from what I've seen in the pix, italeri's is still the better tank in some ways. most about notable mengs is the suspension, in the it's workable, while tools aren't molded seperaetly. meng does provide for a choice of engine grills, 2. still might be worth getting

http://missing-lynx.com/reviews/modern/mengts007reviewbg_1.html

Italeri is better in what way?

I am finishing up an Italeri Leopard 1 conversion to the MEXAS and also started the Meng kit. I was surprised to find that the Italeri and Meng kits were actually pretty close in detail and quality. This isn't a slight on Meng- more that Italeri did a very nice job. Mengs wheels look better. Italeri's shocks (may not be the right term) are two pieces compared to Mengs. Not too much difference on the return wheel arms or bump stops. Mengs rear plate details are better. On the engine grills, Italeri gives you a fan below, but once covered by two photo etched grills, it isn't all that visible. And that's as far as I went on the Meng kit and the rest of the Italeri kit was replaced by PSM resin.

Having built 2 Italeri Leos recently the Meng looks to be a vast improvement over the old kits. Just the fact that they're modern molds means so much for detail, the finer bits like hinges and periscopes on the Italeri just look clunky in their old age.


Erik

I don’t think the Italeri kit stands up to this kit in many ways. This kit is modern with workable suspension, clear parts, Photo etched parts, choice of track and string for tow cable. None of which comes in the Italeri kit. Don’t get me wrong I still like the Italeri kits and have a few left in the stash that will get built. But I don’t think they are better than the new Meng kit.

Cheers

Todd

According to Leopard Club, the Meng wheels are messed up too. http://www.leopardclub.info/#/meng-leopard-1a3-part-1/4581121066

I’m currently building Meng’s leopard and I have a rather opposite impression of the model than the reviver at MissingLinks. I do agree about the casting – the details are SO much an improvement. The part about the tools is correct too I feel. But other than that it spells more of a disappointment to me.
The exhaust grills are so out of time – looks much more like something from a 1960 Revell kit. The weld seems are clear – yes, but also so wrong. They look like WW2 welds and not like modern ones. The barrel is so fare from a 21st century kit. Why are we still provided with a split down the middle, when so many other companies offers one-piece casted barrels? The tool box on the rear has a simplified handle – why? The clamps are very good indeed, so why this? The road wheels takes many hours to make useable – they are very thick and need to thinned down (that alone took me about 5 hours of work). As a Danish modeler (and too, if you want to make anything else than versions with German style tool holders) you are left with really, really deep “canyons” to fill – again, why? A 21st century kit much surely could provide better solutions?
But in the end, which is better – Italerie or Meng? Well kit bashing would probably be best, however, If I had to stick to one I would go for a italerie one








And then buy a Meng too.

After reading the reviews in detail you guys posted I retract my previous statement about the Meng being better. I'm very surprised by this fact. I wonder how they got this one so "wrong"? Its not like there aren't any Leo 1's out there to use as reference.



Erik

Interesting input indeed!
For my part I am just dealing with the Italeri kit ... just filling and sanding down their very "special" surface structure to obtain a even and relatively smooth surface is just a pain ! Not mentioning the road wheels.
Reproducing all weld seams in place or missing goes without saying.
Since I am planing on doing the Leo 1, 1A1, 1A2 and 1A5 I will utilize a lot of PSM kits so the main focus will be a comparison of both hulls.
I do like the side skirts and some of the tools can go with minor PE upgrades ... to make a long story short ... KIT BASHING is the way to success that's the conclusion I draw for myself.
But from what I can see the MENG kit is an improvement and will reduce some off the work I don't like doing.
I hope to get mine soon and I do look forward in a positive manner.

Cheers
Christopher:-H

I know that people on this website are going to moan and grown that I'm promoting other websites - but that is not the case. I am merely sharing information about an important new kit!! If this gets taken off then so be it!

In box reviews are now ready on the Leopard Club site herehttp://www.leopardclub.info/#/meng-leopard-1a3-part-1/4581121066

and for a more detailed look here at Modellers Social Clubhttp://modelerssocialclub.proboards.com/thread/6569/meng-leopard-1a3-1a4-review

I am afrraid it is NOT all good news. Leopard fans have been waiting a very long time but I'm afraid that the Meng Leopard 1 is a disappointment overall. There are just too may things wrong with it which is a crying shame. This is not like Meng, at all. And believe me I do feel like crying, not just because my favourite tank has not been given full justice, but because Meng have let us Leopard 1 fans down.

I am actually building one at the moment - how could I not? It does go together very sweetly and the engineering is first rate. Some of the parts just clip together and hardly need much glue. Some of the detail is very nice, too, such as the hull tools.

However, I cannot forgive them for messing up the wheels, ignoring the hull welds and getting the turret welds wrong. There is plenty of reference out there and they just haven't looked closely enough at some of the detail. Some detail they have looked at like the different angles that the loader's hatch should be for different options. So some aspects of this kits preparation just don't make sense.

However, it is better than the golden Italeri kit but it isn't the huge leap it should have been.

Best regards
Michael Shackleton
Author Leopard 1 Trilogy

www.leopardclub.info
www.facebook.com/leopardfibel

I was tempted but now I may wait a bit.

