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One of the latest releases (November 2020) from Model
Factory Hiro was the McLaren F1 GTR kit, representing the car that won the 1995
24 Hours of Le Mans. This tutorial aims to share my experience building this
beautiful but challenging model, especially for less experienced modelers.
Unexpected issues arose, which I won’t hide in the text, but I’ll share the
solutions I found for them. I hope this will be very helpful.
The MFH kit
Following the standards of Hiro's latest releases, the kit
includes a large number of resin parts (compared to the past), many metal
pieces, two photo-etched sheets, pre-printed tires, four amazing turned aluminum
wheels, and the various small parts, as usual.
In addition to the decals, an A5-sized adhesive sheet
mimicking heat-shielding material is provided, along with an A5-sized carbon
sheet and a template for cutting the carbon decals for the tub and air induction
box. The latter is insufficient, covering less than half of the provided
templates and representing about one-tenth of the total carbon decal needs for
the kit. A catalogue featuring the company's aftermarket options is included,
allowing you to choose and purchase additional decal sheets, but these come at
an extra cost. Moreover, no gold decal sheet is included, which is used as fire
protection in various parts of the car. On the downside, the brake discs are
incorrect for this version, as ceramic discs were used at Le Mans, not the
simple sprint racing discs included in the kit.
The countless parts that make up the body are a challenge in
themselves, and the upward-opening doors add another layer of complexity. Adding
to this is the poor engineering of the kit and the need to cover almost
everything with carbon decals, both inside and out. This comes with the
implications for handling each piece, such as increased thickness, more delicate
surfaces, and so on, which reveals just how demanding this particular model is.
Construction
Some purchases were necessary before starting the model. In
addition to the classic tools I always use (clamps, rivets, electronic
components), I bought two sets of push buttons to replace the molded-in details
on the kit's central panel.
Of course, I also had the KA gold foil I had previously
acquired, along with some sets of carbon decals in various patterns, as the real
car features a variety of them (for instance, just the door linings have two
different patterns). I estimated I would need another 4–5 sets, but that could
wait. To start, I had enough.
For this model, I decided to show the entire process of test-fitting (with the
Lancia Beta, I did it in parts), as it was more tedious here due to the numerous
parts that make up the body and the complex way they are assembled, just like
the real car.
The process began with the engine base. Here, Hiro's design
fell short, and the tub had to be trimmed by 1 mm on each side. It's not a
scientific task, but rather a tedious one. It wasn't the best way to start,
although the error is noted in the instructions. Next, the front wheel arches
and front subframe were screwed into place. At the rear, I skipped the
instructions and installed the diffuser, which helped me align the parts. In the
cockpit, I added the instrument panel, which is a key structural element of the
kit, and tested the fit of the console to the right of the driver.
The first major disappointment came when the central section
of the body was added, where I noticed a serious design flaw in the kit. The
seams were visible, something that doesn't happen on the real car. Later, I'll
explain how I addressed this issue. At that moment, I settled for sanding the
seams flush and re-scribing the panel lines. At this stage, while studying
photos of the real car, I also realized that the console doesn't accurately
replicate the real one’s shape, so I knew I would need to work on this as well.
This tutorial is offered in PDF format to be read or
printed using Acrobat reader, contact our webmaster >
Here
Includes more than 360 pics, here we show only the text
pages.
Esta Nota es ofrecida en formato PDF, el cual puede ser
leído o impreso usando el Acrobat reader, contacte a nuestro webmaster >
Aquí
Incluye más de 360 imágenes, aquí solo mostramos las
paginas de texto.
Big size photos are only available in our PDF format.
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