Revell 1/72 17cm Kanone 18 German heavy gun **in-box review** / by Erhan Atalay

 

Hi, I found an in-box review in my archive that I forgot to share.

First, let's give a brief overview of the gun.:

The 17 cm Kanone 18 in Mörserlafette , abbreviated as 17 cm K 18 in MrsLaf, was a German heavy gun used during World War II.

The 17 cm K 18 in MrsLaf was a 172.5 mm (6.79 in) towed gun with a barrel 50 calibres long. The 17 cm K 18 in MrsLaf shared the same box trail carriage with the 21 cm Mörser 18. The carriage allowed transport of the weapon over short distances in one piece, whilst for longer distances the barrel was removed from the carriage and transported separately. A series of ramps and winches made removing the barrel a reasonably quick task for its time, but still required several hours. For all of the gun's bulk, a full 360-degree traverse could be achieved by two men.

Revell previously released a 21 cm version (kit no: 3169), this kit includes the same parts, with optional parts added for the 18 cm version.

I took review photos of this kit a long time ago. I started the model but couldn't finish it. The mold quality is very good, the part fit is top-notch, it's a high-quality kit.

Later, I gave it to our team member Cem Esen. I wonder what happened to it... Cem, what's the result?

Erhan...

You can find the completed version of this kit in the miniafv archive. Mehmet Küçük modeled it. I'm sharing a few photos and adding the link.. (https://miniafv......17cm-kanone-18-for-big-dio.html)

Meng Model 1/72 Merkava Mk.4M w/Trophy Active Protection System **review and compare** by Erhan Atalay

 

Hello friends,

The Merkava series of tanks has always intrigued me. But as a model, I certainly don't approve of their current use.

When Meng Model released the 1/72 scale Merkava 4D model, I wanted to review it. During the review and assembly process, I made comparisons with the HobbyBoss Merkava IV kit. It's definitely the best molded plastic model kit ever. I highly recommend it. I'll share my impressions below.

Erhan.. 

Summary of parts on diagram..

Sprue A parts...

Sprue B parts

Chains and balls.. A characteristic detail for the Merkava. This detail was previously only available on the Revell Merkava III. For example, it's not available in HobbyBoss kits. Alternatively, only the PE aftermarket kit is available.During the assembly stage, I compared Revell and Meng.

Barrel..

Comparison with HobbyBoss Merkava Mk IV barrel (bottom barrel is HobbyBoss)

Sprue C x2 

The details of the tracks are very nice and easy to assemble...

The turret mold is of very high quality, the details are striking...

HobbyBoss turret for comparison...

I liked the tank hull..

HobbyBoss hull for comparison..

Decal...

We started the assembly.. Suspension system in detail...

The Meng suspension is made of 12 parts, while HobbyBoss provided it as a single piece attached to the body. Easy and quick assembly.  Result: HobbyBoss on top, Meng on bottom...Which one do you prefer?

Wheels and tracks...You assemble it with 58 parts in Meng. Only 18 parts in HobbyBoss. Most importantly, the track comes in one piece in HobbyBoss.

Chains and balls.. Meng on top, Revell on bottom...

and the result.. Meng molded a nice kit, well done...