Build Review - 1/35 Takom Hetzer (Late Production) 

“If shit gets fucked up, you’re fucked” We speak the same language matt. Awesome review. I’m not at ALL familiar with Hetzers, or any not-tiger/panzer German stuff. I wouldn’t be able to pick one out of a 5 tank line up before. But I share your appreciation for underdogs and necessity driving design. So that was cool to learn.

Scale modeling is a beautiful hobby. Aircraft, tanks and cars. Different finishes to each.

Top review/build. Convinced me to pick one up.

Takom made a mistake with the left inside sponson. The tank's not supposed to have a radio there - and the radio comprises four devices, so that's almost the whole contents of the sponson. The tank's intercom is also missing some parts, and the fuse box is in the wrong place. I've been told that some of the internal parts are from the G13 but I'm not qualified to confirm that. It seems that Takom referred to a badly restored vehicle instead of researching the original.

I agree that having a gap on a close panel may look annoying. But it is not necessarily unrealistic. These were not airtight and were built as quickly as possible. There are many accounts of water dripping in the hull when it's raining.

Hi there, thanks for the interesting appraisal of this build and kit. I find myself asking the question which, (in my opinion) is important, did I find this enjoyable?. It seems that when the whole excersize becomes a chore, why do we carry on trying to make a "silk purse" as the saying go's. I really appreciate your patience and many thanks for this post, your views are rewarding.

Thx for being honest👍😆

awqesome review doogs i feel takom is slipping now just pumping out as many as they can nice work keep them coming

Does the kit allow the upper casemate to be removed from the lower hull so as to reveal a painted interior? I built a Dragon Hetzer decades ago and am considering adding this kit to my collection. I'm amazed how many variants were built on the chassis of the Czech 38T. I've built several Dragon Marders and am now building their artillery Geschutzwagen 38H s.IG 33. Its on the back burner for now as a break was needed to recover my mojo after navigating this kit's instructions sheet. Thanks for the review.

Dear Mr Doog, Naked build you say? I trust that, in your state of undress, you do not spill glue on areas which might not benefit from being so anointed. That being said, the finished product looks nice at arm’s length which of course is the distance at which it will be viewed! Entertaining video! Regards, Z

Great review- (1) it’s too bad it’s a hybrid of BMM / Skoda details, but with enough nerding out and asking Tracy Hancock you can fix the minor details if desired (2) I’m with you, im not into interior details unless you can see them. I have the same boxing and am considering external only or just the engine with the engine hatches open. (3) for aftermarket tracks I can also vouch for ET Models. I’m hoping someone makes winterketten hetzer tracks soon 😊

Matt, you need too do a review of the 1/35 CH-54 👍😁

I find these full interior kits are a bit of a waste if you just want to build the vehicle as per the "normal" armour builds. I built the RFM Jagdpanther and the E8 Sherman. On the Jagdpanther I cut all the side panels away like it had been sectioned for a museum display and glued all the hatches open I also put holes in the roof and Glacis plate to expose as much of the interior as possible. I found the Sherman with the turret much more difficult to do and ended up mounting the hull top and turret on struts to lift them however I think its not as clean a display model doing it this way. The Hetzer with its large flat sides should lend itself well to a bit of sectioning.

I build a fair amount of armor and never buy an interior kit. I've never understood why you would spend a significant amout of time on something that won't be seen. I generally feel the same way about aircraft engines.

Never understand the idea behind interiors in tanks that close up. It's like, well, just silly. Great review though 👏

A very entertaining build review mate. Sorry to say that Takom instructions are always pretty bad. Like you said, you will see very vague placement of some parts. Plus I bet the instructions did not tell you what colours to paint any of the interior parts. I found that out with the Das Werk 1/16 Stug kit. Its basically a Takom kit, but in Das Werk flavour. I had to download the instructions to a 1/35 Mini Art Stug kit to find out what colours to paint all the interior parts.

I don’t get the current fetish for full interior armour kits. Are you supposed to build them as a museum cutaway or what?

I feel like takoms instructions are pretty sub par. The kits are usually good but there is always a few parts that I have to figure out where the hell they go because of the shoddy instructions.

Seems over-engineered. And why pay for all the interior bits when one can't see them? Oh, I know people say that they enjoy doing the interiors even when they can't be seen, but it makes no sense to me. Rather offer me a kit with the exterior only at a lower price.

So many kit fucked up by the manufacturer by the full interior. Skyrocketing price for nothing. I won't buy any of this kits thanks to this problem.

Would you mind watching your language? iBonez Models might have his kid on his knee while watching this. Oh wait, never mind.

Well...after building several takom kits I came to conclusion to avoid this brand in future. The simple reason I am fed up with takom is poor instruction, assembly manuals they provide with kits. Apart from mistakes in the instructions, information you get is sometime insufficient or misleading. I wish takom spend some time to prepare decent kit instructions. For example I really appreciate aproach of Eduard or Copper State Models as kit producers as they take kit manuals subject very seriously.. The hetzer is still waiting on my shelf to be build, labelled "no more future purchase of takom products". I count that competitors sooner or later will give some better alternatives and Takom maybe learn the lesson.

Why do you need to add swearing to the video? Kids might be watching this!

Good review, BUT maybe tone down the F bombs. If I leave a comment with the f word you tube cautions or suspends you. Just brake on it.