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Italeri 1/24 German TG-A XXL Truck |
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Reviewed By Scott Snow #35905 |
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There’s something fascinating about big rigs and I have always thought that I might like to try my hand at building a model of one. Italieri’s new release of the German TG-A XXL from the truck manufacturer MAN is an exciting model molded in 1/24th scale. This truck is a cab over tractor that features a powerful engine designed specifically to meet the European Union’s new anti-pollution laws. The truck has a state of the art driver’s compartment and features a sleeper cab with twin bunk beds. The truck is equipped with an array of accessories and features excellent sound proofing all designed to accommodate a driver’s comfort on long hauls.
The model comes in a large box with some very nice artwork. Inside, there are six sprues. The clear sprue is large and the transparencies are crystal clear. The model features seven rubber tires molded with realistic tread and accurate sidewall markings.
Construction is straight forward and since this is a curbside model the bottom of the engine is molded as part of the truck chassis. Chassis and suspension detail are somewhat simplified but this does not detract from the finished model. One benefit of the simplified chassis is that there aren’t any alignment issues and all of the tires rest flush on a flat surface when assembly is complete. If you could find photographic references, this model kit would be easy to super detail. |
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The main assembly sequences consist of the chassis, the interior of the cab, and then the cab itself. As a builder of aircraft models, thoroughly enjoyed putting this kit together. First of all, I never once had to use putty, filler, or superglue, and there wasn’t any sanding or polishing required either. The chassis components and the suspension literally fell together. The wheel and tire assemblies slide over plastic axles and are fixed in place by central hubs that are glued to the end of each axle. When complete the wheels roll smoothly.
The interior of the cab is nicely detailed and every part fit perfectly. Looking at the instructions I anticipated some assembly issues with the exterior of the cab. It consists of five separate components all of them very large. I made the assumption that aligning and gluing the parts was going to be problematic. Boy was I wrong!
Before assembling the cab components, the transparencies must be glued in place. Each of these large pieces fit well and the process was made easier by positive locating and alignment marks on the cab components to which they mated. With the windows securely in place it was time to assemble the cab. First, the front of the truck cab is glued to the roof, then the cab sides are added. Finally, the aft bulkhead is put in place. Each of the cab components consists of positive alignment points as well as large tabs that provide large gluing surfaces.
With the cab assembly complete, the interior just pops into place from below. The fit is so good I didn’t use any cement. When the interior is in place the entire cab assembly slides over the radiator blanks. The radiator blanks look very realistic by the way as you view them through the trucks front grill. The cab assembly can be glued into place but the fit is so good and positive that cement isn’t really necessary.
Final assembly of this big rig includes cab and chassis details such as mirrors, mud flaps, and lights. With all those components in place it is time to apply the colorful decals. The kit offers two schemes and it was difficult to decide which one to do. Ultimately I chose the scheme offering the multi-colored rainbow graphics. The decals were very easy to work with. They were thin yet very opaque and responded well to a strong setting solution. The large graphics that covered the sides of my truck even featured cutouts for the door handles, a nice touch which helped simplify application. The truck’s front grill features the “MAN” logo, and the decal sheet provided silver decals for each letter. The virtual absence of carrier film and the accuracy of the decals made them fit perfectly.
In conclusion, I can’t recommend this model enough. In spite of its size it literally falls together by itself. The engineering of this kit is some of the best I’ve ever seen, and consequently there wasn’t a hiccup one in the whole assembly process. This model was a lesson in what modeling is all about. Building it I was pure joy without any of the usual headaches. Even if you are a military modeler or and aircraft modeler, take my word for it, this is one kit you really have to try. Without question this model is a ten. |
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