MENG 1/35 British Medium Tank Mk. A Whippet

[mahross]

I have been away from the hobby for a while for the usual reasons of family etc. Also, in the time I have been away, I have moved to Australia, but I have recently picked up the MENG kit of the Whippet medium tank. Construction has started, and I will try and keep this thread up to date with my progress. You can also follow the build on my website.

 

 

 

Ross

[mahross]

I should note that @Mike wrote a great review of this kit here on Britmodeller, which can be found here.

 

Ross

[mahross]

Some more smudgy photos showing progress being made with the MENG Whippet tank. I have worked through building part of the fighting compartment of the tank. Specifically, I have worked on the rear and top of the compartment. In general, the fit of parts has been good. Not a Tamiya level of fit but very close. The fighting compartment is a fixed polygon, and the most interesting aspect of the build so far is that this section is built up from separate parts to avoid having shaped parts on the sprue. Indeed, you need to bend part A9 to form the central part of the rear compartment. This is a clever way moulding the kit, but you need to be careful of ensuring the parts form the correct angle. Also, I would not bend it too much or it may break. In retrospect, I would suggest attaching the top of the compartment, which would then allow you to shape the sides around a part that gives an outline of the section. With some care, it went together well, though a few swipes of filler might be needed. I have also included a photo of the compartment sitting where it will finally fit in due course.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ross

[James B]

A great start to a neat little tank. I'll pull up a chair if you don't mind  

[mahross]

Welcome aboard, James. It is a nice little kit and quite straightforward to build.

 

Ross

[Kris B]

Good kit and nice work. I had to fight with Emhar as on that day it was only one Whippet kit avaliable. 

[mahross]

Thanks, Kris. I have heard some interesting stories of the old Emhar kits. It is good that First World War subjects are receiving some good kits.

 

Ross

[mahross]

Just a quick update today. I finished building the front of the fighting compartment last night and attached it to the other section of the compartment. Overall, this fit is good, but you will need to be careful when attached this sub-assembly to the rest of the compartment. I tacked it together and worked my way around, but it is still not perfect. As you can see in one of the photos, some small gaps will need a wipe of filler – something else to buy. I also did a dry fit of attaching the fighting compartment to the hull, and this will be a bit of tight fit so again will need me to tack it before getting everything in its final place. More updates soon.

 

 

 

 

Ross

[James B]

Coming along nicely. So many angles, it's like a Picasso painting.  

[Andy Moore]

That's looking very nice. That front section of the cab is the trickiest part of the build, so it should be plain sailing from now on.

 

Andy

[mahross]

After a couple of weeks away from the bench, I have made a little more progress on the Whippet.

 

Primarily I have glued the fighting compartment to the primary hull and built up the front fuel tank. The fuel tank is a distinctive feature of the Whippet, and I think it adds character to the tank. Like the fighting compartment, it is made up of pieces that need to be bent to the right shape to fit. This is where I think there is a critical issue with this kit. By supplying these parts flat, MENG has tried to reduce the chance of breakages, which is no doubt a good thing. However, it is a challenge to ensure the pieces, once bent into shape, fit properly. In this case, the fuel tank is not perfect and will require a swipe of filler to help tidy up the offending areas. If I were to build this kit again, I would make use of some clamps to help hold pieces in place while glueing. Ironically, I think I brought some clamps with me to Australia, but they are in storage somewhere. Had I thought about the challenge of ensuring the parts fit correctly then I may have dug deeper to try and find them. Oh well, you live and learn!

 

 

 

 

Ross

[DalekCheese]

Sorry to necropost, but what are the dimensions are the finished model (roughly)?

[Andy Moore]

9 hours ago, DalekCheese said:

but what are the dimensions are the finished model (roughly)?

About 7 inches long, 3 wide and 3 high

 

Andy

[DalekCheese]

Ah, thanks. I was looking to use one as a Leman Russ proxy, but even at 1/48 scale that’s still out. Oh well. The search continues, although I’ll probably get a Whippet anyway.