Hi All,
Just about to start on the front (driver's and bow MG operator's) hatches and noticed something odd.
Now (bear with me for a second), In step 5 of the instructions there's a detail drawing of how to assemble one hatch.
Moulded to parts D4 and 5 there's a lug that protrudes from the side of the hatch (part D7 stradles it) that when the hatch is closed overhangs the inboard side of each hatch. Looking at the actual part there seems to be a pivot point on the protruding end.
This lug looks to me like a securing mechanism to keep the hatch shut (by slipping under part D7) and pivots out of the way when the hatch is opened similar to the latch on a garden gate.
If this is so and it pivots on the protruding end, shouldn't the lug thingy be attached to the hull top to depict an open hatch?
This has really got me scratching my head as the rest of the kit is a gem.
I assume the pivot passes through the hull with a handle on the other end to allow the crew to secure the hatch from inside.
TTFN
Tom

Gday Tom
Could be talking outta my hat here, but from what I can garner you have it backwards, in the sense that the 'lug' is attached to the hatch, not the hull. From actual examples I have seen, the end overhanging from the hatch onto the hull (when buttoned up) has a long gap in it [like the top end of a sewing needle] which drops over a protrusion on the hull which has a hole through it so the hatch can be secured shut whilst [i]out/i] of the tank... Other than that there is a latch on the underside to button up when inside the tank. Many of the surviving examples have the overhanging part of the 'lug' missing, probably for safety reasons or because it was a thinner piece of steel due to the long gap in it?...
PE sets have this flat bar shown as I have described, and also include the hull protrusion it drops over...
Hope this helps
Brad

Thanks Bradley!
What you say makes sense.
Tom