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  1. My Mojo has been at an all time low for so long I can't remember my last completed model, but do know it has been over a year. I needed something quick (that is a relative term in this modeller's language) and simple to get over the finish line so picked a Meng Kids He177. This would also give me an opportunity to try out the new Mission Models acrylic RLM colours for the first time. I hope you like it as much as I have enjoyed building it. For a snap together kit the tolerances were amazingly tight, I had to scrape the paint off the pins to get things to fit. The clear parts were probably some of the clearest I've ever seen and the instruction booklet was well designed with some nice information on the real aircraft included along with some lovely artwork. All in all a testament to Meng's engineering and kit production techniques. The Mission Models acrylics were really nice to use and the colours matched the Kieroff Paint chips very nicely. Duncan B
  2. The Meng version of the Abrams M1A2 Tusk II became available while I was working on Tamiya's effort which had a few issues associated with it. Its been in the stash a while and I decided to give a go while taking a break from an F-16. I'll spare people the pictures of the box and parts as there's already a good review of those at http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235003243-m1a2-sep-abrams-tusk-iii-135/#comment-2372771 Its a good kit with rich detail on the parts and clean mouldings without flash. Its a step up in detail from the Tamiya offering and was about the same price. No need for Eduard or other aftermarket extras. It does suffer from a couple of Meng issues. The ejector pin marks are like a bad rash but generally are on the hidden sides of parts. The sprues connecting fragile parts are way to thick and the fit of parts in general is so precise that a layer of primer is enough to throw things off. Some of the brass that's to be fitted looks a bit "chunky". I'll see how that goes when I get round to it. Having no flash on the track bogies is a joy. As both kits came on the market within a year of each other they should be of similar quality however I'm guessing that Tamiya went for the easy option and upgraded an earlier model with a few extra sprue for the Tusk II. The track on this kit is made from individual links. Bit like Friuls but plastic. Meng supply a jig for track assembly which is rubbish but its not necessary. A few nights of old fashioned track bashing is required. Basic hull assembled easily and here it is waiting for some sandy type colours. It includes a working suspension although whether that is any use is debatable. The suspension arms are rather fragile and I've already broken one of them with the Frankenhands. The rear of the engine deck was a pig to fit and requiring copious filing and swearing. Unexpected as most of their parts generally have a good fit. This kit is an Abrams M1A2 however extra parts in the box and some markings on holes to be drilled would suggest that Meng are also planning an M1A1 at some time or other. Last night I completed the first track using 80 blocks, leaving a few over. I wish I'd had a proper look at the link with the earlier review of the kit. The tracks are omnidirectional. After I saw this I went back to my effort and yes I've managed to mix them up....grrr! I'll cover that up with sandy looking stuff. Pity Meng made no mention of it in their instructions. My fault really, if I'd looked at the link pins properly I'd have seen my mistake earlier. Painting the tracks is mind numbing and best done when you want to switch off. Meng suggests an all over colour for the various parts however in reality that's not the case and the individual rubbers need to be painted a different colour from the metal blocks they are fixed to. That's 640 in total. I'm half way.
