1:35 Merkava 4 - Wheel Hub & Spare Wheel (for Meng Kits)

The last link in a long line of development

The fourth generation of the Israeli tank entered service in the middle of the first decade of this century and brought a reworked turret with a markedly different silhouette, a more powerful power unit and modular armor that can be replaced in sections. From the outside a number of small things distinguish it from its predecessor, things on which the attention of everyone examining a model close up converges, and the running gear is among them.

The set replaces the hub covers of the road wheels with a shape corresponding to just this version and supplements them with a spare wheel of the kind the machines commonly carry slung on the side of the body. The spare in particular tends to be conspicuous in photographs, because it differs from the rest of the chassis both in color and in the degree of dusting.

Why change the original parts

An injection mold cannot hold the depth of a pressing and the sharpness of the edges at the same time, so kit manufacturers stick to a shallower compromise. A cast replacement does not have this ceiling. After a wash has been applied the difference shows at once, because the shadows catch where on smooth plastic they had nothing to snag on.

Practical advice

The mounting corresponds to the kits of the Meng company. We recommend fitting the covers dry and checking the alignment before the glue comes. A desert shade is best complemented with light dust in the grooves, not with an overall tint. The vehicle kit is a separate product.

Finally one more tip on presentation. If you display the tank on a base with a raised end, the running gear opens up to view and the spare on the side stops merging with the body. The work saved on the upper surface can be moved to just this place.