Post by Smudge on Apr 19, 2012 9:36:28 GMT -5
Meng Model is a new company on the scene, with their first kits hitting the market only last year. The first kits based around a modern (ish) pick-up truck were something a little different for sure.
They have recently released another kit that deserves the title of ‘something a little different’. Kit #SS-001 is of the German mine clearing vehicle from WWII; the VsKfz 617 Minenräumer.
The Minenräumer was designed to clear paths through minefields in front of German troops and AFV’s. Its armour shielding was designed to withstand multiple mine explosions, these being detonated by the large track shoes at the front and rear, fitted to huge disk shaped wheels. The rear wheel also provided the steering for the vehicle, via chains attached to the rear wheel frame. For local protection a fully rotating Panzer 1 turret with twin MG34 machine guns was fitted.
The vehicle was bizarre looking to say the least. A powerful footprint was created by the large track shoes and vehicle weight (50 tons), and by maintaining nine shoes on the ground (which were able to withstand multiple detonations) it detonated mines…or at least that was the plan. It was however found to be too slow, heavy and awkward, and therefore vulnerable to enemy action. The Germans cancelled the project and the vehicle was found by the Russian forces in 1945. The VsKfz 617 Minenräumer or ‘minesweeper’ currently resides in the Kubinka Museum outside Moscow.
The kit…
• Packaging: The kit is presented in the usual high quality Meng box, all neatly packaged in individual bags to prevent damage or loss of parts. Even the larger parts, the upper and lower hull are bagged too. The track shoes and links are packed in two trays with clear lids which is great and will save time on preparation although read on; they will still need a little work. This will look great on the shelves of your LHS.
• Contents: the kit consists of 267 parts in light grey injection moulded styrene, plus chain and copper wire;
*Sprue A (x2). These contain the two large front wheels, track pins (note two different sizes), louvres, hatches, and some very tiny lifting hooks.
• Instructions: These follow Meng’s usual format. A small booklet, high quality with clear diagrams backed up with explanatory text and enlarged pictures to show key elements of the build. Spread over 14 pages there are 15 build stages although some involve only a few parts. The build stages seem logical and I don’t see any room for error if they are followed; nothing obviously wrong jumps out at me.
The last two pages include a parts map and colour plates for three recommended paint schemes; although of course entirely fantasy as this vehicle didn’t go into production (there is also the fourth colour option which is shown on the box top). Colours are recommended for three manufacturers; Hobby Color, Mr Hobby and Vallejo.
• Quality: the parts are cleanly moulded with no real discernable flash or seam lines apart from the track links noted below. These also have some sink marks. There is a remarkable lack of ejection pin marks throughout the entire kit, at least ones that will be noticeable after building. No PE is included nor do I think necessary for most modellers; even the louvers are commendably thin. The kit displays some really nice touches including very done weld seams ( even underneath), separate hatch hinges, open slits on the turret visors and those already mentioned very tiny two part lifting hooks.
• The build stages are as follows...
Steps 1-5; these cover the upper hull. The large one piece upper hull part is warp free and as some lovely detail including really well done weld beads. It is detailed with 65 parts some very small including some tiny lifting eyes and lifting hooks. The latter are even supplied as two parts; the hooks and fixing plates. Be careful as there are no spares provided and they are excellent fodder for the carpet monster.
Other notable items include the fine louvers and separate hinges on the engine compartment hatches. Some may argue the louvers would be better portrayed in PE but I think it shows immense restraint these days not to use this medium and the styrene parts are great. The large crew hatch exposes a bare interior so I suspect most will fix this closed unless one of the AM companies stick their necks out and provide an interior; even a crew member won’t quite fill this gap I reckon.
Note; do not deviate from the instructions and fix the lower and upper hull parts together. This will become clear later. Stick to the instructions and there shouldn’t be any problems.
Steps 6-8; this includes fixing details parts to the large one piece lower hull. This is of the bath-tub type and as reinforcing ribs to stop it warping. I did test a fit of the upper and lower hull parts and they fit together almost perfectly. The large lifting eyes on each corner are moulded as separate pieces and they even have weld beads moulded integrally and this looks outstanding. In total 12 parts complete this stage although I am still wondering what part B36 is if anyone as any ideas?
Note; you will at stage six have to drill two small holes through the hull rear for the steering chains, which are fitted at stage 15. This is clearly shown on the instructions though a size isn’t recommended. It needs to be big enough for the chains fit through with a little clearance and that’s all. I reckon that the only improvement that could be made is to drill out the end of the exhaust something I think best done after fixing to the hull (and after the glue as fully dried).
