Orsen Wells meets Steam Punk for this build :lol:

The largest production tank ever built was conceived during the latter stages of WW1 and was sent to the front in 1940 to oppose the Germain invasion but ended up being blown up by their owners to avoid capture due to transportation issues.
This kit, by Meng, was released a while back and I have the revised kit - the initial production failed to include the leaf spring suspension units which are a glaring omission when the lower skirts aren't fitted. Full kudos to Meng to fixing this issue after the initial release (Though perhaps easier to get it right first time :roll: )

Few AM parts. Voyager set for the obvious PE and a turned aluminium barrel from eBay - the kit one is pretty challenging to say the least! And from a Polish producer - Niko Model - a tail skid which was often fitted. As if the tank wasn't long enough already! And certainly reinforces its WW1 origins.



Those with a multiple roadwheel phobia should look away now!!!!



148 individual wheels to begin the fun....



The wheels are then assembled and 'trapped' between parts to keep them in place. I really want to ensure the wheels can turn freely to aid with painting later on so decided to fix the lower rails in place first. The wheels with the axles can then be inserted after the cement has cured and the outer wheel fixed with a small dab of cement. That way I can guaranteed I won't get the cement where I don't want it :mrgreen:



And done....



Cement to cure overnight before the wheels are assembled.

Gary

I have this kit, I'll be following along Gary, Nice start!

Dang! I have the non-revised kit.

Spot the difference between TS-009 and TS-009


Guess I will just have to build mine with the lower skirts in place ....

/ Robin

Yeah, if you have the original version I suggest skirts-in-place (most of the them wore skirts frequently, so you aren't too limited).

If you get the newer version with suspension detail, I do suggest you spend an hour and drill out the empty space between the springs, as it will look better by far than flat plastic.

I made poitou which seemed to never have skirts in place....

I have this kit, bought it quite soon after release so I will probably not be able to look this lady under the skirts. Never even knew there were 2 versions!

Hello Gary, I used the Niko 'tail' on mine. It goes together well, but be careful. The bottom plate is molded flat, so you have to dip it in boiling water to soften and bend it to fit the curved bottom of the frame. I ended up with a bit of a twist in mine, which bent the frame slightly out of square. It was not noticed til after painting, weathering, and installing. Luckily, I was able to straighten it out by applying heat with a hair dryer and gently twisting it. Looking forward to seeing yours done up. Al

I also hadn't realised they modified the tools, but I was planning on making a master of the springs and casting my own, so I'll still do that. I got the drawings that Steve Zaloga posted and it doesn't look too difficult.


Paul

Wow, looks like wheel assembly is 50% of the kit!

Welcome along chaps. Thanks for the 'heads up' Al.

Wheels are all done and in place...





Made a start on the upper hull next. Slow progress as some detail to shave off in preperation for PE parts along with some molud seams to deal with too...



MG barrels do come with hollow muzzle ends, but you can't beat a decent brass barrel. A piece of brass tubing in fact....



Upper hull parts dry fitted...





Fitment is okay. Certainly not as good as Tamiya for example and a lot of care is required. Riveted tanks can usually be a bit of a challenge and it's much harder to sort out any gaps, misaligned mouldings as you can't add a weld seam etc. This is not going to be a quick build - that's for certain!

Gary

Looking good, Gary. The wheels were labor intensive for sure. I found that the upper structure carrying the mufflers and all of those delicate pipes, fit so tightly that a coat of paint in the notches had to be removed to allow it to be placed into position. In fact, I never glued it at all, just pressed it into place. Beware the tracks also, the pins and especially the 'rings' that the pins fit into are delicate. I had the track separate a few times during handling. A drop of super-glue was enough to join them together again. I would definitely recommend mounting the beast on a base to protect the tracks from undue stresses. Al

Good luck with the beast, Gary. I've done a couple of them so far and have had an enjoyable time once I made it through the tedious wheel work.

The upper hull is assembled without too much hassle. Cemeneted front first and then rear to ensure decent alignment. The lower hull section was a little more tricky as it was slightly warped. Fixed the lower rear first and when dry, moved to the front - using CA gel for a quick bond. I then worked along the sides - using clamps in places to hold things secure until the cement dried.





I've also started to add the return rollers and guides for the tracks. Voyager providing PE brackets for the wheels - though I opted to simply thin the rearmost bracket rather than replace it with etch....



Gary

What a monster! Great progress so far.

First side done and while I was sorting the opposing return gear, took short breaks to make up a track run....



Gary

Second track run completed. Starting to add teh remainder of the hull details. Vents on each side are prepped with black paint prior to installation of mesh covers.
Some slight mould slippage on the two rear transmission access covers which need a little extra clean up.





Gary

Onto the engine compartment next. After painting the radiator openings black, the PE grills are added...



Then I started adding more parts - some kit, some Voyager and some scratchbuilt....



The small pipes are quite fragile (unsurprisingly) and had to replace one with lead wire)



I made a replacement auxilliary exhaust from scratch as it was easier than cleaning up the kit parts...





Gary

Engine compartment almost complete and dry fitted to the hull...





Almost comical looking turret awaiting its MG...





It's well documented in other builds that the main 47mm gun is a real PITA to put together and end up with a decent result. Fortunately LionMark have a turned aluminium barrel on hand.



The mounting aperture needed a little work to get the barrel to sit correctly, but is well worth the extra effort.

The mantlet has a very nice snug fit, but even so, there are some annoying gaps down each side that will require some filling to make them go away.

Gary

Nice progress Gary, your'e right about those gaps. Are you going to remove the rivets, fill & sand and then replace them? I can't think of another way myself.

keep us posted . nice job so far

The top part is one of the more bizarre designs the French tried for improving the commander's view. The cupola was actually two concentric pieces, an inner frame with large glass blocks, and the slotted outer frame, which was spun at 250-300rpm to create the visual illusion that the walls of the cupola disappeared, giving the commander a 360° view of the terrain, in the same way that you can see through a picket fence when driving past. One more complicated mechanism to break in combat.

Wow, interesting idea, I had never heard of that before, may not be combat worthy as you said Sean, but interesting nonetheless.

That is some beast for sure, I love the WWI Post WWI Tanks. Keep up the good work. The metal barrel really adds to this build. Does the barrel have rifling on the inside? Thanks for sharing your work with us.

Removed the gun assembly and used a thin piece of evergreen styrene each side after shaving off the rivets. After sanding flat, the rivets are replaced and the gun put back in place. No more gap (needs a little more Mr Surfacer to fill the fine line between the parts)...



Close up of barrel's rifling....



Now, I always thought that the tabs and slots on a kits turret ring were so the turret would stay in place in case the model was turned over etc. I think that Meng didn't really give this much thought as the tabs and slots line up with the turret pointing straight forward! D'oh ??????



Okay if you have the turret at an angle, not so good if it's pointing dead ahead.

Rear turret gets its MG....



And the story so far....



Gary

Oh, and a question for someone more knowledgeable than myself. How does the wiring go as far as the front spotlight is concerned?

Gary

Nice build Gary.
No help for the wiring but I think this url could interest you anyway.

http://www.chars-francais.net/2015/index.php/classement-individuel/fcm-2c?task=view&id=48

Sorry it is in French
Olivier