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I am returning a little more actively to model building with a new project—let us call it Cruella 😏

From this point onward, unless stated otherwise or obvious from the context, all abbreviations use the Latin alphabet.

It has been quite a while since I posted about what I am doing on this “front”—model building. Not that there has been much to post about: I threw the M1931 B-4 and Namer models in the bin, started a new AFV Club model—a CJ-5 Tolar—got about halfway through and threw that in the bin too… I just could not get into a rhythm. Or perhaps I did—a rhythm of throwing away half-built models 😭 Anyway, I hope that is behind me now.

Yesterday, after the children had breakfast, Nadya and I settled down at the kitchen table. She started painting a landscape, while I took out my most recently purchased model—MENG SS-003—and we got started.

The kit represents an early version of the IDF’s Achzarit heavy armoured personnel carrier in 1:35 scale. The history of the real vehicle is quite interesting:

During the Six-Day War, the Israeli army captured around 200 T-54 and T-55 tanks from Arab countries in almost undamaged condition. Apparently unable to bring themselves to “throw them away,” they converted them and put them into service as Tiran-4 (T-54) and Tiran-5 (T-55) tanks. As Merkava tanks gradually entered service, the IDF’s older tanks were retired. Some Tirans were sold, while others were converted into Achzarit heavy armoured personnel carriers.

MENG makes kits of this APC: the early version I am building now, and a late version that includes an interior and is “maturing” somewhere in our bedroom.

So, I started in numerical order—of the steps:

At this point I took a break for a beer (when building, I forget to drink it even though the glass is right beside me on the table), then continued:

As you would expect from MENG, the kit is very high quality, even though it is already 11 years old—it was released back in 2013! The only thing that “bothered” me was the vinyl tracks, but this is a fairly old kit. Fortunately, Friulmodel is back in business, and a set of ATL-001 tracks will make a great aftermarket addition.

I had an interesting “problem” with two of the type A wheels in step 1. The mould used for my kit must have been defective or something similar, because the polycaps would not fit into the recess in part B6 on those two wheels, and I had to cut them in half. There was no such problem with the other two wheels! Anyway—a minor nuisance…

I think this is a very suitable kit for beginners. There are only 14 steps, and I managed to complete five in a single day—quite unusual for me. From the quick look I had at the remaining steps, they seem no harder than these…

So, after about three hours of work, this is where I got to:

For now, the model is only partly assembled. You may be able to see some of the tape holding the rear wall to the hull. In fact, the inner wall, rear wall, and mudguards are not glued on—just held in place with tape so I can prime and paint them in the base colour, take them apart, paint some details, then glue them permanently. When that will happen, though, we shall see…