  3. P-51D sets & masks 1:48 Eduard - For Meng Kit The Meng P-51D despite being a glueless kit is a good one. Eduard are now along with a few update sets to detail the kit. Interior Set (49850) This set is for the interior. There is one nickel platted coloured fret and one plain one. The colour fret is dominated buy the large three part instrument panel. Also on this fret is the gunsight for the dash and other cockpit fittings. The other fret has pilot head armor, the radio boxes, and parts for the area behind the cockpit and inside the canopy. There is also a template for marking the aerial positions on the tail. If wanted the interior set is available as a Zoom set which contains just the coloured fret. Full Set Zoom Set Seatbelts (FE851) This set provides a full sets of seatbelts. These are the newer Steel type. Masks (EX559) This set provides all the masks for the glazing in the yellow tape. Review samples courtesy of
  4. T-90 1/35, Meng with Masterclub tracks
  5. German Leopard 2A4 AGDUS Training System 1:35 Meng Model via Creative Models The AGDUS system is a Laser training system similar to the US MILES system (but not compatible). The tactical laser-based training system is used by the German Bundeswehr fir combat simulation. It can be used with all weapons to simulate line of sight weapons. The laser is eye safe. The beams fired are coded so that it can inform who fired, when, and how severe the hit was. Like MILES umpires have a reactivation key. Rheinmetall Defense Electronics GmbH have recently been awarded a contract for the 2nd generation of the system and to integrate it into the latest TPz Fuchs. The Kit This is another release from Meng no one was expecting, though it does complement their excellent Leopard 2A4 kit. The set includes includes the muzzle laser emission device, the laser receiving devices around the vehicle, and the control components on top of the turret. The parts are excellently cast in resin and very fine, maybe a little to fine in some cases. The one major draw back of this set is it comes with no instructions. There are box top pictures which lack contrast, and one picture on Meng's website. (Picture from Meng, circles by us) Conclusion Another great release from Meng of a subject that will be welcome for armour modellers to create a tank being used in traning. It would have been nice to have some actual instructions though. Recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  6. Little H has decided she wants in on this BlitzBuild lark. A quick dig through the stash has uncovered the Meng Lancaster bomber. Perfect for a seven year olds fingers. Plus it's a push fit with stickers not decals. Starting shots Forgive the upside down pictures I'm still learning how to use Village.Photos.
  7. Hi guys, I'm not usually an aircraft builder however I decided to incorporate a diorama into this build and have a go at adding an electric motor to one of the engines, also this is my first attempt at modelling a grass base. I wanted a patchy and worn looking effect where a lot of work seems to have been carried out under the plane and the grass has suffered for it. I hope you like the results.
  8. I was looking to do a vehicle without the sideskirts, so after a great deal of research (5 mins on the 'net and another five asking friends), I went with this one from the 503rd at Potsdamer Platz, Berlin 1945, numbers are a best guess and too small. Great kit, tough scheme for me though. I didn't have a clue where I was going with the painting and weathering of this, which was fun, so I kept throwing stuff on it until I thought it looked ok. I think in future I might do the dirt and dust before the washes see how that turns out. No fun posting it after Andy's one though. Cheers for looking y'all.
  9. Hi folks Sorry, I know this subject has been done to death recently but I thought I'd throw mine in anyway: Regards J A
  10. So I saw this recently at a nice low price and I just couldn't help myself. It's so cute! I've had my eye on these for a while, and the bubble planes too, and they just look like a whole lot of fun to build. Nothing stressful, no worrying about this inaccuracy or that period correctness, just build and paint! So what do we get, well the box is quite small, around the size of a 1/48 tank, but it's absolutely jam packed with stuff, so much so that once I had taken it all out I was buggered if I could get it back in again. The sprues include the roadwheels and exhausts (x2) and two more with all the other bits and bobs you need to put it together. The main top hull comes seperately, and also included are a sprue of poly caps for the wheels, a small decal sheet and two rubber band tracks that have already had the ends (very competently) joined. Everything is designed to be a push/click to fit, no glue required, and I'll find out as things progress how well that works. For now a few sprue shots, as long as I can make this new fangled Flickr to work. I should have abandoned PB ages ago. Well, I'm converted. Easiest uploading, editing and sharing ever!
