Matthew,

The saying of "You ain't seen nothin' yet" definitely applies to to this suspension build! I'm afraid that there is still a fair amount of pieces to add to the frame before the wheels can be attached. What you see in the last images is most of step 8 done of the 18 step construction process. The wheels need to wait until the completion of step 16.

Up to this point and in the review I have been saying that this model's suspension was on a par with that of the Revel Eight wheeled Luchs armoured car. At this point I retract that statement. This kit is closer to being (in my mind) multiple times more difficult and even at times tedious to construct.



As for the underbelly details, they are quite visible when the erector is in the launch position (fully raised). Even in a semi-raised position you can see quite a lot. With the rest of the items to attach to the frame (fuel tank, fenders etc) I think that one might not see too much of what's on the exterior frame sides, at least that is my guess for now.

Cheers,
Jan

I think that Matt and I share a similar feeling in that we'd both like to see this thing with some wheels on. I went back to see the images and the review and am starting to see your points about the complexity or busyness. The black paint doesn't reveal much detail but I know that this is still early. I'm sure that the green will get better but looks a bit blah for now. Any guess on the number od parts you've put on to this point?

Regards,
AJ

AJ,

I know that there are limitations to the way that review images display, so I'll post enlargements of the instructions here.







I have completed up to step 8 at the top of the third page and a few parts have been put on from the next two steps. I'll leave it to you to count the number of parts in those first 8 steps.

Cheers,
Jan

Holy gonzaga beans! I'd need a couple of bottles of rum, before I even sat down to that suspension.

Well, it's been a while since I added to this Blog but suffice to say that I have progressed when I had time between other projects.

@retiredyank - Matt,

If you had a couple of bottles on rum, something tells me that you'd probably just glue the wheels to the missile tube. :-) Something like the fastest 14 wheeled dragster on the planet!

888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

The painting issue is still plaguing me and I've wasted a lot of time on it. to date I've used an entire jar of Tamiya XF-65 Field Grey on the parts that show paint and there's still a ways to go. The whole issue is to get paint down into areas that won't be easily accessible as construction advances. One other point to keep in mind is that as the build continues, certain areas are getting congested and parts placement becomes an issue.

Rather than give a belaboured explanation of each step (that most don't read anyway) I'll let the pictures speak for themselves for the most part. :-)

The first six images show the construction of the rear Jacking/levelling mechanism. A fair number of parts, mostly good fit and a few more delicate parts left off for later.

Putting on the ladders. This is the rear most section of three separate sections that make up the mechanism.



The inner most section.



Rear and Inner joined.





All three sections in position.





Next is attaching the fenders and starting on the storage/equiment boxes. The main fender section is one single piece that covers both sides. The fit is not bad but a little tricky in areas. The boxes, almost perfect fit of the parts.







So far the instructions have been near perfect, compared to some manufacturers. BIG thing to remember is to take your time!

Cheers,
Jan

Jan,

With patience and love is getting a great model. I will follow with interest.

ready to fire.. good idea..

cheers

Erhan..

Jan,

Glad to see you back to this one and for the SBS. I'm sure it will aid many. I've seen Erhan's and can appreciate the painting issues you mention. Are the little parts on those stabilizer pieces separate parts? Can't wait to see more of the assembly process. Good luck on such a complicated kit.

Regards,
AJ

Nice to see you also back posting, AJ! As to your comments/questions, painting these monsters will take some thought. That is probably why Erhan's version is one of the few that has camouflage. Then there is the issue that the instructions call for the suspension components are to be black between the frames, as well as the lower outside portion of the frames. I don't know how many times I've had to do touch-ups.

As for the pieces of the stabilizers frame, just check out step 9 in the instruction images above.

Cheers,
Jan

Jan,
Gawd, what a monster!!! At this point you might as well jump to something in 1/35th scale!

Looking forward to seeing more. Keep up the good work.

Keith

That's exactly what I was thinking, it's like a 1/35 kit with so many parts and the construction stages being so super busy, and sometimes... tedious. At least, at last, it is starting to look a bit like something recognisable as a mobile missile launcher.

Well done also for having the patience to do the painting and retouching as you go; I think I may have been tempted to blast through the construction and then have a complete pain trying to paint it afterwards!

woltersk - Keith,

Yes, it is a rather monstrous kit, but far from the biggest in that scale. I have done the old Karl kit and it is somewhat larger with just as many parts. Then there are a couple of German railway guns that are marginally larger than the TOPOL. Then there is the ULTIMATE that one fellow in my club built, the Gustav! It took the guy a little over a year to build with 1767 pieces on 33 sprues, 6 frets of photoetch, 43 inches(111 cm) length, 8.3 inches(21 cm) width. Who says Braille is small! As for trying LEGO scale, not worth the bother. :-P

firstcircle - Matthew,

As I mention to Keith, you ain't seen nothing yet! Braille has a whole plethora of impressive kits. Unfortunately, most come with equally impressive price tags! (Gustava $325) The TOPOL is actually reasonable at around $40.

More progress to follow shortly.

Cheers,
Jan