Zimmerit on a 1/72 scale Elephant?

The retooled Dragon Elefant that I mentioned (7253) includes link and length track (as well as one piece vinyl). Both versions of the Trumpeter Elefant and Ferdinand included link and length tracks as well.

Rob Gronovius

The second, and most important problem with that kit is the kit tracks. They are too long for the vehicle and need a good amount removed. Even if you can get the sag right, there is too much track for the vehicle. Also the black vinyl tracks DO NOT play well with enamel paints. If you use regular enamels, the tracks will get sticky and will not dry. Paint them with acrylics.

If there's anything I"m waiting for more than a GOOD tooling of a WWI British Mark I - !V with interior, it's for Dragon and Trumpeter to get their heads out of the sand with these 1/72 kit track issues! Is it REALLY so hard to simply shrink down their indy tracks links, or make a link-n-length? It's a crying shame that such finely detailed small-scale kits have such incredibly awful tracks! GIVE US INDY LINKS!!!

Right on Rob...good stuff!  Thanks!

That's their original kit and the first of their 1/72 scale line. I was quick to build it and there are many issues. One I recall is confusing parts placement due to the use of actual photographs of the kit with parts in place; it is hard to tell the exact spot that they go and sometimes to even identify the parts.

The second, and most important problem with that kit is the kit tracks. They are too long for the vehicle and need a good amount removed. Even if you can get the sag right, there is too much track for the vehicle. Also the black vinyl tracks DO NOT play well with enamel paints. If you use regular enamels, the tracks will get sticky and will not dry. Paint them with acrylics.

Dragon retooled and reissued their Elefant as an ArmorPro kit #7253.

Wow, thanks for the responses!  I'll check these out.  The kit is number 7201 "Sd.Kfz. Elefant".  

Alex Clark also has an excellent article in his Osprey Modelling the Panzer IV in 1/72 scale about step by step zimmerit using Milliput.  The two page instructions are within the Modeling the Jagdpanzer IV article on pages 20-22. He uses the side strip from a CD case as a small scale zimmerit tool.

It is easily possible to apply it in 1/72.  All Elefant after the rebuild had zimmerit.  Which DML kit are you building?

You have a couple of choices; one is the Atak resin zimmerit set for the Dragon kit. I have it and I think it is rather nice: www.onthewaymodels.com/.../Elefantzimprev.htm

Another is the Eduard photo etched zimmerit set for the Dragon kit. I've got it as well, but have not gotten around to using it. www.eduard.com/.../Zimmerit-Elefant-1-72-1.html

I believe that the early versions that did not carry zimmerit were called Ferdinands. Once they were upgraded after modifications found necessary during their failure at Kursk they were called Elefants. Zimmerit was among the upgrades.