activexp Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 I've had my eye on this model for quite a while after hearing good things about Riich kits and enticed by the unique nature of the vehicle. Examining the box contents reinforces the impression of a quality product with sprues neatly packed in poly bags and there are a lot of them, 8 main ones and a smaller one of clear parts. There's also a small sheet of decals, some PE parts, a length of thread for the winch and some very fine chain for the towing hitch assembly. The cab, canvas top and chassis are separate mouldings. Construction begins with the engine which has a surprisingly high parts count, many of them very small. In fact small parts are the order of the day with this kit. Some of the PE detailing I would describe as microscopic! My photos don't do justice to the 4 cylinder air-cooled engine designed by Ferdinand Porsche. Being mainly black doesn't help. Next in the assembly order, the chassis and drive chain. The one-piece moulded chassis saves some work with lining up cross-members etc which should reduce the chances of warping and twisting. Unfortunately this chassis has a slight twist which I'm hoping will straighten out as assembly progresses. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichO Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 Steve, I did a little poking around about Riich Models, because I have not heard of them either. I think you are building one of the first kits they produced, or the very first. A brand new model company is always good news. The detail looks good so far, you should write a review for us about this kit. Let us know. Good Job Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
activexp Posted March 18, 2015 Author Share Posted March 18, 2015 Rich, Yes, possibly one their first releases, 2012 apparently. Google throws up a number of 'out of the box' reviews and a few build threads and in all cases it gets high praise. As you know I don't get on too well with very small parts and PE so I'm not expecting an easy build but I'm always up for a challenge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
activexp Posted March 19, 2015 Author Share Posted March 19, 2015 A little more progress on the chassis. Found that a couple of drive shafts were a little too long to locate without bending and the front end of the chassis has a slight twist. I managed to untwist it to some extend by clamping the engine to its mounts while the cement set. The winch and towing hitch assemblies were quite fiddly with tiny parts and those very fine chains! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxy Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 Nice going. The plans look very comprehensible from your pictures. Clean build. foxy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOUSTON Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 IMPRESSIVE job so far... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stesca Posted March 21, 2015 Share Posted March 21, 2015 A great start, brilliant detail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
activexp Posted March 21, 2015 Author Share Posted March 21, 2015 I've run into some problems. The twist in the chassis is much worse than I thought and although you can't see it in the pic, the right rear wheel is about 3mm off the ground. Also there's some warping to the cab. Combined with the twist this will make accurate fitting of the cab and truck bed etc a tricky process. Due to the fine detail, the whole thing is quite delicate and things break easily during handling, so I'm reluctant to use too much force! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichO Posted March 21, 2015 Share Posted March 21, 2015 To bad 'bout the warped frame. There are a couple of things about plastic modeling that really get me. Warped plastic is one. The build looks great tho, keep up the good work with all the small parts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
activexp Posted March 26, 2015 Author Share Posted March 26, 2015 As expected the warped chassis has had a knock-on effect with the rest of the build. Test fitting the cab revealed big problems with alignment so it looks like I'll have to get medieval on it. The cargo bed has gone together reasonably well, no warps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
activexp Posted March 27, 2015 Author Share Posted March 27, 2015 Almost complete, just a few finishing touches to do and more weathering. Considering the difficulties I've had with the build it's turned out not too bad overall. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stesca Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 Nice work, looking a bit of a beast now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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