Hobby Master Tigers

[ltcbj]

What do you all think of these? I have an opportunity to pick some up but I am not sure of the quality, detail, die-castness, etc?

[Philip]

Itcbj,

I haven't seen one of these up close, but have heard good things about them. As I have mentioned to you, I do have a HM plane, which is very nice. So, if their tanks are done with the same quality, I would think that the tanks are very good. I have looked at them also, but am waiting for their 1/72 line, that is supposed to come out in March.

[Jagdplastic]

I purchased the 1:48 Peiper Battle of the Bulge King Tiger "008" (HMG0106) as the Corgi 1:50 scale, which I collect, hasn't yet produced one and I felt the two lines would complement each other. I especially liked the paint scheme of this particular one and the opening commander's hatch cover. Corgi's offerings are all buttoned up. Being plastic, the turret, upper hull, and rear plate of this KT have good relief. The tools, tow cables, extra track sections, and track installation cable are glued onto the hull and turret as opposed to being molded into them. The tracks are made of harder rubber than most, are static, and have little detail. The 88 is plastic, but it does elevate and depress. The turret turns 360 degrees with modest force, and the commander's hatch cover can be open or closed. The bottom of the turret and the lower hull are metal giving some heft to the model, but not nearly as much as the Corgi models in this approximate scale range.

There is an excellent set of pictures somewhere that show the various disassembled parts of the model and explain the metal vs. plastic content, but I couldn't find them. Those pictures show that the model's tracks are given the appropriate "sag" over the first bogey wheel behind the drive sprocket on each side by a metal rod that holds them down. If that rod were removed, the tracks would probably roll, but I'd have to take the upper hull apart from the lower to see how the metal rod is installed. That's something I'd rather not do.

On balance, I'm disappointed in what I got for the money, around $30, and yet it is one of those in my collection that I often pull out of the display case to examine more closely. I love the ambush paint scheme and the fact I can position one of my 1:48 tank commanders in the turret, which I cannot do on the Corgi models.

I'm a Porsche-turreted King Tiger nut so I'm waiting for those offerings from Hobby Master. Two are to be produced, one of which I hope is NOT the tiger-striped one, if you know what I mean. I will get one of these. Corgi has already published what they're offering for 2007 and no King is in the mix, so the Hobby Master Tigers have and will fill the vacuum. I'd be happier if "008" had a more solid feel to it, however.

[hworth18]

I purchased the 1:48 Peiper Battle of the Bulge King Tiger "008" (HMG0106) as the Corgi 1:50 scale, which I collect, hasn't yet produced one and I felt the two lines would complement each other. I especially liked the paint scheme of this particular one and the opening commander's hatch cover. Corgi's offerings are all buttoned up. Being plastic, the turret, upper hull, and rear plate of this KT have good relief. The tools, tow cables, extra track sections, and track installation cable are glued onto the hull and turret as opposed to being molded into them. The tracks are made of harder rubber than most, are static, and have little detail. The 88 is plastic, but it does elevate and depress. The turret turns 360 degrees with modest force, and the commander's hatch cover can be open or closed. The bottom of the turret and the lower hull are metal giving some heft to the model, but not nearly as much as the Corgi models in this approximate scale range.

There is an excellent set of pictures somewhere that show the various disassembled parts of the model and explain the metal vs. plastic content, but I couldn't find them. Those pictures show that the model's tracks are given the appropriate "sag" over the first bogey wheel behind the drive sprocket on each side by a metal rod that holds them down. If that rod were removed, the tracks would probably roll, but I'd have to take the upper hull apart from the lower to see how the metal rod is installed. That's something I'd rather not do.

On balance, I'm disappointed in what I got for the money, around $30, and yet it is one of those in my collection that I often pull out of the display case to examine more closely. I love the ambush paint scheme and the fact I can position one of my 1:48 tank commanders in the turret, which I cannot do on the Corgi models.

Agreed.. This is the only King Tiger I have and I am pretty happy with it..

[hawkonevoodoo]

The next releases are supposed to have a new type of tread, more rubber than the first tracks. This supposed to take place from HG0110 and on. Also the new Tigers and King Tigers will have an all metal barrel and the Shermans will be all metal chassis and turret.