The main assembly sequences
consist of the chassis, the interior of the cab, and then the cab itself.
As a builder of aircraft models, thoroughly enjoyed putting this kit
together. First of all, I never once had to use putty, filler, or
superglue, and there wasn’t any sanding or polishing required either.
The chassis components and the suspension literally fell together.
The wheel and tire assemblies slide over plastic axles and are fixed in
place by central hubs that are glued to the end of each axle. When
complete the wheels roll smoothly.
The interior of the cab is
nicely detailed and every part fit perfectly. Looking at the instructions
I anticipated some assembly issues with the exterior of the cab. It
consists of five separate components all of them very large. I made
the assumption that aligning and gluing the parts was going to be
problematic. Boy was I wrong!
Before assembling the cab
components, the transparencies must be glued in place. Each of these
large pieces fit well and the process was made easier by positive locating
and alignment marks on the cab components to which they mated. With
the windows securely in place it was time to assemble the cab.
First, the front of the truck cab is glued to the roof, then the cab sides
are added. Finally, the aft bulkhead is put in place. Each of
the cab components consists of positive alignment points as well as large
tabs that provide large gluing surfaces.
With the cab assembly complete,
the interior just pops into place from below. The fit is so good I
didn’t use any cement. When the interior is in place the entire cab
assembly slides over the radiator blanks. The radiator blanks look
very realistic by the way as you view them through the trucks front grill.
The cab assembly can be glued into place but the fit is so good and
positive that cement isn’t really necessary.
Final assembly of this big rig
includes cab and chassis details such as mirrors, mud flaps, and lights.
With all those components in place it is time to apply the colorful
decals. The kit offers two schemes and it was difficult to decide
which one to do. Ultimately I chose the scheme offering the
multi-colored rainbow graphics. The decals were very easy to work
with. They were thin yet very opaque and responded well to a strong
setting solution. The large graphics that covered the sides of my
truck even featured cutouts for the door handles, a nice touch which
helped simplify application. The truck’s front grill features the
“MAN” logo, and the decal sheet provided silver decals for each letter.
The virtual absence of carrier film and the accuracy of the decals made
them fit perfectly.
In conclusion, I can’t recommend
this model enough. In spite of its size it literally falls together
by itself. The engineering of this kit is some of the best I’ve ever
seen, and consequently there wasn’t a hiccup one in the whole assembly
process. This model was a lesson in what modeling is all about.
Building it I was pure joy without any of the usual headaches. Even
if you are a military modeler or and aircraft modeler, take my word for
it, this is one kit you really have to try. Without question this
model is a ten. |