  11. Quad Rocket Launcher 1:35 MENG Arriving in a brown cardboard box with a black label, on which a faint outline of a pick-up truck is just visible. On the back of the truck, or Technical as they are sometimes known, is a slightly brighter outline of a rocket launcher. It is this launcher that is the subject of the model inside. MENG have released a number of these Technicals, in both vanilla and armed with a variety of weapons that the users seem so adept at fitting to them. They are now releasing separate weapons systems for you to do your own conversions. Inside the box there are three bubblewrap bags with various amounts of resin parts in them. There are nineteen parts in total, in a dark grey resin. All the parts are well moulded with very little sign of flash or other imperfections and all with the thinnest of attachment points to their moulding blocks, so removal and cleaning up shouldn’t be too much of a problem. Construction begins, once all the parts have been separated and washed in warm soapy water, with the joining of the two pairs of two launchers, on above the other, plus the base plate, two trunnion plates and a gear elevation quadrant. The two support plates are attached to the trunnion plates and thence to the five piece launcher base turntable, a hand wheel, locking leaver and foot pedals. On the right hand side there is an actuator unit fitted. The two part support stand is then assembled and the base unit glued to it. The whole assembly is fitted into your chosen vehicle. Conclusion This is certainly an unusual subject and one which could find use in many scenes and dioramas than the one it was intended. The moulding quality is superb and the completed unit will look quite effective with a bit of weathering. Review sample courtesy of
  12. Hi folks. It's been a while since I last posted anything as I have have to concentrate more on my business. This is one of the many kits that I received from good ol' Santa. I decided not to add any lighting or anything and to pretty much build it out-of-the-box with my own colour scheme (Ford Gold). This is the first Ming kit that I've made and, overall, I was quite pleased with everything. The only downside was that no chrome parts were included and as these kits cost that little bit more, I was disappointed as Revell include chrome parts in a lot of their kits for less cost. Anyway, I had an old Routemaster Bus engine going spare so I thought about mounting it on the back of the truck to give it a payload. Also added are chains, rope and wood supports to keep it secure. I have included some section builds in the WIP forum to show some of the details that are hidden when assembled. Thanks for viewing. It's always appreciated.
  13. Hi guys, I'm not usually an aircraft builder however I decided to incorporate a diorama into this build and have a go at adding an electric motor to one of the engines, also this is my first attempt at modelling a grass base. I wanted a patchy and worn looking effect where a lot of work seems to have been carried out under the plane and the grass has suffered for it. I hope you like the results.
  14. Hi everyone. It's been a while since I last posted as I've had to concentrate on getting my new design business going. I have just finished this nice little number from Meng. I haven't done one of their kits before and wanted to see how well they were moulded, etc. I must say the extra cost seems to be worth it as there was no sign of flashing and the plastic compound was nice to work with. Detail was pretty good though some chrome parts would have been appreciated (especially the grill section). For the price this was a disappointment as Revell include it in some of their kits which are cheaper. Anyway, below are some pictures of certain sections created but before fitting. I didn't have time to photograph the build step-by-step but took some to show some of the interior details before they were hid by the assembly. The finished product will soon be on the RFI forum but I have included a taster below. Thanks for looking.
  15. Hi all, im currently trying to put the number plate decals on my Meng Achzarit Early. Israeli number plates are 'embossed', so the number plates are provided as brass etch, with decals. The trouble is that I can't get the decals to settle down into the relief on the etch at all. I started with MicroSet and MicroSol, and that had no effect. So I reached for my bottle of Walthers' 'Solvaset' - which is a 'hotter' version of the same thing. Solvaset usually turns decals to 'jelly'. But it's had no effect at all. Has anyone else had this problem and what am I to do? Thanks, Phil
  16. From Mengs Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/195290177250981/photos/a.200850930028239.42784.195290177250981/1251294684983853/?type=3&theater
  17. Hi guys, well after finishing the Hunter Killer diorama, I am building a new kit which will be another diorama with ground crew, but anyhow here are a few photos of my progress from this weekend.
