Winter tale – Königstiger 1/35

Winter projects were always very intriguing for me. Their weathering is very differently applied, and they need to be done in two additional stages of painting. At least it’s what I do:
First paint the standard camouflage, then make shades of the coloring using paler colors to make them look of age. Then, the white paint. Since most of the modelers love painting the most, I did my best to spent as much time as I can airbrushing.
In addition to that, I extended the project length, by adding AK-Interactive chipping solution between camo and the white wash, in order to make it more interesting.

The white applied on the Nazi vehicles was kind of a wash. It was applied by hand, and eventually started chipping, and fall off. That was my main objective as I started painting. And chipping solution helped a lot.
The tank’s final look is visible on the pictures – it is still white, but it’s not
spotless white, just on the contrary. It is chipped, spotted and worn.
Additionally I made some rust coloring here and there, where eventually rust stains would accumulate. This vehicle represents a tank that served somewhere in Hungary in 1945. That means few things, none more important then those:
1. The tank was poorly maintained, since end of the war was already smelled in the air by the Nazis.
2. Winters in those parts of the world starts early, so it should be painted few months before that, and eventually get scratched and rusted.

My main idea was to make it more dirty, but when I started to get the almost-final look of the tank I decided to stop. I learned while making models, that it’s best to stop just before you think it is enough. Past that point, you can easily overdo a model, which is almost never a good thing.
And it is better to still have a room for more touches. As we all know you can always add something. But in terms of weathering – using oils, washes and some other stuff, once applied, you will hardly get rid of it.

The kit has highs and lows, but most importantly, if you are prepared to deal with Dragon’s mess of a instruction sheet, you will get the best available King Tiger out there. There are PE parts, Metal Gun Barrel, additional goodies like shovels, jacks, cupola options, stuff like that.
The tracks are a hassle, and I would suggest whoever wanna build this kit, to take a shot with Friul tracks. Just a detailed and thorough research is needed before buying. Friul has quite a few options out there, and some features additional sprockets, so again -research before you buy!
Zimmerit applied is one of the best features for me, although many modelers tend to criticize it, because they cannot touch it by themselves and has to settle with what DML has presented them. However, this is mostly mumbling. A good and talented modeler will ALWAYS squeeze what is best from a kit, and even with or without zimmerit, this tank /or any model in that matter/ might be done is specific and wonderful piece of art.

I left mine without fenders, since most popular King Tiger video features tanks with exactly that look. The Porsche turret is better looking then the Henschel one shown on that videos, but nevertheless I chose that fender option. I only chose the Porsche because I am a fan of the smooth curves.
On a winter tank, you can apply 90% of the tips and tricks that you know about, and still get a fine vehicle. This does not make it the easiest built possible, but the most forgiving.
If you are a fan of Wehrmacht tanks ,this is most likely the best choice you can do – either build or buy one completed. It, as a model and design, still looks stunning, even besides the most modern MBTs.
I am willing to do a more “warm” model of King Tiger, eventually with Henschel turret and Friuls, since I missed my chance to use some on that one. I will definitely will used Dragon kit again. It worth the hassle. And it is only within the building process. The rest is as with every other model. Brilliantly engineered, this kit should not be my last King Tiger for sure!
Thanx for watching!