Trumpeter E-25 1/35 - one down, many to go...

[Guest]

About two months ago I had the "brilliant" idea to build all tanks from the E-series, and several variants too, as a project - the Entwicklungsfahrzeug Sammlung.
It's basically all tanks from the E-5 to the mighty E-100!

So far I've got 9 kits in the stash waiting to be built. One of them is the E-100 Flakzwilling I'm building for the AA Gun GB 2018.

First out to be done is the E-25.
(note: grass not to scale)
[ATTACH]291663[/ATTACH][ATTACH]291664[/ATTACH][ATTACH]291665[/ATTACH][ATTACH]291666[/ATTACH]

This one nearly went in the bin for yet again a failed "hairspray" technique... I used proper chipping medium this time but it wasn't happy with Tamiya paint for some reason...?
I salvaged what I could and called it done, adding some to experience knowing yet another thing that doesn't work

I've made a whole lot of changes to the kit because I used the E-25 from World of Tanks as inspiration, not the kit itself, and I think it looks more "alive" this way than the clean look the kit had in mind.
I've mainly used a lot of Löwe tools but also scratch built ones. This I want to practise more because it was more fun than the whole build itself!

I had to add weights to the barrel inside the tank in order for it to have better balance. I hope the metal weights never comes off inside...

At least I can prove that I'm doing some modelling and not just browse here - but my eyes have been playing up lately so painting and finishing hasn't worked at all, but the last couple of days have been better so I took the chance and finished this little menace!

It's a paper panzer and only ever existed on paper, just like most of the Entwicklungsfahrzeug series.
One down, eight to go...

[Guest]

Nice build Jens!
I like the general colour. The chipping effect looks good to me, as the “distribution” of the winter camo.

It’s a good one :surprised:

[Guest]

Nice build Jens!
I like the general colour. The chipping effect looks good to me, as the “distribution” of the winter camo.

It’s a good one :surprised:

Many thanks!

The "distribution" is ok but the thickness isn't. The aim was to make it look like a thick lime wash, like you do on old houses, and have it crack like it does when you apply it too thick...

I'm actually going to use real lime wash on a model to see if it works? If I filter out the larger particles and apply it thick-ish I think it might work?
Fixating it might be an issue but I can try on a scrap kit and see how it works...

[flyjoe180]

Great looking finish Jens, despite the hairspray issue. That really does not look like a very agile gun.

[Guest]

Great looking finish Jens, despite the hairspray issue. That really does not look like a very agile gun.

Thanks Joe!

The E-25 would probably have been fitted with a 7,5 cm PAK 42 L/70 gun but it would have been fast to reload due to the smaller and lighter shells.
It would've been powered by a Maybach HL 230 P30 which means it could run in circles around other tanks due to it's small size and low weight.
Most importantly it would be a super sneaky tank destroyer due to the low profile! A bit like a scout/tank destroyer combo, and something you'd use on lighter tanks and armour.

Another low, nimble and quick tank was the Swedish S-tank (which I've seen in person on many occasions when it was still in service) and although designed for a completely different purpose, it proved the design and concept was very effective!

But Hitler wanted behemoths so the smaller concepts were never given the go ahead. After WWII many countries copied design features from the E-50 and E-75, which can still be seen today, which tells you something about the skilled designers and engineers who worked on these projects!

A good excuse to build 9 tanks!

[papa 695]

I think you've pulled this one off Jens, it looks great.

[Guest]

I forgot to mention the tracks aren't weathered yet... They've given me such a headache all the way since they are too frail to be workable, but I refuse to glue them down until I'm parking it on a base or a vignette!
The whole point of "working" tracks is that they are movable, not that they fall apart if you look at them...

Trumpeter and Amusing Hobby "working" tracks are a pain in the *** to assemble because they are just too frail. It's a shame because with minor modifications they could be so good!
I often use Friulmodel tracks but they have their issues, like paint rubbing off regardless of what primer/paint you're using...

So the tracks are just primed and painted and they'll be weathered when I've decided how to display it.

[Guest]

I think you've pulled this one off Jens, it looks great.

Thank you Ian!

The kit was such a nice one to build (apart from the tracks) and then trying to recreate the look and the bits the E-25 in World of Tanks made it even better!

My first kits I really followed the instructions and also the suggested paintjob. Now I'm more thinking how I would've kitted out the tank if I was running it? What would be important to me and where would I put it?
I've tried to make some soft features too but this is a different thing. I've made some tarps out of tissue paper and PVA, but only for practise since all the tissue paper I've got has embossed patterns on it and the patterns aren't exactly Wehrmacht friendly... I also want to try using Milliput or green stuff to create things like tarps, sleeping bags, sand bags and similar features and not just make tools and such "hard" objects.