  18. Sd.Kfz.182 King Tiger (Henschel Turret) 1:35 Meng Models via Creative Models The King Tiger needs little introduction to any armour lover, as it became one of WWII's iconic AFVs, even though it only saw limited action in the closing months of the war, and had a few serious flaw that were never fully fixed due to its short time in service before the fasctories and the Reich were over-run. As with any new equipment, Hitler stuck his oar in and always wanted bigger, which resulted in a heavily armoured tank with a massively powerful gun, but weight problems (I know that feeling!) that put undue strain on its running gear, resulting in a high maintenance rate and frequent breakdowns on the battlefield. It has been said that more King Tigers were lost to crews having to abandon a broken down vehicle than were knocked out in battle. The design was complex, and although the simpler Henschel turret design was chosen over the alternative and more complicated Porsche offering to ease construction, it still took far too much time and valuable resources to create one. The Porsche company had already built a number of turrets however, so they were used up in the first batch of tanks, and the Henschel design should by rights be the "production turret", as they designed the chassis too. It took bravery on the part of the Allied tankers to take out a KT, as they had to get well inside the killing zone of the mighty 88mm gun in order to penetrate the frontal armour, and even the sides weren't easy to breach. The Kit We have had many King Tiger models in 1:35 over the years, and more recently the market has become a little more crowded with new kits coming out to broaden the modeller's choice. As is often said, X's King Tiger doesn't make any money for Y, and Meng now have their hat in the ring with this new kit that has been produced in conjunction with the Tank Museum in Bovington as well as their magazine, AFV Modeller. They have opted for a modular approach to this kit, which they premiered with their Bradley M3A3 with Busk III, having the same optional interior set for those that would wish to model the interior of this beast. There is also a track set available in case you're not overly fond of the link-and-length tracks that are included in the box, and a set of Zimmerit decals too. Of course this will add to the purchase price, but if you aren't interested in those optional extras, at least you're not paying for plastic that will stay in the box and clutter up your spares bucket for years to come. So what's in the box? Quite a lot, including ten sprues in primer-red styrene, a grey sprue containing two figures, a clear sprue, turned aluminium barrel, a small sheet of Photo-Etch (PE) grilles, some poly-caps, a decal sheet, and of course the instruction booklet with integrated black and white painting guide. A peruse of the sprues shows plenty of detail, and all of the armoured panels have a delicate rolled-steel texture that looks great, although if you're a bit heavy on the paint, it could well disappear under multiple layers. There are a few parts that aren't needed if you are assembling the tank with the interior, so take care and read the instructions fully before you start gluing, as some of the differences are quite notable. The red primer styrene colour is actually quite clever, as if you ever wear through the paint with handling, it will still look authentic after a fashion, a feature that could be done deliberately if you so choose. Inclusion of a metal barrel is great news, as it removes a tiresome seam-filling chore from your task list, but if you really really hate metal barrels, there is a styrene alternative there just in case. The tracks being link and length will delight and horrify modellers in equal measure, as you can't please all the people all the time, especially with track technologies. Suffice to say that the detail is excellent, but if you would prefer a workable track, there is the extra track pack from Meng, or you could opt for some from Friul. Construction begins predictably with the road wheels, which have a poly-cap hidden between the two, and a choice of two types of cap for both inner and outer pairs. The three-piece idler wheel and two-part drive sprocket also have poly-caps at their hearts, which will help when adding the tracks and during painting. The lower hull is fitted with a pair of inserts behind the suspension ports, which is only applied if you aren't building the interior, which has the torsion-bars included as part of the set. Final drive armour and towing eyes are added to the front on each side of the lower glacis, and a pair of bracing bulkheads are inserted into the hull to give it rigidity in the absence of the interior. The swing-arms then fit onto the pins in the suspension ports, and these parts are again only appropriate for the fixed suspension option. The wheels can be fixed onto the stub-axles at this point, and the rear bulkhead is then built, studded with track joining tools, the twin armoured exhausts and some small PE parts for the jack that will be fitted later. This slots into the hull from above, and is joined by another brace that fits