1:20 MP4/6 Cockpit Detail-up Set

Detailing set of the cockpit for the McLaren MP4/6, 1:20 scale

This set from the Japanese brand Top Studio is an accessory to a plastic kit of the McLaren MP4/6 Formula 1 car in 1:20 scale, not a model of the car. It concentrates on a single assembly: the cockpit, that is, the space around the seat, the instrument panel, the steering wheel and the controls. It is precisely here that everyone who examines a model from close up looks, and the simplifications of plastic are the most discernible here.

The real subject

The McLaren MP4/6 was the Formula 1 car of the McLaren team for the 1991 season with a Honda twelve-cylinder engine. The cockpit of a car of that day was tight, with a seat shaped to fit the driver, safety belts and an instrument panel with gauges and switches.

Building and painting tips

Finish and paint the cockpit before you close the bodywork up; once it is glued you will no longer get into it. Deburr the photo-etched parts after nipping and bend them along the engraved grooves, step by step and without sharp pressure. If the set contains resin parts, wash the mold release agent off them in lukewarm soapy water and cut the casting blocks off with a saw. It is bonded with super glue in small doses, because its fumes can fog clear parts. Before painting, apply a primer suitable for metal or resin. Darken the interior with a fine wash and, by contrast, bring the edges out lightly with a dry brush, so that the detail is not lost in the shadow.

Who the set is for

• Builders of Formula 1 models in 1:20 scale
• Modelers who want a credible interior of an open car
• Anyone interested in Formula 1 cars from the beginning of the 1990s
• More experienced builders used to small supplementary parts

This is an accessory to a plastic kit. The kit, glue and paints are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.