate/hull join.
All photos of the assembled kit have the parts either tac glued or dry fitted.

Mig Productions

For the engine compartment there are etched bulkheads and panels plus the side panels and top plate supports over the fighting compartment which is again straightforward to fit once you have the main hull plates together.

There are a couple of small alignment issues such as the Driver’s periscope recess in the glacis plate not mating precisely with the cut-out in the top plate which could be an issue if you add the periscope from the Dragon kits but if leaving open you just trim the upper plate to match the glacis recess.

On the inside the torsion bar holes in the hull side don’t line up with those in the long retaining brackets and you may want to leave these brackets till after gluing the side plates in place and then align the holes if you plane to add torsion bars. If not then the miss-alignment will probably not be an issue.

View of upper hull plate with and without the crew hatch panel, again note the gaps
will be filled when adding the weld seams.
All photos of the assembled kit have the parts either tac glued or dry fitted.

Mig Productions

Instructions:
These are the usual Mig colour photos of the model during assembly with the parts called out by number and as there are only the 22 it’s all very straightforward without any major problems. There are also photos showing the weld seams being added with putty as well as a couple of shots of the full painted model to give an idea of the finished product

Conclusion:
This is another “thinking outside the box” kit from Mig which should appeal to those wanting something different and the rather loose fit of the main panels is not really an issue as any gaps are sealed when applying the putty welds.

Other fit issues are nothing unusual for a full resin kit but the model lends itself best to a production line model as there is quite a bit of extra work needed to make a finished model such as all the access panels on the underside and rear hull plate as well as having a spare Dragon KT kit handy for the other bits.

The standard of resin casting is very good overall and you will have the hull assembled in no time due to the intermeshing plates just like the real thing.

Highly recommended for those wanting a different project. 7.5/10

The Resin Parts:

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References:
The Tiger I & II has been covered in many publications over the years but some earlier references have information that has been updated in recent books as more accurate information has come to light.
book Panzerkampfwagen Tiger
Actung Panzer No.6
book

Modeler's Guide to the Tiger Tank
A complete and comprehensive guide to modelling the Tiger I and Tiger II in 1:35th scale

Military Miniatures in Review.
Ampersand Publishing.


Thanks to Mig Productions the review kit.




Page created November 1, 2007