near the front of the hull roof, plus the front towing shackles that dangle permanently from the front of any KT. The tracks are link-and-length, as previously mentioned, and are also handed, so care is needed in construction. The exploded diagram shows which parts are fitted where, and the top run will have a degree of natural sag that has been engineered in thanks to the construction jig supplied for this section. The individual links create the sharper curves around the idler and drive sprockets, and here each link is made of the two parts to give extra flex to the shape, which is as it should be. The track pack that's available separately renders all this obsolete of course, and we'll try to get hold of a set in due course to see what's included and how it changes the build process. The upper hull has a separate engine deck, and under this a bracing part is fitted, which would be replaced by the interior set if you opt for it. The upper glacis exterior is moulded into the upper hull, and is backed up by another internal part to give it a more realistic armour thickness. The rest of the hull roof is then fitted, which includes the turret ring and a cut-out for the separate insert with the driver and machine-gunner's hatches. The ball fitting for the bow-mounted machine gun is held in place behind the armoured bulge of the kugelblende, with the barrel sliding through the centre minus breech. At the rear of the upper hull the correct armour thickness is portrayed by the addition of a pair of extra parts that make up the difference without risking sink-marks. The engine deck is split like the real thing, with the radiator baths on each side and PE mesh covers for each outlet, plus a scattering of lifting lugs and pioneer tools. The central panel is for engine access, and has a number of armoured mushroom vents, lifting lugs and grab handles added along with the "easy" access hatch within it for daily preventative maintenance. The final panel is the driver's compartment, which has two more mushroom vents, more lifting lugs, and of course the two hatches with grab handles for the crew. The remainder of the pioneer tools and towing ropes are then installed on the sloped sides of the hull, and the curved PE grilles are shaped around a two-part jig before being glued to their frames and put in place over the forward radiator louvers. The two halves of the hull are brought together and the remaining details are fitted, such as the mudguards, and jack at the rear, fenders along the sides, front mudguards and the central headlight light on the glacis. Now for the turret. For scale fidelity, the turret has a double skin, and the improved, flat Henschel mantlet fits in the front, eliminating the shot-trap that was present in the Porsche design. The turret roof has the cupola details and the central fume extractor vent added inside, and the floor has a commander's seat added (which will be stood on by himself), and a perfunctory pivot for the gun base added at the front. Again, if you're going for the full interior, this will be set aside. With the lid and floor installed, the clear periscope parts and the armoured mantlet slab are glued in place, and the flip-down crew access hatch is built to scale thickness and installed on twin hinges. Incidentally, this hatch doubled as the only way to get the massive gun out of the turret, so wasn't just for crew comfort or their safety. The hinges are covered by protective armour, as are all the vision blocks, vents and the gun's optics, which have a bullet-splash screen added around. Lifting eyes, machine gun ring, and brackets for spare track are added, plus of course the true mantlet of the gun, which flares out to deflect shot into the armour. The metal barrel is tipped with a styrene flash-hider, and a two-part inner shroud to the rear, which is then pushed into the breech with a keyed peg ensuring the correct orientation of the muzzle. The gunner's simple hatch, the commander's MG and his rotating hatch are built up as the final acts, and the turret is then fitted to the hull, minus any retaining mechanism. The Königstiger had a crew of five, and two are supplied in the box on a single grey sprue. If you choose to use them, you can build up the commander and loader in their entirety (i.e. with legs). The commander is stood up and has his binoculars pressed to his eyes, appearing to be looking at what the loader is pointing at from his seated position on the edge of his hatch. Sculpting is up to Meng's usual high standard, and parts breakdown facilitates good detail. Markings The decal sheet is small, and for what must be the first time in my experience, not printed by Cartograf for them. To be frank, it isn't all that important with AFV models for the most part, as the markings are few and were often hand painted by less than talented workers. The quality isn't quite up to the usual standard, but they should suffice for their purpose. On my sample the registration is good, and colour density was of a similar quality, but there were a few tiny artefacts in the black, with slight stepping visible on diagonals under magnification. To the naked eye however, these