This is a kit I started a few months ago before I signed up. My builds tend to be slow burners partly due to my tendency to start more than one at any one time. This one is however making a break for the finishing line. Here is the current state of play:
This was my first effort with Meng and overall I was impressed with the quality and level of detail. Firstly the kit is some 19mm longer than it should be. This has been discussed on various fora where the Meng Cougar kit is compared to the Panda offering. Of course I only found this out after I’d purchased the thing. Some of the parts are very fragile. I had to rebuild the gunner's platform as it was nigh impossible to separate its component parts from the sprue without them breaking. Compared to the rest of the kit it has to have been somebody on work experience that built the poorly constructed equipment rack in the back. I eventually binned it and built my own. A little while back I also dropped the Dremel from height into the box of parts thus resulting in a sudden increase in the number of parts!
Meng provides decals for the instrument panel, however, cutting the decal film from individual instruments, that are less than 2mm across, so that they fit within the recesses on the panel was quite a challenge. The instruction flow starts with the suspension and underside of the Cougar. It would be better to start with the interior and then join up the four parts that make up the body of the vehicle. Once the suspension is fitted its almost impossible to use any clamps or tape in order to hold the parts together while the suspension is in place. The fit of the parts is generally excellent however there is very little tolerance and this can lead to issues. In order to get a good fit I found myself removing the thin layer of primer from parts in order to get a good fit, something which I haven't had with the likes of Tamiya. This was also an issue in fitting the top and bottom parts of the hull. There fit is strongly dependent upon the position of the air conditioner unit (top half) and the instrument panel (bottom half). The position panel isn't as well defined yet the accuracy is essential for a good fit.
I now need to finish the doors, antennas, turret and decals before moving on to adding general wear and tear plus some figures. I was planning to include it in a diorama along with the pick-up which is shown in the background of the picture above.
A few additional pictures can be found at https://www.flickr.com/photos/113106574@N02/albums/72157657427275534