Steps 9-11; this involves the large front wheel assemblies and tracks. Note I say large; there are smaller versions of the track links, shoes and pins provided for the smaller rear wheel but the instructions make this obvious and I can’t imagine anyone making an error it is blatantly obvious what goes where IMHO. The large wheel outers have some neat bolt details and inner guide teeth for the shoes. If you want the wheels to turn apply adhesive ONLY where the accompanying diagrams say ‘put cement in the shadow’; I suppose if you don’t want them to move you can apply the adhesive more liberally although being able to move the wheels even a small amount could help later in getting the characteristic look of the vehicle…with three shoes flat on the ground.
The large shoes themselves have carefully been removed by Meng from their mould sprues however a small mark remains on each shoe which will need cleaning up. Not a difficult task really most of the work as been already done. The links though do suffer from a bold seam line and small sink marks which will need filling and sanding as these will by and large be visible in completion. See the accompanying photos you will see my point. Again to get the characteristic hang of the tracks or to enable them to be moved to some degree apply adhesive as per the diagrams so you can move the tracks later, if required, to achieve the right look.
The shoes are moulded with a metal weight inside them meaning that normal adhesive can be used on the styrene outers, and there are no metal parts to undercoat. I suppose they may also help achieve the characteristic hang of the tracks. Whether this works or adds unnecessarily to the cost of the kit I don’t know, but it may be a factor in the kits price.
Steps 12-16; this involves the small rear wheel and frame assembly. Again it’s blatantly obvious that the small shoes, links and pins are for the rear wheel. Careful application of adhesive means they will turn to some degree. Note the smaller links don’t suffer from a sink mark but they do have a seam line to remove which a sanding stick should do easily.
By stage 15 you will see why the upper hull couldn’t be fitted earlier it would obstruct the fitting of part B9 which secures the wheel frame to the lower hull enabling, with a careful application of glue, the wheel to turn. Also it would make it more difficult to thread the chain into the hull. The chain is fitted to the wheel frame using the copper wire and is secured at the other end by super glue; although I think a better method could be to use something fitted to the end of the chain, inside, to stop it pulling through the hole but allow a little movement.
Finally at stage 16 the upper and lower hulls can be married together.
Steps 1-19; these stages involve assembling the Panzer 1 turret with its twin MG’s. There are some nice touches to the turret including some lovely screw detail on the roof, tiny separate lifting hooks and separate visors. The hatch is detailed with separate latches on the interior should you want to show it open although it will be obvious there isn’t an interior. A figure could fill this fairly well.
The downside for me is the bolt details on the turret sides. I’m no expert but these do look a little overdone. Also the MG barrels could be better although they will suffice for most modellers. I think you can get replacement barrels in brass but I can’t remember the manufacturer.
Finally stage 19 sees the kit completed by the fitting of the turret to the hull. This has bayonet fittings so it can be rotated afterwards.
• Painting/marking: Meng show four schemes (three on the instructions and the fourth on the box top) all for unknown units. As the vehicle didn’t see action these are all fantasy but they show what the vehicle could have looked like. No decals are provided but once again it allows the modeller to use his imagination, much like with any paper/prototype panzer models.
• Conclusion: I have to admit I don’t care much for German armour, or paper/prototype panzers, but this kit really appeals to me and I don’t know why. Maybe it’s being able to let my imagination run riot? Maybe it’s because it’s a brute of a vehicle? I don’t yet know, but I can’t wait to get it started.
It’s a fairly simple kit, although it does have some excellent touches and fine detailing, and I don’t foresee any problems with the build. In fact I think it will be pretty easy. Maybe the tiny parts would benefit from adding later in the build as any manhandling could cause these to be knocked off, and that’s something I would consider. I even think the lack of PE parts shows great restraint on Meng’s part. Overall I think this will be a quick build and will be an impressive and unique looking model.
As far as I know competition wise there is only the RPM kit which I understand is a very challenging kit to build, with warped and bad fitting parts. If that’s the case I reckon Meng’s kit will be the exact opposite. If you want to see it built and painted check the blog from Scratchmod here on MSC modelerssocialclub.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=armor&thread=1018&page=1
Very highly recommended.
Thanks to Meng Model for the sample.
• References: for this review I used strangevehicles.greyfalcon.us/Alkett.htm which is the best online resource I could find. If you can get access to the book apparently ROSSAgraph’s Model Detail Photo Monograph No.13 Minenräumer is about the only reference available and is considered very good.