would be hard to pick up on. From the box you can build one of the following four (not six as mentioned on their website): Tank 334 s.H.Pz.Abt.503, Wehrmacht, Hungary, October 1944 – Dark yellow with green and red-brown camouflage. Tank 124 s.H.Pz.Abt.505, Wehrmacht, Poland, September 1944 – Dark yellow with green and red-brown camouflage. Tank 223 s.H.Pz.Abt.501, SS, Belgium, December 1944 – ambush scheme. Tank 324 s.H.Pz.Abt.509, Wehrmacht, Hungary, March 1945 – white distemper over ambush scheme. The painting guide is in black and white and the shades of grey are only referred to by their colour codes with no names mentioned until the table on the back page, which makes for a more difficult time envisaging which scheme takes your fancy the most. Thankfully, they are all some combination of a Dark Yellow base with green and red-brown camouflage overlaid, except for the last option, which has winter distemper over the dotty ambush scheme. On a slightly sour note, the first two decal options were coated with Zimmerit anti-magnetic mine coating from the factory, which isn't supplied in the box. If choosing A or B, you will either need to apply it yourself using putty of some type, or purchase the Zimmerit decal set that Meng have made available separately. To this reviewer, the Zimmerit decal should have been supplied in the box, or you can't accurately depict half of the decal options. Conclusion We are now spoiled for choice when it comes to the King Tiger, and Meng's approach of making the interior and workable tracks an optional extra allowed them to focus squarely on the design of the kit, with those looking for extra detail purchasing the extra sets if they want them. Many AFV modellers don't bother with interiors in general, so why buy parts you won't use? Detail is excellent, and if you're planning a buttoned up Tiger II, this would make an superb choice, with all the surface detail of the armour already done for you, and a couple of crew figures plus a turned barrel thrown in for good measure. Watch out for the missing Zimmerit though when you're choosing your decal options. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  19. GAZ-233115 STS Tiger-M SPN SPV 1:35 Meng Model Gorkovsky Avtomobilny Zavod, or GAZ for short are the leading manufacturer of commercial vehicles in Russia, and specialise in all-wheel drive heavy duty trucks, buses and light commercial vehicles. The Tiger is a development of the GAZ 2330 4x4 that is designed as a troop carrier for police and military forces, with good offroad capability, high speed and good handling on sand and steep gradients. The Tiger is an upgraded vehicle with ballistic protection to the sides and roof, with a large two-man turret-ring on the roof to allow both a machine gun and grenade launcher to be used simultaneously. It is known colloquially as the Russian HUMVEE, and like the HUMVEE it does not provide much in the way of IED protection, other than a suite of electronic countermeasures. Its flat ladder chassis differs from the newer designs like the American M-ATV, which has a sloping hull to deflect blast away from the occupants. It has plenty of space for radio gear, the aforementioned ECM fit, plus ammo stowage and of course four troops in the rear, with a two man crew in the front seats. This boxing is for the newer Tiger-M vehicle which features a slightly revised body style and additional armour. The Kit The kit was originally reviewed here; this re-boxing from Meng is virtually the same vehicle. They have re-tooled the main body to reflect the new body style and added a new sprue featuring the up-armoured doors and different dashboard configuration of the new vehicle. Markings There are two options included in the box. One is camouflaged Russian Green, black and sand, while the other is plain Russian Green, but with large red parade stars. Their details are as follows: Tri-colour camouflage unknown unit vehicle. Russia Victory Day Parade 2016 The tri-colour vehicle is shown in five views, which with the tri-tonal camo will alleviate any confusion as to where the individual colours extend to on each side. Unlike the original boxing the instructions and camo diagrams here are only in Black & White. The decal sheet is quite large due to the camouflage material that is applied to the interior of the vehicle and the instrument panel decals, with two rows of digits, three red stars and four number plates relating to the outside. The decals in this boxing are printed in house where the originals were but cartograf, they seem thicker than the cartograf ones. Carrier film is clipped very close to the camouflage decals, which will be helpful when working in confined spaces, and the decals have been sectioned to fit each of the facets of the passenger cab. Conclusion Another classy kit from Meng, and a welcome addition to the collection of any modern Russian armour buff, or casual buyer alike. