Model Armour

Jagdpanzer 38(t) Hetzer Mid-Production Detail Set

Manufacturer: ET Model

Scale: 1/35

Material: Photo-etch, wire & resin

Serial Number: E35-128

Price:  £10.87

Introduction

ET Model from China has a rapidly expanding catalogue of photo-etched and detail sets for a wide variety of kits in varying scales, together with a very prolific release schedule.  This set is intended for the Tamiya kit #35285.

Set Contents

The set is supplied in the normal ET Model packaging, i.e. a plastic wallet stapled to a small cardboard header. Inside, the instructions run to two sides of A4, whilst the contents are three frets of photo-etched brass and one of nickel, a length of wire tow rope, and four cream-coloured resin tow cable ends.

The set is intended for the Tamiya kit, which although not a bad kit, could certainly benefit from the addition of a set such as this. Bothe the front and rear fenders are replaced from this set, the characteristic 'ribbing' being formed by using something similar to a ball point pen to press out the ribs along pre-etched channels on the parts. Each of the fenders also has separate etched supports consisting of multiple parts. Various tolls stowed around the vehicle are supplied with replacement tool clamps, such as the wire cutters, pry-bar, jack, the jack block, spade...which is also given a replacement blade, and there are new spare tracklink brackets too. There's even a new toolbox for the rear left fender. The exhaust is given a full make-over with a complete set of mounting brackets, and still in that general area there are new light brackets for the rear lights, along with new tow cable brackets for on the rear hull. To replace the tow cable itself there is a length of wire included, which is a little springy, but should be perfectly useable once annealed. Four resin tow cable ends are included in the set, but these will need to be carefully drilled in order to accept the wire ends. Also for the rear wall there are new steps for the crew along with two more spare tracklink bracket assemblies.

Moving higher up, there's a new air intake mesh plus screen for the engine compartment, along with various fittings for the roof of the vehicle such as periscope housings, sliding cover for the rabbits ears scope, and even new locking mechanism's are supplied for the inside of the hatches. The remote MG34 gets a new shield with a much more scale-like thickness, and there's a complete set of replacement schurzen plus fixing brackets. The schurzen are supplied on a photo-etched fret that may be a little under scale-thickness, and tend to 'bend', although once fixed in place should look reasonable.

Conclusion

There's a lot of detail for your money with this set! There's nothing in the set that should present any real difficulties for anybody that has even a little experience with using photo-etch, and the result will certainly make your completed model stand out from the crowd, as well as provide loads of fun installing it! Recommended!

My thanks to ET MODEL for the review sample.