It may have been some time since my last ‘build’ post but I’ve saved up another good chunk of progression, and forgive me as I was moving, and in some ways we’re edging ever-closer to half-way and you can definitely see a shift in the linking of issues, and how it’s taking shape for Hachette Partworks 1:8 scale model of the Batman Tumbler!

The Tumbler was first revealed in Christopher Nolan’s iconic The Dark Knight trilogy, making its debut in Batman Begins, and this Batmobile ‘Tumbler’ holds military-level stealth tech as its inspiration, can break through concrete walls, has bullet-proof bodywork and is one of the finest additions to Bruce Wayne’s Batcave or hidden dockside underground workshop….

If you fancied looking back through where we’ve been, with Issues 1 to 40, then just head here for those blogs, and today enough 12 issues in one hit from this Hachette Partworks release and click here to start your own. Any questions? Hit up the comments and let me know your thoughts!

---

Issue 41

So, we’ve been lingering around smaller sections, and complex parts, for some time now but these 12 issues? They really get into the shape of things to come. You’ll need quite a few of the sections completed below, and you remember that big complicated internal electronic wiring you setup [last time], you’ll need that again, and this time you’ll be gently unplugging it, and getting it into the depths of the Tumbler.

Issue 41 itself seems simple enough as it’s the steering rack for the front bulkhead, but unbeknownst to me (until now) just a small steering rack, motor plate and arms can sturdy up what already felt quite hefty but in a positive, more robust way. The combination of these sections, together with the retrieval of the steering motor and cables and orienting them all together gives that entire bulkhead a much more refined and professional feel, which I wasn’t expecting and really like.

---

Issue 42

Chassis Alert! I’m not sure about you but I do like it when a heavier section arrives and whether you know much about cars, etc or not, you’ll know what a chassis is. While this well-sized one is metal and feels secure, the Issue 42 setup is an easy enough one. Once again, you’re heading back to those cables to reclaim ‘limit switch 3 and 4’, as well as their connecting cables, and bringing them back to the chassis.

Here, it’s a basic job of attaching them to the chassis via their mounting holes (!), getting your screws ready and lining up the wires down along where it tells you to and IMPORTANT – Make sure when you screw the relevant switches in that you FOLLOW THE GUIDE, as they must lever down, and not up – otherwise you’re bound for trouble later on. Then grab the tiny pieces of adhesive tape they supply, tape the cable to where it needs to be, and you’re done.

---

Issues 43 – 44

These two are essentially the same thing but spread across a double issue, could they be together? Yes, but nevertheless, here we are. These two are the left and right side of the cage, in a strong, metal sense. They’re designed to strengthen up the plastic nature of the cockpit, and also enable you to get some LED Cables into either side of the cockpit as well, I mean – Batman needs his moody LED lightning, doesn’t he?

One of the things you’ll have to do is bend the end of the LED cable/lights but do this carefully, or you’ll snap it off – and have no lights where you’ll want them. As ever, the cage is handily marked with a ‘L’ for Left and you’ll need a series of supplied screws to get everything into place. My top tip is the same top, top tip I’ve had since the early days, get a small electric screwdriver. There is a lot your own hand can do, but those electric ones really help get the screws in tight and flush, just like you’d have been taught at school – if they still do that!

While the first part of Issue 44 is the mirror of Issue 43, there’s a nice little extra bit where you go get the LED Strip Cable because that little bit of fun is finally getting its time in the sun, as you’ll strip off the blue protective section and get it stuck down inside the panel. As ever, make sure you’re sticking it down the right way around because you don’t want to unpeel it. Then, it’s just a case of placing it inside the cockpit dashboard and if you’ve done it right, it’ll slot into place, you can get the relevant EP screws and you’ve made another more ‘plastic’ section feel so much stronger – which all the time makes me feel better about where we’re going.

---

Issues 45-46

Another duo that works together, as they’re a reverse of each other. Here we’ve got the left and right shock absorbers. These will tighten up the front bulkhead even further and also gets you removing things you’d added before – but namely old screws for new screws as the, er, saying goes?

But half-joking aside, what I particular liked about this – much like what’s gone before in this selection of issues – is how much strength it gives to that bulkhead section. Having built the BTTF DeLorean a couple of years ago, some elements of that have loosened or definitely don’t feel as secure and I’m slightly hopeful that Hachette are covering important things, even if they’ll be buried deep inside the build itself – you certainly can’t say heavy loads aren’t being considered.