If someone has no need for the tropical intake parts then I'll take them off your hands. I don't see the close weapon blanking plate on the sprue shots. I've got a PE set for a Leo AS1 but the detail is a bit flat course.

Paul

you must be thinking of tamiyas

it's the little things, detail. italier has separate tools. meng, engine deck tools are bunched together. engine exhaust: meng doesn't have the outer slatted cover, and has a one piece track grouser for the glacis. for both, italeri has a separate cover and separate parts to mount the grousers, as well as the grousers themselves. stowage on the turret rear is molded as part of the turret, except for the rear plate ,while italeri's are made up of separate parts. the one thing meng did get right is the lower rear turret. it's little things like this I see as a better model, however slight it may be. I built up 2 italeri Leo1A4s, and with a little help from PSM for gun and engine grills, plus tracks from HKCW, they turned out rather well, and yeah I'd prolly put them up against mengs any day

Paul
The plate is there!

This would be an OK base for an AS1. The biggest problem you might have is that you will have a lot more filling to do on he hull sides as the Meng location points are many and deep.

I'd wait a while and see what happens. All good things:-)

Mike

I was also thinking about making an AS1 with the Armour Bits set. I'll have to pull out the build and decide if I want to do all that filling right now- I was trying to build something simple after the PSM resin conversion

Hi everyone
As I'm building this I'm slightly changing my mind. There are some very nice aspects to it that really does make the Italeri/Revell models look very crude.

However, I cannot forgive them for the wheels, the exhaust grilles, both bloody awful, no welds or incorrect welds, and the smoke launchers are too small.

Despite this I've upped my overall rating a little but it is still nothing like the 95%+ it should be.

Cheers
Mike the Leopard geek.

Dunno, looks like a duck, walks like duck, talks like a duck, must be a duck.

I find and take reviews with a grain of salt, like movie reviews, it is one person's opinion (no matter how well versed on the subject they are).

Most of the flaws in the kit you aren't going to see, and/or 95% of the people building it wouldn't know the difference anyway.

This is a hobby, build it, have fun, don't sweat the small stuff.

well, at least the exhaust, smoke launchers and wheels give the after market guys some business. As for the weld seams, would Archer's sets work?

Yes, this is a hobby -and not a cheap one- and as every other hobby on Earth, each person lives it on its own way
But... flaws are flaws, no matter if you're just well with them or not.
There will be always people that bother about every historical, background and/or accuracy detail, people that are just interested only in the immediate aspect of the hobby, and a vast variety of people between those points...
For those guys -amd gals, of course- located on the higher accuracy demanding level of the chart, these reviews are greatly useful, and the most detailed ones even more useful.
I'm sure that these reviews also help to rise the bar higher for manufacturers thinking on future releases, and that leaded to the amazing quality of the majority of the models we have today.
On the other hand, people interested in just building what "looks like a duck" are able to plainly ignore them and don't read any reviews at all, and even keep building Tamiya's kits from the 70's if that fit their taste...
That's anyones own choice.
I do prefer having access to these kind of personal points of view, so I can build my own opinion and know where to invest my bucks...
And Michael's review seemed to me one of the most unbiased reviews I've read recently. I wish we could have reviews from every lover -and expert- of a given vehicle released as a kit.

What's also interesting is that the kit seems to cost the same as the T-90, despite there being a lot less parts in it.

From the Missing Lynx review:
T-90: 1,498 parts (579 in black styrene, 488 in dark green styrene, 404 black vinyl, 13 clear styrene, 10 etched brass, 3 light tan vinyl, 1 nylon string)

Leo: 283 parts in dark green plastic; 180 parts in red-brown plastic; ten clear parts; ten parts on two photo-etched frets; two lengths of flexible vinyl tracks; 20 polythene caps and a length of string.

I was thinking about getting one down the road, but the 2 Italeri kits I have in my stash will do. 50 bucks for what essentially is a minor upgrade over a 40 year old kit does not make me want to rush out and get one. Yes, the wheels can be replaced, the welds done yourself and so on and so forth, but why would anyone bother paying almost twice as much as what the old kit costs only to have to buy more stuff (or put in as much work as the old one) for it to make it look the part? The only thing the Italeri kit that you can't fix yourself is the screening on the engine deck. The tracks will do in a pinch, especially if slathered in mud, and the periscopes and wheels snafus can be fixed with a bit of foul language and elbow grease. Meng really dropped the ball on this, particularly considering some of the attention to detail they otherwise showed. Hopefully they man up and correct the deficiencies while they have the chance. It would be a shame if this release hurts them long run.

Kimmo

Good for you. However the above comment is nonsense. Remarks concerning accuracy are not opinions but matter of fact. Some of us care about these things, if you don't then I suggest you don't concern yourself with the matter of product reviews.

I'm sure you're right. As for those smooth welds, the best bet appears to be Plastruct half round. My money would be on the 0.8 mm.

I'd be curious about what happened to make this a mixed bag. Meng has being releasing excellent kits to date, so a medicore one is a significant disappointment. Hopefully it'll just be a one time stumble.

I suspect, only suspect mind you, is that they caught wind of someone else working on a Leo and rushed it. This smells of a rushed job, and I can't see why else Meng would release this as is.

Kimmo

Afraid this one is more like a platypus in some regards.

Mike