Smudge
They have recently released another kit that deserves the title of ‘something a little different’. Kit #SS-001 is of the German mine clearing vehicle from WWII; the VsKfz 617 Minenräumer.
The Minenräumer was designed to clear paths through minefields in front of German troops and AFV’s. Its armour shielding was designed to withstand multiple mine explosions, these being detonated by the large track shoes at the front and rear, fitted to huge disk shaped wheels. The rear wheel also provided the steering for the vehicle, via chains attached to the rear wheel frame. For local protection a fully rotating Panzer 1 turret with twin MG34 machine guns was fitted.
The vehicle was bizarre looking to say the least. A powerful footprint was created by the large track shoes and vehicle weight (50 tons), and by maintaining nine shoes on the ground (which were able to withstand multiple detonations) it detonated mines…or at least that was the plan. It was however found to be too slow, heavy and awkward, and therefore vulnerable to enemy action. The Germans cancelled the project and the vehicle was found by the Russian forces in 1945. The VsKfz 617 Minenräumer or ‘minesweeper’ currently resides in the Kubinka Museum outside Moscow.
The kit…
• Packaging: The kit is presented in the usual high quality Meng box, all neatly packaged in individual bags to prevent damage or loss of parts. Even the larger parts, the upper and lower hull are bagged too. The track shoes and links are packed in two trays with clear lids which is great and will save time on preparation although read on; they will still need a little work. This will look great on the shelves of your LHS.
• Contents: the kit consists of 267 parts in light grey injection moulded styrene, plus chain and copper wire;
*Sprue A (x2). These contain the two large front wheels, track pins (note two different sizes), louvres, hatches, and some very tiny lifting hooks.
• Instructions: These follow Meng’s usual format. A small booklet, high quality with clear diagrams backed up with explanatory text and enlarged pictures to show key elements of the build. Spread over 14 pages there are 15 build stages although some involve only a few parts. The build stages seem logical and I don’t see any room for error if they are followed; nothing obviously wrong jumps out at me.
The last two pages include a parts map and colour plates for three recommended paint schemes; although of course entirely fantasy as this vehicle didn’t go into production (there is also the fourth colour option which is shown on the box top). Colours are recommended for three manufacturers; Hobby Color, Mr Hobby and Vallejo.
• Quality: the parts are cleanly moulded with no real discernable flash or seam lines apart from the track links noted below. These also have some sink marks. There is a remarkable lack of ejection pin marks throughout the entire kit, at least ones that will be noticeable after building. No PE is included nor do I think necessary for most modellers; even the louvers are commendably thin. The kit displays some really nice touches including very done weld seams ( even underneath), separate hatch hinges, open slits on the turret visors and those already mentioned very tiny two part lifting hooks.
• The build stages are as follows...
Steps 1-5; these cover the upper hull. The large one piece upper hull part is warp free and as some lovely detail including really well done weld beads. It is detailed with 65 parts some very small including some tiny lifting eyes and lifting hooks. The latter are even supplied as two parts; the hooks and fixing plates. Be careful as there are no spares provided and they are excellent fodder for the carpet monster.
Other notable items include the fine louvers and separate hinges on the engine compartment hatches. Some may argue the louvers would be better portrayed in PE but I think it shows immense restraint these days not to use this medium and the styrene parts are great. The large crew hatch exposes a bare interior so I suspect most will fix this closed unless one of the AM companies stick their necks out and provide an interior; even a crew member won’t quite fill this gap I reckon.
Note; do not deviate from the instructions and fix the lower and upper hull parts together. This will become clear later. Stick to the instructions and there shouldn’t be any problems.
Steps 6-8; this includes fixing details parts to the large one piece lower hull. This is of the bath-tub type and as reinforcing ribs to stop it warping. I did test a fit of the upper and lower hull parts and they fit together almost perfectly. The large lifting eyes on each corner are moulded as separate pieces and they even have weld beads moulded integrally and this looks outstanding. In total 12 parts complete this stage although I am still wondering what part B36 is if anyone as any ideas?
Note; you will at stage six have to drill two small holes through the hull rear for the steering chains, which are fitted at stage 15. This is clearly shown on the instructions though a size isn’t recommended. It needs to be big enough for the chains fit through with a little clearance and that’s all. I reckon that the only improvement that could be made is to drill out the end of the exhaust something I think best done after fixing to the hull (and after the glue as fully dried).