Both Issues are a series of adding shock-absorber supports and fixing them into the front arm of that section. With read-made metal parts, it definitely locks this with strength that it didn’t have before. Overall, there’s quite self-explanatory though via the guide but once you’ve added the plates, support, and strengthening, you’ll notice that the wheels themselves seem better. As ever, take your time, get that electric mini-screwdriver and be sure to screw in straight because you’ll notice if they’re not, as they should all be relativity flush.

---

Issue 47

This is a fun section visually and once we get to the end of these 12 issues, you’ll see how nicely they fit for both being shock absorbers – and a steering bar – but also in how the car is looking. Issue 47 gives you shock absorber pistons, springs, spacers, and left/right steering bar covers – and you’ll need that front bulkhead once again, so hopefully you’ve not just put that aside.

These are going to slot in nicely across the left and right steering bar covers you’ve just completed. First of all, you’re adding those steering bar covers, which will help put the steering bar into position – and so no more flimsiness there. After this you’re simply putting together the shock absorber pistons and springs and making four of those lovely things.

Heading back to the bulkhead absorber rods, grab the little spacers, and add one of those to all four of the rods. You’re now ready to add the pistons that have been fitted with the springs, and while you’ll have to apply a little pressure to screw them into place, it’s another self-explanatory process once you see where the first one is going. Repeat the process four times and voilà, everything is in place, that bulkhead and the steering rods are much stronger and with the overall weight of this build, it’s going to need all the help it can get!

---

Issues 48, 49 and 50

Now then! Let the elements of the Tumbler Jet Nozzle BEGIN!

With such a hugely important visual feature of the Tumbler, this first part of the Jet Nozzle build gives us the exhaust cone, the lens, and the other parts of the nozzle in a fairly simple screw together instruction issue 48. I guess the key thing to remember is make sure you’re putting this section of the nozzle together is get that lens EXACTLY in the right way, as you don’t want to be unscrewing all this later on. i.e. the cylindrical section facing the cone, with the convex part of the lens facing upwards.

Issue 49 is the tail for the nozzle, but it’ll also see the return of some electronics – hoorah! I like getting these sections into place as it starts to feel more of an overall car with the wiring and that iconic shape coming into place. The tail is a remarkably simple part, just the tail and tail cover, as well as two tail supports that I assume will come into play later on. While with this one it’s just screwing it together, you’ll also add the Tumbler Jet Nozzle and then grab (slowly and carefully) LED Cable 19 from your electronic wirings, as we’ll be screwing that in the back of the unit – to clearly light up at a later date.

Issue 50 doesn’t require a lot of writing, it’s the Engine Body which attaches to the two parts you’ve just made. While it is important to pay attention to keeping the wire through the middle for reconnection at a later date, it can be done very quickly and isn’t complicated.

---

Issues 51 and 52

These two issues could have come together as it’s the fireproof bulkhead and its reinforcement frame, the frame is from Issue 51 and strengthens the ‘fireproof’ bulkhead which, in turn, will be attached to that tail engine/body. #51 will take you about 5-10 minutes, as it’s slotting in a few brackets that come into play on the issue afterwards and is less exciting after the fun we’ve been having at a start of this part of the Build Blog.

Issue 52 does, at least, offer another idea of the overall size of what you’re building, and it’s at least more fun once you’ve got the reinforcement frame on it. For this section, it attaches to the previous tail engine onto it and four individual ‘actuators.’ At this point, I’m not sure if the actuators will help with the motors from the electronics in a literal, physical sense or if they’re just there as a visual addition. I say this as I’m unsure how they’ll transfer anything electronic, but I suppose they could be in place for the addition of the other parts you’ve built.

Overall, these 12 issues get exciting through the middle, where we’re moving electronics into the parts we’ve built, it’s about strengthening the areas of the Tumbler that will be taking intense pressure and starting to spread out the build. I’m personally glad of a little more action and it’ll be interesting seeing what comes next as a whole.

Next time out will the ‘fireproof’ bulkhead and gas cylinders, which should create that illusion of the Tumbler Jet Nozzle and what fuels it to kick off a drive with one hell of a boost of speed…

---

My Batmobile Tumbler Build Blog will return!

Head to Hachette Partworks to begin yours https://batmobile.hachettepartworks.com

---