1/35 Tiger Model Designs German Armored Car Lifting Hooks (Riveted-10027 & Welded-10028)
Basic Item Information
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Medium
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Resin
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Kit Contents
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(57) Hooks in each Set
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Review Summary
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Review Type
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First Look Review
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Basic Positive Features
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Both sets are inexpensive alternatives that can be used to replace inaccurate, under-detailed, lost or forgotten model kit parts.
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Basic Negative Features
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No information on their use is provided in the instructions (although there is some info available at the TMD website)
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Recommendation
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Highly Recommended
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Background
This review is of two separate (yet VERY similar) detail sets by Tiger Model Designs. The products covered are:
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German Armored Car Lifting Hooks: Riveted (10027)
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Both sets contain one-piece resin parts which replicate different lifting hooks/eyes seen on WWII era German Armored Cars. TMD’s sets can be used to replace under-detailed or inaccurate model kit parts. You can also use these sets to replace parts you’ve lost or pieces the kit manufacturers did not supply.
Each set provides (57) lifting hooks, split up into two different “versions” of eyelets. As the pieces in both sets are crazy-small and are pretty basic in design (as are the real parts) the only difference between the two versions that I can identify is that one type is larger than the other. You are provided with 30 “small” and 27 “large” hooks.
Smaller Riveted Lifting Hooks Larger Riveted Lifting Hooks
Instructions/Packaging
The instructions consist of one 5 ½” x 8 ½” piece of paper, folded into 4 quadrants to be used as the set’s rear packaging (similar to a backing plate). One color photo (of the lifting eyes attached to an armored car hull) and one black/white photo of the pieces are provided. General instructions on the use and dangers of working with resin are provided, but no specific information is provided about what armored cars had these eyelets attached. Not surprisingly, no instructions are provided (or needed) for using these pieces as you just remove them from their “sprues” and attach them with “super glue” (although the use of CA glue isn’t mentioned in the “general” instructions).
The good news is that some specific information on the use of these pieces is provided on TMD’s website. For your convenience, I’ve decided to provide it here.
For the Riveted Eyelets, TMD states:
“This detail set includes two styles of lifting eyes that were most often seen on the German SdKfz 231, SdKfz 232, SdKfz 233 and SdKfz 263 armored cars. They were also seen on other AFV’s such as the SdKfz 250 and SdKfz 251 series vehicles (you will need to check your own references).”
For the Welded Eyelets, TMD states:
“This detail set includes two styles of lifting eyes that were most often seen on the German SdKfz 234/1, SdKfz 234/2, SdKfz 234/3 and SdKfz 234/4 armored cars. You may find them on other armored cars and light AFV’s (you’ll have to refer to your own references).”
I checked my references on a number of different German Armored car types and found the above information to be consistent with what I have in my possession. I also found that the parts contained in both sets look to be accurate as well. The references I checked are:
· "Panzerspahwagen: Armored Cars Sdkfz 3 to Sdkfz 263" (Panzer Tracts No. 13) by Thomas Jentz
· "Panzerspahwagen Sdkfz 231/232: Wehrmacht Heavy 6-Wheeled & 8-Wheeled Armoured Cars and their Derivatives" (Tankograd Publishing) by Henry Hoppe
· "Schwerer Panzerspahwagen (Sdkfz 231) 8 Rad" (Museum Ordnance Special Number 11) by Thomas Jentz
· "Schwerer Panzerspahwagen (Sdkfz 234)" (Museum Ordnance Special Number 24) by Thomas Jentz
· "Sdkfz 234" (Kagero) by George Parada, et al.
However, I do have a couple points you might be interested in hearing. First, the Sdkfz 231/232 armored cars mentioned in the above description about the riveted hooks are actually the 8-wheeled armored cars. And second, regarding that same paragraph, I did find one photo in Tom Jentz’s Panzer Tracts book showing an Sdkfz 231 6-wheeled armored car “sporting” the riveted lifting eyes too.
The packaging is fairly typical of most aftermarket companies. The parts come in a sealed plastic bag, which are further protected by a plastic container covering the front and sides. The folded instruction sheet is then used as the “backing plate” to complete the packaging. Under normal circumstances this type of packaging should be sufficient to prevent damage or loss of parts. However, the parts in these sets are very thin and delicate and unfortunately, a small number of them suffered a bit of damage. As both sets contain a large number of identical parts, the broken parts should not cause any excessive heartache.
Quality/Detail of Parts
The quality of the casting of the resin pieces is very good. Although there is a small amount of flash present on some of the parts, they are crisply molded without any imperfections or mold shift. A little clean up needed is to take off the small amount of flash there is and to sand down any attachment point left when you remove the part from the sprue. Finally, although there isn’t much detail to the real lifting eyelets, the detail level of each individual piece is excellent and replicates them nicely.
Smaller Welded Lifting Hooks
Larger Welded Lifting Hooks
Conclusion
Both detail sets are nice, inexpensive ways to “gussy up” your German Panzerspahwagen models. The parts are easy to use and are solid replacements for inaccurate, under-detailed, lost or forgotten model kit parts. The only downside to these sets is that there is no information provided in the instructions indicating what vehicles used these fittings. The good news is that some information to their use is provided at Tiger Model Design’s website (and provided in this review as well).
Highly Recommended
Thanks to Tiger Model Designs for the review sample.