Steps 9-11; this involves the large front wheel assemblies and tracks. Note I say large; there are smaller versions of the track links, shoes and pins provided for the smaller rear wheel but the instructions make this obvious and I can’t imagine anyone making an error it is blatantly obvious what goes where IMHO. The large wheel outers have some neat bolt details and inner guide teeth for the shoes. If you want the wheels to turn apply adhesive ONLY where the accompanying diagrams say ‘put cement in the shadow’; I suppose if you don’t want them to move you can apply the adhesive more liberally although being able to move the wheels even a small amount could help later in getting the characteristic look of the vehicle…with three shoes flat on the ground.
The large shoes themselves have carefully been removed by Meng from their mould sprues however a small mark remains on each shoe which will need cleaning up. Not a difficult task really most of the work as been already done. The links though do suffer from a bold seam line and small sink marks which will need filling and sanding as these will by and large be visible in completion. See the accompanying photos you will see my point. Again to get the characteristic hang of the tracks or to enable them to be moved to some degree apply adhesive as per the diagrams so you can move the tracks later, if required, to achieve the right look.
The shoes are moulded with a metal weight inside them meaning that normal adhesive can be used on the styrene outers, and there are no metal parts to undercoat. I suppose they may also help achieve the characteristic hang of the tracks. Whether this works or adds unnecessarily to the cost of the kit I don’t know, but it may be a factor in the kits price.
Steps 12-16; this involves the small rear wheel and frame assembly. Again it’s blatantly obvious that the small shoes, links and pins are for the rear wheel. Careful application of adhesive means they will turn to some degree. Note the smaller links don’t suffer from a sink mark but they do have a seam line to remove which a sanding stick should do easily.
By stage 15 you will see why the upper hull couldn’t be fitted earlier it would obstruct the fitting of part B9 which secures the wheel frame to the lower hull enabling, with a careful application of glue, the wheel to turn. Also it would make it more difficult to thread the chain into the hull. The chain is fitted to the wheel frame using the copper wire and is secured at the other end by super glue; although I think a better method could be to use something fitted to the end of the chain, inside, to stop it pulling through the hole but allow a little movement.
Finally at stage 16 the upper and lower hulls can be married together.
Steps 1-19; these stages involve assembling the Panzer 1 turret with its twin MG’s. There are some nice touches to the turret including some lovely screw detail on the roof, tiny separate lifting hooks and separate visors. The hatch is detailed with separate latches on the interior should you want to show it open although it will be obvious there isn’t an interior. A figure could fill this fairly well.
The downside for me is the bolt details on the turret sides. I’m no expert but these do look a little overdone. Also the MG barrels could be better although they will suffice for most modellers. I think you can get replacement barrels in brass but I can’t remember the manufacturer.
Finally stage 19 sees the kit completed by the fitting of the turret to the hull. This has bayonet fittings so it can be rotated afterwards.
• Painting/marking: Meng show four schemes (three on the instructions and the fourth on the box top) all for unknown units. As the vehicle didn’t see action these are all fantasy but they show what the vehicle could have looked like. No decals are provided but once again it allows the modeller to use his imagination, much like with any paper/prototype panzer models.
• Conclusion: I have to admit I don’t care much for German armour, or paper/prototype panzers, but this kit really appeals to me and I don’t know why. Maybe it’s being able to let my imagination run riot? Maybe it’s because it’s a brute of a vehicle? I don’t yet know, but I can’t wait to get it started.
It’s a fairly simple kit, although it does have some excellent touches and fine detailing, and I don’t foresee any problems with the build. In fact I think it will be pretty easy. Maybe the tiny parts would benefit from adding later in the build as any manhandling could cause these to be knocked off, and that’s something I would consider. I even think the lack of PE parts shows great restraint on Meng’s part. Overall I think this will be a quick build and will be an impressive and unique looking model.
As far as I know competition wise there is only the RPM kit which I understand is a very challenging kit to build, with warped and bad fitting parts. If that’s the case I reckon Meng’s kit will be the exact opposite. If you want to see it built and painted check the blog from Scratchmod here on MSC modelerssocialclub.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=armor&thread=1018&page=1
Very highly recommended.
Thanks to Meng Model for the sample.
• References: for this review I used strangevehicles.greyfalcon.us/Alkett.htm which is the best online resource I could find. If you can get access to the book apparently ROSSAgraph’s Model Detail Photo Monograph No.13 Minenräumer is about the only reference available and is considered very good.
Smudge
