Issued together with the Schwimmwagen is the Tiger I tank.  With the modern cloning technology Tamiya could simply reduce their 1/35th scale best seller to the quarter scale little brother. So I shall leave the issue of authenticity and detailings to those AFV experts. Rather, I shall talk about the impact of this model in relation to the future development of the industry as well as the buyer side of the hobby.

Tamiya's previous efforts in 1/48th scale  AFV are only of supporting vehicles - the latest Schwimmwagen, the earlier Kubelwagen and the Kettenkraftrad with infantry cart - that they are usually being placed alongside with aviation  models to act as a kind of backdrop or accessory item, rarely to be displayed by its own self, it is just too trivial. But then,  it comes the Tiger I, and this has changed the game! I do not know about what other modelers who are devoted to the 1/48th scale arena think but I am a deadhead that I have never touch any AFV in 1/35th scale,  no matter how attractive they are. It is simply just not my cup of tea.

However, I must say that I have no hesitation in paying my money to buy the kit.  A quality Tiger I at last,  the joyfulness is not about having the model itself but regarding about the my devotion in selecting the 1/48th scale is finally being recognized by a major manufacturer on items that are largely being neglected before. In my early days of modeling, like a lot of other people, I built any things that came in hands in any scale. With times, I started focus on 1/48th scale because I think it is not as small as 1/72nd while holds enough details to play with but not too exhaustive as in the 1/32nd scale.  To me, it is almost the perfect scale to model.  While 1/48th has dominated the aviation modeling it is largely ignored in AFV markets except the once-in-a-while Bandai kits. If Tamiya continues to contribute new kits in this scale range, and I think the Tiger I is a pilot product to test the reaction, a new wave of AFV products will be the future trend in the hobby.  Let掇 see whether there is new revolution in the modeling industry or not?

Paul