Sometimes an average model needs to be made better, sometimes a good model doesn’t need to be made better but the addicted amongst us just have to make it better anyway. This photo etched detail set falls into the latter of those, being a set that makes an already good model an even better one, namely the AFV Club Sturmtiger.

This set contains a total of nine photo-etched frets ranging from quite small to medium sized, a resin replacement barrel, two lengths of wire, four lengths of plastic rod, and two brass pistol port plugs. The PE frets are in differing thicknesses depending on the intended use of the parts on each and all are very well made, with marked fold lines . All this comes in a sturdy small cardboard box together with the four pages of good, clear instructions.

This set can be broken down into four main areas, the fenders, the barrel, the ammo handling crane, and the various clamps and mounts.

All of the fenders get replaced with thinner brass pieces with separate bolts and mounting brackets. These fenders look very nice, and the front and rear fenders with their hinged side parts are a small work of art. They’re also incredibly fiddly to assemble but well worth the effort when completed.

The barrel is one of the key parts to this kit being a resin replacement that just swaps straight out with the kit barrel and comes with moulded in rifling grooves which eliminates the need to try and fit the PE rifling that comes with the kit gun. The cast texture on the surface of the mantlet is also a little more pronounced than the kit version. This requires very little clean-up, though less than with most average resin parts, and you will still need to drill the vent holes a bit deeper.

All the tool clamps, as well as various engine deck parts, track hangers and other small fittings are also replaced or added with this set. There are also new armoured covers for the exhausts and the two brass pistol port plugs with tiny chains and their delicate mounts and clips. One of the few superflous parts included are the engine deck mesh screens which don’t really offer any noticeable improvement over the ones already included with the kit but are possibly included for those who will use this set with the Tamiya or Italeri Sturmtigers which don’t have them included.

Another prominent feature that gets a make-over is the ammo handling crane on the rood which is almost totally rebuilt using a combination of photo-etched parts and pieces from the included plastic rods. This does result in a beautiful looking piece of kit.

Unlike some PE sets almost every part in this has a home, the exception being the engine mesh. The level of detail is fantastic and really does transform what is already a very good kit. The only area of this set that could be improved on is the instructions which identify the Voyager parts fine, but have no identifying numbers for the AFV Club parts other than the drawings used to show what goes where so you’ll need to really think each step right the way through before cutting and attaching part one. 

Sets like this add so much more detail to a kit that they do definitely transform it, so if you really want the most from your Sturmtiger kit and you aren’t put off by working with photo-etch then this set is very definitely worth the investment. Because as good as the AFV Club Sturmtiger kit is this set provides a level of detail that is just not possible in plastic, turning a very good kit into a superb one.

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afv club sturmtiger, voyager model pe sturmtiger

This aftermarket replacement barrel by Lion Marc Model Designs is intended to be used with the AFV Club Sturmtiger and I suppose the question that needs to be asked is do you really need it ? If you already have the AFV club Sturmtiger you’ll be aware that the barrel is pretty good and includes a section of photo-etched brass with which to make the internal rifling. So is this one better.

In the short answer yes it is. Moulded in resin and coming with its own PE rifling already in place as well as an optional counterbalance weight ring, this has a better cast surface texture look, and is a little sharper. The venting holes also look a little more centred, though as with the AFV Club’s original barrel these also really need to be drilled deeper.

This is a direct replacement part that simply swaps out with the kit part so there is no modifications needed. It also has no pour stubs as such, just a minor seam to clean up on the rear of the mantlet. So overall it’s a nice clean part, it looks good, and it’s an easy replacement.

There is though a however. It does cost around $30 NZD and while the textured finish look sbetter the cast look can be replicated on the kit parts using Mr. Surfacer, and they both need the vent holes drilled deeper, and both provide PE rifling, though this one comes pre-fitted.

So is it a better barrel ? As I said, in short yes it is. If you just want the simplicty of swapping them out and not being worried about the price then yes this is a good barrel. If though you have the skills, and the inclination, to roll and insert the PE rifling and add your own cast texturing to the surfaces then this isn’t really needed.

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afv club sturmtiger, Lion Marc Sturmtiger Barrel

Building the AFV Club Sturmtiger can start to become a little like building with Lego, there always seems to be yet another expansion pack that you just have to get. You start with the kit, then you buy the interior as a separate kit, if you want you can buy the individual link tracks as a separate kit, and to round it out you can buy the rockets as a separate kit. Here’s hoping AFV Club put out an engine compartment and then put the whole lot together into a “Value Pack” so you can just get the whole damn lot in one go.

This kit if for those of you who added the interior conversion set to the base Sturmtiger kit and now feel that it looks a little barren in there, as this provides you with fourteen 38cm rockets to fill out all those rocket stowage frames that you so lovingly assembled. Well actually when fully loaded those racks only held twelve rounds, the thirteenth goes on the loading trolley and the fourteenth goes into the mortar.

There isn’t a lot to this kit, 104 parts on two matching dark green sprues on which the finish is superb. By moulding the parts upright AFV Club have managed to avoid having any mould seams on what are essentially large cylindrical parts, so clean up is limited to the sprue attachment points after the parts are cut free.

Each rocket is made up of six parts and you need to decide if they will be either Raketen Sprenggranate 4581 or Roketen Hohlandungsgranate 4592 ( HE or Hollow Charge ) before you assemble them as parts are provided to make all of them into Sprenggranate 4581 if wanted, or to have eight as Hohlandungsgranate 4592, the only visual difference being the detonator cap. As these parts are very small AFV Club have thoughtfully provided 24 detonator caps for the fourteen needed, and a total of 16 Sprenggranate 4581 and eight Hohlandungsgranate 4592 detonator caps.

Two sheets of decals for markings on the rockets are provided which makes them really look good when completed. The intructions for placing these is on the reverse of the box along with the instructions for the rocket assembly and the painting guide.

These are a great little set and if you’ve gone to the trouble of adding the interior to your Sturmtiger then you really need these as well, I just wish that AFV Club would offer the whole lot as a boxed set so that you didn’t need to gather all the bits together separately.

• Review of the AFV Club Sturmtiger
• Review of the AFV Club Sturmtiger Interior

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