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  20. Soviet T-10M Heavy Tank 1:35 Meng Models Having already reviewed another kit of this type, I'll take the lazy/sensible way out and paste in the preamble from the earlier kit for your ease, rather than trying to re-write the wheel, as it were. The Kit Meng seem to be locked in a release and subject matter war with other manufacturers in the same global location, with another kit of this massive tank from another manufacturer already on the scene. Meng have produced this kit ploughing their own furrow as always, and fair play to them for doing so. As usual the kit has a quality feel from the outset, with the satin finish to the dramatic box artwork, and carefully wrapped contents. Inside the box you will find nine sprues plus two hull parts in a dark green styrene, twelve in black, two in clear, a strip of poly-caps, a sheet of Photo-Etch (PE) brass, and a decal sheet. The instruction booklet is glossy for the first pair of pages, with full-colour painting guide occupying the last two pages. Detail is excellent throughout, and it is clear that Meng's designers have paid careful attention to the surface texture of the cast parts. There is a definite and well-executed rolled-steel texture to the upper hull plates, and some low-key welding seams added for good measure. On the underside is a slightly different casting texture, and the turret has a pronounced texture that, with the addition of a little stippled Mr Surfacer would give good rendition of the rough-cast turret's surface. It already has a texture, but it is IMHO a little too subtle without augmentation, which isn't difficult, and it can actually be quite fun attacking the part with a stiff bristled brush daubed with Mr Surfacer. It will also help to hide the seam between upper and lower turret halves, which is on the lower edge and will be visible on the completed model. The build begins with the road wheels as you might expect, with poly-caps trapped between the twin road wheels and identical idler. The drive sprocket is made up from three parts with a choice of style for the front cog, with another poly-cap hidden within, while the return rollers are three parts due to their inclusion of their support and axle. In all you will make up sixteen road wheels, two drive sprockets and six return rollers, but there are no rubber tyres, so there's nothing to tax your circular line painting skills. The lower hull is covered with detail, but more is added in the shape of axle mounts, final drive housing and suspension bump-stops, before the shortened torsion bars with swing-arms and stub axles are added, and the wheels mounted accordingly. Then you're onto tracks, which look like fun! The tracks are provided with a clear two-part jig that holds a run of the pads in place while you glue in the track-pins from each side. However, Meng have cleverly moulded six pins in a run that are perfectly spaced to fit the holes without being removed from their sprue. This reduces the amount of work dealing with fiddly pins, which are instead liberated from their sprue run once the glue has set. Speaking of glue, you should use it sparingly for fear of gumming up the track, or worse, sticking the track to the styrene jig. Each of the 87 links per run has three sprue gates, which should be easy to clean up as they are on the curved edges of the link. The track pins are moulded in blocks of 6 in pairs marked "track pin 01" and "track pin 02" for ease of identification. Once fixed and cut loose, the ends should be easy to clean up with a sanding sponge. To close up the track runs around the wheels, just add single pins to the run to form the loop, and fix with a dot of glue. The rear bulkhead slopes down from the engine deck at a shallow angle, and carried both the gun's travel-lock and the four supports for two of the four cylindrical fuel tanks it carries. This assembly slots into the rear of the upper hull, which is also detailed with engine grilles, front and rear light clusters with protective cages and the driver's hatch. On each front fender and shaped stowage box is installed, with two three-part styrene towing ropes snaking back from the glacis mounted shackles toward the rear. More stowage sits over the rear fenders, and the four tanks are fitted to their cradles, with the seemingly ubiquitous unditching beam (tree trunk) attached to the starboard hull. The basic turret is shaped similarly to that of the T-55, but it can be fitted with a semi-conformal bustle, or a large four-part rolled tarp, depending on your choice. Either way, you'll need to drill some holes in the rear, but they're marked on the inner face, so won't tax your brain too much. The rest of the turret is festooned with vision and sighting devices, spare ammo boxes for the machine gun, with grab-handles aplenty. The aperture through which the gun projects is built up with a few additional parts to get the correct shape, and the gun is mounted to a T-shaped part with poly-caps at each end that is trapped between the upper and lower turret halves. There is no breech detail, but this is fairly standard in AFV modelling, with not much that would be seen through the hatches anyway. Speaking of which, the commander's cupola has clear vision blocks mounted on a carrier ring that is hidden inside the two-part structure, to which protective covers, a small search-light and snap-in