E-50 (50/75 tons) StandardPanzer
1:35 Trumpeter
In association with 
The E-50 was to be the medium tank in a series of paper Panzers under the Entwicklung programme, but did not see active service due to their development being curtailed by the end of World War II. It was an attempt by the German High Command to standardise their tank designs around a smaller number of chassis and simplify production to overcome the problems caused by existing designs that were slow in reaching the battlefield due to their complex design.
The tank's hull was very similar to the King Tiger's hull, although it had interlocking welded seams for extra strength, and a Panther-like turret that again had interlocking plates. It was supposed to be powered by an improved Maybach engine that would utilise fuel injection to produce 900hp and 1,200hp with further addition of a supercharger. This would have given the tank an impressive projected top speed on good surfaces of around 37mph.
Had it reached the battlefield, it would have been more than a match for the British Comet tank and other new designs that reached the front towards the end of the war.
The kit arrives in a sturdy top opening box with some rather nice artwork on the front reminiscent of the GWH sWS Searchlight Carrier I reviewed recently.
Inside the box are 5 sprues of grey plastic in various sizes, an annex for the two main hull parts, a small open ended box that protects the turret part, a small photo-etched sheet, clear parts for the commander's vision blocks, braided copper wire for the tow cables, "rubber-band" tracks, instructions and a full-color painting guide.
Like the Trumpeter KV1 I reviewed here recently, there are no decals, so the modeller will need to source their own markings.
Detail on the main hull and glacis plate is good, with the prominent interlocked weld seams well represented. The roadwheels are reminiscent of the King Tiger, although suspension is of the cantilever type, which is built up in handed units before main assembly of the hull. There are three units per side, with two bogies per unit, plus drive sprocket and idler wheels. The wheels overlap on each cantilever assembly, but there is no double-stacking of the wheels like there is on the King Tiger. Presumably this was an effort at weight saving and simplification of construction, but would have also made replacement of damaged wheels a much simpler affair. Again, due to the shortage of rubber in late war, the wheels are of an all steel construction.
The tracks are one-piece affairs, with a large joining tab that can be glued with liquid glue for ease. The detail is nicely moulded, but if you simply must buy articulated tracks, the tracks were the same as the King Tiger, so could be tried for fit.
Due to the simplicity of design, there isn't much in the way of complexity to the rest of the build, which should proceed quickly as a result. All of the pioneer tools and tow rope shackles are separate styrene parts into which you glue lengths of braided wire to create realistic looking tow ropes.
Fenders are provided to cover the roadwheels, and these have been bevelled at the edges to give a more scale effect. If you intend to remove some parts however, you will need to re-bevel the new edges.
The turret is also simple, but includes a set of Infra-Red sights and lights, which would probably have been standard fit had the E-50 reached active service. These are attached on a mounting plate on the commander's cupola. You have a choice of two mantles and barrels in the kit - one has a short, blunt mantle with a smooth barrel, while the other has a long tapering mantle and a stepped barrel. Both barrels are moulded in two halves, so there will be a seam to remove before painting. The mantles have no casting texture, which a stippled coat of Mr Surfacer would remedy quite quickly and easily.
The color painting guide shows the vehicle painted a "Sandy Brown" base with "Red Brown" freehand camouflage more like that of an aircraft than a tank. The barrel is also painted red brown, presumably to make it less visible when the rest of the tank was hidden from the enemy.
Of course, with this being a Whermacht'46 tank, the world is your oyster regarding camouflage, so any late war or fantasy scheme could well be applied, and no-one can say that you are wrong!
Conclusion
An interesting addition to the Paper Tigers already available. It's a genre within AFV modelling that interests some, myself included - showing what was in the pipeline when Berlin fell. It's a nice kit, and one I'm looking forward to building in due course.
Review sample courtesy of
