It is short-run kit (softer moulds), so it is inevitable to take your time to clean the parts thoroughly.
I did not. I just sand-off the basic flash and snipped off knock-off marks above the surface (it took about half an hour).
There are many parts not for use – seems like the conception of kit changed during creation. PLEASE!!! Remove them before you start and discard them!!! Otherwise they will mismatch with parts for use all the time. It is very easy to use wrong part. I was impatient and did not take care of instructions and of course did twice – hull bow plate with machine gun and back part of the turret.
After some dry-fitting I realized basic mistake made by modellers probably. I decided to make a little step-by step to help builders to show what to do and what to avoid.
1. Cut the teeth in the back of the upper edge of the parts A14 and A4. The tooth is drawn in instructions, but on plastic parts is a “corner”. There should later fit upper internal corner of parts A13 and A2.
2. I added some bulkheads made from plastic card. It is not necessary, but I wanted to have very strong joint in lower hull. I glued some L- profile on the joint of sides and floor, but square rod will make anyway. It is there only to make the flat joint bigger and stronger. The floor is a long part and it as tendency to “open” in front and back area, so take your time during build.
3. The most important point!
Clean thoroughly parts B20 to fit exactly into holes in plates!!! Do not omit those axles! Even though there is flash and sink marks on them. Do not extend the holes in plates!!! If you fist align both armor plates first (A15+A4 and A3+A14), you will definitely create minor mistake 0.X mm, which will multiply later and you end up with 2 mm holes bettween parts of the upper hull.
I can not stress enough this point. You will see, that frontal edge of both aligning plates has different height. It is not a problem, because part C4 has grooves on the lower part, which will fit exactly later. I made a mistake and sanded of to straight and gaps revealed on sides after fitting with part C4.
4. Do not forget both parts E3, they will support bow part and make exact fit. Just align them with upper edge and bevel.
5. Forget aligning of fenders with rectangular internal protrusion; it seems it is part of first and disproved concept. I tried to fit differently (you can see traces of the glue on upper part of fenders). I needed to make the teeth of the central internal edge deeper (circa 2mm), but it is not visible. I am not sure about left fender (A13) it needed to grind down internal edge in back part; outer and inner edge are not parallel there.
6. Assure, that outer edges of both fenders are paralel. I think dimension in between outer edges should be 80,5 mm, I have circa 79,3 mm. Start to fit from front machinegun bow plate and upper edges of parts C4. I did not, and there are little “steps” between fenders and side plate of frontal fenders.
6. a - Front cast armor of turret should overlap in both the upper and lower part.
B - I added thin strip (0,2 mm) to the back part of the roof, but this mistake might appear, when I tried to glue to the back part from first concept which was about to be discarded.
7. All in all, no big gaps appeared to be filled with thick plasticard and the model is buildable with some TLC.
I strongly suggest clean all parts thoroughly, not to build “from memory”, but according to instructions and common sense… Take your time and enjoy such vehicle.
