To the administrators: If they think that this presentation should be moved to another section, please feel free to do it .
MENG 1/12 McLaren MP4/4
Maybe because of the virus that bothers me I can't sit at my bench, but I can still take photos and then transfer what I photographed to my computer and write my impressions about them.
So , here is a teaser about my future builds -at least when it comes to cars .
This particular model is not going to launch before September for obvious reasons .
Until then, let's at least see what we're dealing with, what we have in our hands, if it's worth the money and if it's as good as it sounds.
Unboxing
First of all , we have to deal with a big , solid box . Finely decorated with a finished kit photo , has all the mandatory markings, plus two more: one informs us that the model is licensed by McLaren as an official copy - it even has the relevant sticker with the production number - while the other marking informs us in detail about the contents of the box, that i.e. the steering system moves, that its external parts are removed to show the detailed internals, that it contains metal parts and a bunch of other details that we will see anyway below.
One point for MENG for the box and his presentation .
Let's now see what happens inside the deep box: First of all, there is nothing that is not packed in its own transparent bag in a way that excludes any "accident" (scratch from an adjacent frame-piece, etc.). To be more clear, the photo you see with the screws, springs, screwdriver and suspension parts etc., had everything you see in a bag (bag within a bag) , so neat .
They are also very neat and not just thrown into the box.
I like it very much , one more point here .
Inside the bags now : let’s start with the metal parts and the hardware that comes with the kit .
First of all, the metal parts of the suspension are the most cleanly molded I've seen to date! A minimal line from the mold to the profile, clear holes where they should be, correct screws and nuts, discrete right-left marking and to the point where you can easily remove it, material that seems to last (shouldn't be the plain white metal we have signed by the companies) very smooth casting and completely straight parts!
In the rest of the metal we will see the steering bar (finally , one in metal), springs for the suspension, tiny screws that will be needed in various parts of the assembly, a screwdriver for the screws, two lengths of rubber tube and the wheels main nuts.
One shortcoming I will notice at this point: there is no cable of any kind at all. The explanation here is how MENG following the doctrine of Zoukei Mura gives the basic wiring and some piping in plastic, either as separate pieces or embossed.
My opinion is that they were badly "stinged" but anyway for someone who will definitely want to add them it won't be that difficult.
Plus 2 and minus 1 point here and continue with the main parts .
The first impression when I got the sprues on my hands it was that quality that inspires clear molding (you won't see anywhere plastic flash or the slightest mark that shouldn't be there on any of the kit pieces ) .
Everything is molded in light gray relatively soft plastic, so that you can work comfortably with your tools but not so that it causes problems of deformation etc.
All pieces are held by small, discreet pins in a way that makes it easy to cut them from the frames without risking "losses" of material .
Details are at the very high levels and virtually nothing is missing . Engineering of the model looks very clever and well thought out as a result - and having as an assistant the excellent fitting of the pieces as I found - the assembled subsections need little to no sanding before painting .
One point that MENG prides itself on - and rightly so - is that it gives the main body pieces (nose, main body and tail) in one piece each so they can be removed or added at will.
Also, speaking of the main body, the manufacturer has marked with very subtle lines the boundaries where the red should be painted - or white depending on which side you look at -
If you don't want to make use of these lines, there is always the option of erasing them with light sanding and/or plastering. Nevertheless, I find their existence positive , so one more point here .
Talking about assembly , not to omit a special mention in the instructions .
The 55 pages booklet is one of the most informative and accurate, as well as one of the clearest in his "communication" with the modeller.
Is divited in 13 sections which at the beginning of each one shows the pieces you will need as well as the position of each one in their frames .
No more searching around to lockate any piece , clever instructions is here !
Finishing with the plastic parts, I will not fail to mention the completely clear and highly protected windshield, as well as the rear safety light in red transparent plastic. A little less work for the modeller, although for some strange reason I like to paint the transparent parts myself.
Let's now continue with the remaining parts of the kit. Tires : a choice that might seem a little strange at this scale since for years companies have been giving excellent tires with embossing of logos and brands, unlike MENG's choice to give them in vinyl (or something like that) and without any insignia on them. Of course, he did not fail to give decals with all the necessary things, but then again why? When the time comes, perhaps a spray of Tamiya Rubber black would help the decal and vinyl bond better by acting as a friendly substrate.
Minus one here ? I think yes .
The photo-etched are limited to the absolutely necessary, namely the six "faces" of the cooling exchangers and three components of the pilot's seat belt.
Still very clear , detailfull and well protected .
Seat belts, another innovation. They come cut ready, in a material that nicely imitates the texture of the real thing, and they are flexible and self-adhesive, giving the possibility to place them in a variety of places.
Looks promissing , for a fine detailed cockpit .
And now , decals ! Not less than six sheets are presend in this kit -OK , one of them is tiny with just the reflectors for the mirrors- but is still a decal sheet .
As I mentioned above , the first contains only the tyres logos in bright white and looks fine , clear typed and whell registered .
Maybe here a kind of painting mask would be most welcome , the future will show .
The second sheet , contains the heat shields surrounding the cockpit to protect the pilot in a case of fire . Nice catch here , saves you from a rather boring job.
Third and fourth sheets provides a lot of cevlar in two colours , black and brown .
A nice job has been done here and the decals show the cevlar texture nicely and accurate .
And finally the sheet with all the external decoration with the brands of the sponsors, the numbers of the cars (Prost or Senna) and everything else they have on them that makes them stand out.
All decals are printed by MENG itself and looks whell registered , right coloured , thin and with minimal decal around every one .
And a last note : MENG suggests two brands of colors, the choice of which probably confuses most of us. What makes her choice strange is that it is limited to these two (MENG by AK and Acrysion) without giving matches to some even easier to find, such as Gunze, Tamiya, Humbrol, why not if you preffer enamels ?
And some colours descriptions, such as “Middle yellow” MC-015 if you bother to find out exactly what the manufacturer wants to say, you will probably get more confused since something is wrong with the specific color, ending up with a bunch of codes and correspondences from 004 RLM yellow to flesh, although personally I think that a buff in this particular case is a realistic option.
So , more choices about colours , please !
Conclusion
And here comes the big dilemma : to build or not to build ?
The options here are limited: on the one hand there is the Italeri kit which is NOT the MP4/4 but the MP4/2 and is a 2023 reissue with new parts. This particular company in recent years has given very good examples in the area of two and four wheels and if you consider the price difference from that of the Chinese company -almost a hundred euros less- it makes it quite attractive as a proposal.
For someone who absolutely wants the MP4/4, the options are limited to two: the Tamiya one, which however is in 1:20 scale and because it is a fairly old kit - 1989 edition - which is now showing its age compared to the competition, but mainly it is on a different scale and relatively hard to find and the divine kit from Model Factory Hiro ! Here we go to another level - or perhaps another dimension - both in terms of perfection and price! Neither more nor less, at the moment I am writing this text, its price is 450.00 euros , 1/2 more than the price of the MENG kit but still a very challenging kit .
So , what’s the answer to the dilemma ?
My feeling is that MENG manages and balances very well between all the parameters: large scale (1/12), excellent quality and reasonable price for a kit that is in the hands of even the average modeler who decides to take the step to more expensive category, it will end up as a very decent model and will not tire or disappoint him.
The MENG’s tire choices, the lack of cables and the odd color list aren't issues that make it a no-go, on the contrary, I'd say they provide fodder for improvisations and building from scratch .
This in a nutshell means YES , to build !
38 attached images. Click to enlarge.
