Tamiya 1/35 scale PzKpfw I Ausf B plastic model kit review

Molded in dark gray plastic, the all-new Tamiya 1/35 scale PzKpfw I Ausf B plastic model kit features excellent detail including link-and-length styrene tracks with molded sag. Decals are provided for three different vehicles: two from the 4th Panzer Division — one in Poland in 1939, the other from France, 1940 — and a third from an unknown unit in Russia in 1941. Also included is a partial — from the knees up — commander figure to pose in the main hatch. Two heads are provided: one with a beret, the other with a peaked cap.

The multipiece lower hull fits together perfectly, and I added all the details except for the running gear, which I saved for painting. I did assemble the road wheels that feature separate, two-piece tires that allow the inner rims to have detail.

The upper hull fit together well. I added most of the onboard tools, but in hindsight, it probably would have been easier to paint them off the vehicle. The kit provides a photo-etched metal screen for the muffler, and there’s a two-piece form for shaping the screen. I left it off until after painting the hull. The turret is another quick build with a flawless fit. No provision is given to make the machine-gun mantlet poseable.

I airbrushed the tires and return rollers with Tamiya Dark Gray (No. XF-24), the wheels, hull, and turret German Grey (No. XF-63) dark gray, and the tracks with Flat Earth (No. XF-52). The decals responded well to the Micro Scale decal solutions over a coat of clear gloss.

I assembled the suspension and added the tracks, which fit well and looked good with the appropriate sag at the rear. The tracks were lightly dry-brushed with steel. Finally, I glued the upper and lower hulls together and painted the various tools with a fine brush.

It only took about 10 hours to build the Tamiya 1/35 scale PzKpfw I Ausf B plastic model kit, and I was impressed with the quality and fit of the parts. The dimensions matched those of the real thing in The Standard Catalog of German Military Vehicles by David Doyle (ISBN 978-0-87349-783-1). As long as they are comfortable working with small parts, I think any modeler with a few years of experience would be able to build this kit.