Building the Batmobile Tumbler [Hachette Partworks: Issues 89 – 94]

Dan’s ‘The Dark Knight’ Tumbler build continues…

Welcome back to my build for the Hachette Partworks 1:8 scale model of the Batman Tumbler! We rumble ever closer to the latter stages of this bulky, beautiful beast – and now we’re finally starting to get into actual electronic movement, and it’s quite exciting. As you’ll see from my shots below, the various shape of our Tumbler is coming together and I wish we could get it all done together, but I’m enjoying the process now.

The whole structure is going to be a heavy one, but at least that feels like, but it’s mighty impressive in detail and possibility….

Nearly hitting the second month of 2025 already, we’ve got 6 issues this time and mainly because there’s a huge amount that’s merging into The Dark Knight tumbler, that’s unlike any other, as we’re even closer to putting the beast together into one…

Issue 89

The magazine with #89 kicks off in the best place, with some LEGO Batman! While I’d personally like a bonus figure, I might have some already, but it’s also a look to how far we’ve come in both the build and the magazine, over all those years since the original series, and then on Jon Burton‘s LEGO Batman involvement – as one of the original creators on the series, as well as a vast array of other titles.

For the build, it’s eventually the slide, motor house and rack B but first you’ll need attach the rack from Issue #88 to the front panel, get those screws in nice and tight as it’ll have more added to it shortly. After that initial part, it’s time for more electronics, and some limit switches to fit into the underside of the roof. I did find one of the seats wasn’t actually molded correctly, so had to use a minor ‘brute force’ to hold it in, while using the electronic screwdriver to get it into place. Speaking generally, I don’t like doing this because you endanger both the switch and the build but it was careful force, just enough to get it in nicely.

I’d also like you to forgive me for a few magazine guidance shots here, as I forgot to take photos before putting the bigger sections together!

Once these are in the roof, you’ll need the other limit switches you’ve been asked to gather, plus the slide and motor housing. There’s also a small metal tab on ’27’ that needs bending up a little, see the image guidance to get that right. It didn’t feel correct, as bending metal on a part seems like something is going to break, but it does work and screw into place.

Now we pick up the Issue #89 slide and limit switch [just built] and fit them together, which is easy enough to achieve. This whole section now gets a little complicated, when you need three hands, as you gather the front panel/rack and the Tumbler roof. With both parts turned upwards, these are going to mount and line-up together but – take your time – as you’ll work out the tab/toggle/limit switch will line-up. PLUS, the teeth on the rack itself must directly fit into the lower set of teeth on the drive teeth. Essentially, if you’ve got the parts in the right place, they will line-up – as mine thankfully did!

And, you’re not done yet, as there’s one more motor to place carefully into the top housing you’ve added to Rack B, but make sure the wires are on the correct side and, for this moment, you’ve got the section coming together now.

Issue 90

While the parts that come with the issue seem somewhat sparse, with another new rack, its supports and an engine cover, this motor bracket takes you a few moments to put together, before you’ll be reaching for the engine panel, the roof section and screwing them together with a nice selection of the, most common, CM screws.

I’d recommend placing something soft under the roof, because those panels are quite breakable if you put a little too much weight on them – I didn’t break these by the way, but in similar situations with different builds. After you’ve screwed those sections into one heavier item, you’ll be adding the small unit you’ve initially built which fits in easily, and then includes you adding another motor unit – which is the lifting unit – and screwing that in.

Now the spring support and spring, which will fit into Rack C, is possibly the smallest spring in the world. If you were a tiny bird, you’d be fine but breath in with some patience here, tweezers might also benefit you, but do it upside down and take the pressure off when you try to screw in the spring with a nasty YM screw. Don’t over-tighten here, and it probably won’t let you anyway, but the point of the spring/support is that it has some movement.

Issue 91 and 92

While the accompanying magazine introduces Damian, the son of Bruce and Talia, who’s an important switch up in the Batman comics in the mid-2000s, the build keeps the good stuff coming with the interior upper panel and – I’ve got to say – I love a large section to get other parts into place!

The panel comes with a level lock, which won’t make sense quite yet, but is simple enough to screw into position. After that, which is over-explained in the magazine, retrieve more limit switches and get them into their mounting areas and some WM screws, and these worked quite quickly – which was nice. There is some taping to do, with the tape that’s best if you don’t touch it with an oily finger at all, but it does help get those wires down and into place and, for this one, that’s it before moving onto #92, which is connected.

Issue 92 gives us the moving plate which will slot into place over what you’ve just built above. Much like a section earlier, do make sure this lines up when you add it, but it should (and again, mine did) because I think this is a vital part of the movement to come, when you’ll soon be checking things work with batteries and actual movement.

Study the pictures carefully, as you’ll see a small space at the bottom of the upper panel that must line-up with the moving plate, and I’m not entirely sure that’s highlighted quite enough. But if you get that right, the final stages of this section of issues will make a lot more sense, and be more rewarding. And just before that, grab the aileron motor, or number 36a, and slot into its position alongside the teeth of the motor, that in turn will just line-up with the moving plate. After adding the cover, and taping down some more wires, you’ll be done for this section… before we move onto…

Issue 93

There’s a nice summary of Batman Black and White in the accompanying magazine, reminding us of the work of Brian Bolland, Simon Bisley, Jorge Zaffiro, and Katsuhiro Otomo, which is certainly worth considering.

For the build, you’re given the emergency brake rods and emergency break slide, which is a direct link to all the above, and fits quite easily into what’s to come. Here, you’ll be mounting the section onto the outer side of the upper inner panel but pay close attention, once again, to the line-up of the components from the image guide – and slot those into place with a AIM screw.

Next up, gather those left and right armoured panels/bulkhead and the rear LED cables, and click those into place at the back of both panels. They do need a little shove, I think you can be subtly forceful, and you’ll feel a ‘click’ as they slot into the right place. And we don’t stop here! Pick up the Tumbler roof, the spoilers, the deflectors and the inner panel/moving plates, and now we’re going to be screwing all these together – with more of those handy CM screws – and keep a cushion or soft pillow around, so you can lay the back down safely when you’re putting it all together.

Along this process, check the spoiler support frames and connectors on both sides are able to move, and by the end of it all, you’ll be able to see the whole assembly together – and it’s looking good.

Issue 94

So, while ‘the turntable’ is essentially all you’re getting with #94, and that goes with the platform assembly from Issue #30 (!), and I’m sure it’ll be nice to try and place something on it to spin the Tumbler around – I’m assuming that’s what it’ll do – the big thing here is testing those current electronics!

You’ll need the remote control, and a new CR2025 battery if you’ve not taken it out (because mine was dead), and 8 AAAs, together with the main board, and then we’ll start connecting cables numbered 21, 22, 35, 36, and 37 and get all those clicked and connected into place. Firstly, don’t forget to put the switch ‘ON’, as mine was ‘OFF’ and I’d forgotten it was there and nearly had a panic, but after that, put up the remote and start testing out to see (and hope) that’s it’s working!

From clicking the Spotlights, to the Spoiler (on the Remote Control) this is time to see what those buttons do and I was very thankful that everything worked – even if my Ailerons probably aren’t as freely moving as I wanted but… they do move, the lights work and this is what it’s all about. Definitely getting excited now for more of this bigger stuff, as it’s taking shape and then some.