hatch are added. The loader's simplified hatch has a snap-in hatch, which if unglued should allow them both to open and close freely, as well as rotate if you leave them unglued in the turret top. The big KPVT machine gun is a multi-part assembly with separate barrel, lifting handle, two-part breech and two piece mount attached to a complex elevation and sighting mechanism that can be posed in the raised or horizontal position by exchanging one set of rams and levers for an alternative set. The mantlet for the main gun has a searchlight (with mount) and coax machine gun added, with a short barrel shroud at the base, and a two-part barrel split vertically, to which a single-piece slide-moulded muzzle-brake and collar are added to the end. Yes… it is an impressive moulding that brought a slight smile to my face when I fished it out from the box. The build is complete by dropping the turret into the ring and locking it in place with the bayonet fitting by rotating it slightly. Markings You get four decal options in the box, although the basic scheme is Russian Green, as you'd expect from that era. Meng have tried to give some variation within that limitation though, and also give you details of the vehicles and their units, as well as the time period that the scheme was appropriate for. From the box you can build one of the following: 13th Guards Heavy Tank Division, 1st Guards Tank Army, Soviet Forces in Germany, Operation Danube, 1968 – large white cross over the turret and upper hull. 20th Independent Tank Battalion, 20th Guards Motor Division, 1st Guards Tank Army, Soviet Forces in Germany, 1972-4 – White 039 on turret back and sides. 1st Guards Tank Army, Soviet Forces in Germany, Berlin Parade, 1960 – Soviet wreath & flag on turret sides. A certain Soviet Army Unit, late 1960s to early 1970s – white 202 on turret sides. That last one is a bit vague, and Google was very little help, so you're on your own with deciphering the meaning behind it. As always with Meng, the decals have been printed for them by Cartograf, and the quality is excellent. Registration, colour density and sharpness are top notch, and the carrier film is thin, with a matt finish, cut closely around the printed edges. Conclusion As always, this is a quality piece of styrene engineering from Meng, and even the unditching log's texture impresses. They have made some very interesting strides in texturing of their models to add realism, and this one is a benchmark that many producers could aspire to. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  21. 5 months later and plenty of mistakes. Was planning to take proper photos with a compact DLSR. But Snapseed (photo editing app) was so much fun 1/48 Meng P-51D with Kit decals, Eduard wheels & SuperFabric Seatbelts. cheers Shane
  22. Hello, Long time lurker, and the thought of contributing some work came up. so without further ado, let me present the following WIP in 1/48 scale prop planes built in conjunction. 1) Meng 1/48 P-51D, kit decals "American Beauty" 2) Tamiya 1/48 F4u-1A, RNZAF decals by SkyModels (NZ5277), roundels by Ventura Publications added Super Fabric seatbelts by Eduard, not necessary the correct ones (US Navy seatbelts) but I am on a budget. Corsair Cockpit Mustang Cockpit Primed the Corsair in a medium grey mix (Gunze Mr Surfacer 1500 Grey + Black), more work ahead in cleaning up surface imperfections + rivet (reason for the grey, as I normally prime in black) + blend the canopies in This will be a competition piece for a local club meet. Mustang (sexy plane in black), more touch-ups to do. Brilliant fit, but some step issues due to the snap-fit nature. Disclaimer > the wings are supposed to be laminated and rivets filled, but am not keen on filling and sanding so much detail. Critique welcome, especially on RNZAF corsair colours, Google-d a few forums posts but nothing concrete yet. the astute amongst you might notice a TIE lurking in the back, which I may post as a Completed build one day. cheers!
  23. One more my new work. As the minimum conversion used wheels from HUMVEE M1114 Bronco model and toning of headlights (Tamyia XF-19). Gunze Sangyo Mr paint. Hobby H319 light green. Did not want to soil very good car! Thanks for attention. Yours faithfully, Konstantin.
  24. Hi everyone!) my following work. Completions: wires to the equipment. Used Tamiya acrylic paints, filters AK-interactive, pigments Homa. Thanks for attention. Yours faithfully, Konstantin.
  25. A slight diversion for me, a fun build, snap fit, but i glued mine. No filling everything aligned nicely, for a Tank version of an egg plane there was some attention to detail. Built over a number of days painting sub assemblies as i went, great fun. Painted in humbrol enamels by hairystick, humbrol matt cote finish with a light tamiya weathering powder dusting, only thing missing was the decal "Get Some" on the front, mine decided to do a somersault from which it never recovered enough to use, the GET was unreadable but the SOME was ok. The puff of smoke just seemed the right thing to do LOL. All the best Chris and yes Dave its a Tank LOL
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