Review
Meng has released a new Merkava IV in 1/35th scale with this one offering the roof mounted slat armour. The model is packed in a robust card tray with a card lid. The sprues are packed in individual bags except where sprues are duplicated. Moulding quality is good with reasonable access for removal. The gates are a little on the large side but this should not create too many issues as they are not excessive in number. The decals, chain and photo etched are bagged together and I feel the photo etch is at risk of damage due to how much plastic is in the box.
The wheels in this offering are very nicely detailed due to being 6 individual mouldings plus a poly cap; this gives you the correct cross profile of the wheels and could not be managed any other way. Poly caps are used in all of the main wheels and so will rotate to aid painting when on the model. The return rollers are not designed to rotate which does not matter as they are hidden behind the armour guard plates on the finished model. The suspension offers springs that will compress due to slide moulding and the torsion bar element is also provided allowing the suspension to move, but I suggest you lock it in the position you choose in order to avoid the risk of breakages. The tracks are designed to be workable, but I have gone with aftermarket metal tracks as a personal preference.
The lower hull is provided in a flat pack format that has allowed a good level of detail to be moulded rather than a lot of additional parts being needed. At the rear the stowage bins are nicely replicated as is the rear door which can allow a small number of troops to be transported. The mine protection plate is also present which is also accurately attached so far as I can see. At the front the hook style towing mechanism is supplied as an option and I do feel these add an interesting look.
The upper hull has a very fine anti slip texture present where needed and if I am honest is likely close to scale than anything the modeller could manage, but some prefer it more defined in order that it is easily seen. The exhaust is well defined with plastic veins provided rather than photo etch but this is used for screen that goes over it. Meng has provided clear lenses for the periscopes and gone into detail where painting them is concerned. Photo etch has also been supplied for the engine vents which is always nice to see in new model offerings. The track guards offered are all individual in nature with the mounting brackets also being nicely tackled.
The turret is where you need to be alert as there are a lot of parts here. The turret body is made of a top, lower and rear panel, the rear panel has some assembly to do and the instructions sow the steps in reverse so check your progress. The main gun is my only real gripe here as it is a complex shape and moulded in two halves makes filling and cleaning a pain. There are a lot of parts that need to be added to the turret and it does not help when smoke grenade launchers are only covered on one side of the turret but have miraculously appeared on the other side as well.
Details such as the trophy system look to be well detailed but my knowledge is not up to saying everything is as it should be. The hugely armoured crew hatches are very nicely detailed and I am glad to see the gunners hatch make an appearance. The various viewing devices are also nicely detailed and give this model of the Merkava a mean look to it. The rear stowage area on the turret looks to have all the needed bits and pieces provided but will still benefit from some crew items being placed to add the lived in look. The tow cable is provided in a metal twist cable that I feel could be easily bettered by cable from an aftermarket source.
The ball and chain armour that protects the lower rear hull where a weak armour spot is located is provided as moulded detail which I was unconvinced of initially, but the more I look at it the more I approve of this method as it is easy to apply, looks the part and most importantly provides what I believe is an accurate detail. The defensive machine gun and what I think of as the ranging machine gun have a very high level of detail present. The ranging M2 MG is I believe electrically fired and so I believe some cable needs to be added. The roof mounted slate armour only has four mounted arms and is shaped from several panels mould singularly here. So far as I can tell the detail is good and adds an interesting look, but there are a number of patterns in use and so accuracy depends on which tank you are building.
Meng has provided two finishing options for this release; however both finishes just say The Israeli Defence Forces, Operation Swords of Iron, Gaza, 2024 with no specific units mentioned in these cases.
Conclusion
This release from Meng is another nice Merkava IV in their stable and has the ability to progress into a stunner. I have three negatives which I believe modellers will bring up: the tracks are labour intensive or you can go down the aftermarket route. The barrel which has a complex profile is in two halves which will make any filling and sanding that’s needed a royal pain. Lastly the instructions could be clearer about the order of progression and not assume the modeller will know to add items both sides of the model if the instructions don’t point that out. In all other regards this offering appeals to me greatly and so long as you are aware of areas that may catch you out should build into a stunning model. Thank you to Creative models for supplying this review sample.