I have been looking at various pictures of the amazing interior detail in the Meng Mk. V Male. However, if the model is assembled in the conventional way, all of this detail would be hidden.

Although I have seen reviews that indicate that you could assemble the engine separately from the rest of the model, what I am curious about is whether it would be theoretically possible to build Meng's Mk. V Male so that at least the top and side are removable, even if not at the same time? Would removing the top or one of the sides destabilize the rest of the tank?

For example, the Tamiya Mk. IV is actually designed to allow the top and one of the sponsons to be removed without destabilizing the rest of the tank. Although, the Meng Mk. V model may not be designed this way, I was wondering if structurally the top and sides are relatively isolated from each other during assembly, i.e., you could theoretically assemble one of the sides as a separate assembly and then glue it on the model at the end.

If the top and the sides are relatively separate assemblies, I think I have a way to hold a removable top and removable side on the tank: Glue Dots

http://catalog.gluedots.com/viewitems/consumer-products/craft-hobby?plpver=1002

I've actually been using Glue Dots on several of my plane models to hold on the canopies to allow them to be removable and in place of rubber cement on my motorized Tamiya Mk. IV model. Glue Dots have much better tack than rubber cement and are much easier to work with since they come in a variety of sizes, can be cut with a hobby knife, are easy to clean up, and, like rubber cement, leave no residue on polystyrene.

If I buy the Meng Mk. V Male I'm am much more interested in having a wonderful detailed model of a Mk. V Male, inside and outside, than I am in winning a competition with the model, so I'm okay if the Glue Dots don't hold the side on quite as seamlessly as glue would do.

I'm thinking of doing something similar with the top of the Meng A7V I already have when I build it.

Hi Mark

I did a build review on the Takom Mk V 3 in one kit here on Armorama.

https://armorama.kitmaker.net/review/11919

I made the sponson removable so that you can see the three versions Male, Female and the Hermaphrodite. You can use the same method to show it in the travel position with the sponson removed on a railway flat bed car or just before it got loaded.

It took me a while to find this one, maybe it is more of what you want to do.
http://www.network54.com/Forum/110741/thread/1458317224/last-1458558737/View+Thread

Cheers,

Ralph

I've got this half built and the top could easily be removeable complete with the drivers cab as one unit breaking naturally at the joint between the drivers cab front and the glacis plate & the rear where the roof mets the back plate. The hull is strong enough to stay rigid without this attached even without cementing. The only issue I see would be the unditching beam rails as they are fixed to the roof but connect to the sponsons front and rear and the front mounts include the idler wheel adjusters, I'm sure though with a little thought they could be cut free of the adjusters and slightly bent to spring them tight against the sponsons and look fixed. Then all your lovely interior would be visible.

Keith

Hi Mark

I guess this build should interest you

http://www.network54.com/Forum/110741/thread/1458317224/last-1458558737/View+Thread

H.P.

I simply love it. I had a similar idea of what to do with it given the interior. Great idea.

Ralph:

Thanks for the information about your Takom build. I like your idea of making the sponsons removable to do all three versions. I may do the same if I pick up the Takom kit.

Ralph & Henri-Pierre:

And "WOW" with respect to the factory diorama of the Meng Mark V. I wish I had 10% of that modeler's talent and imagination.

Keith,

Thanks for the info. I'm in the process of finishing a the motorized (motorised to you) Tamiya Mk IV and in that model they "break" the unditching rails into there pieces to allow the top to be removed. The rails are held together at their breaks using rubber cement.

Based on your description, I'm hoping I can attach the rails to the sides of the tank so I can remove the rails with the top.

One advantage I would have over the Tamiya model is that the Meng Mk V is a static model, so any joins I do with rubber cement do not have to handle the stress of being driven along a table top or floor.