Metal EarthMMS078 Metal Model - Apollo Lunar Module

Five hours of work in front of the telly.... Incredibly fiddly but most satisfying in the end. Lovely model. You MUST have fine tweezers, fine cutters, round nosed pliers and flat tweezers and a great deal of patience. Think very carefully before bending some parts as they will only be bent once before breaking. If you are long sighted like me, you will need magnifying glasses to see the tiny slots and tabs.

Really nice model once it's done but probably not something you give as a gift to someone without the time to complete it.Sprue cutters with good quality, fine tweezers are a must and some skill in making models as the parts are delicate with the metal being only 0.2mm thick. The metal is good quality however but be aware there are parts that need bending that are only 7mm x 5mm!The final model is about 60mm high (including the antennae) and 60mm wide (from foot to foot).Instructions are okay but you need to read ahead to make sure you are bending the right way as some of the metal parts on the sheets are part-textured on one side for details (such as the hatch door). Because the metal is so thin you really don't want to bend it more than once or it will eventually snap. Parts fit fairly well but may need a bit of persuasion (keeping in mind you could easily crush the whole model in your hand).Definitely something you want to show off and If you have the patience and finesse, go for it.

This is my third Metal Earth - I deliberately built two easier ones first, as this is the one I was really interested in and I wanted to make a good job of it. As expected, this was *by far* the most difficult - I'd go so far as to say that it pushes the limits of what this kind of construction is capable of. I had several places where parts were so difficult to align correctly that the constant wiggling needed to get them right caused other parts to separate along perforated fold lines (which they do really easily). Fortunately superglue sticks this stuff quite easily, though I did need internal joining repair plates in a couple of cases.. I strongly advise studying the 360 view on the website to be absolutely clear what the correct angle of the various folds is, as this is not always clear from the instructions, and the ascent stage in particular is a diabolically complex 3D shape - there are a *lot* of odd angles !Unless you really want this specific model, I think I'd recommend you choose something else (the Apache is good)

Do not buy unless you have three hands and the patience of a saint. Supper glue needed at times as the tabs are to small.The scale is too small as well.

This is my first attempt at one of these kits and that was my mistake. Definitely worth trying a simpler kit if you have nevr done one before so you can get used to the instructions and the techniques required to build one. I had a couple of peices break because I miss understood which way they were meant to be bent and trying to bend them back made them snap. Luckily it was possible to connect them to other parts and then hot glue them in place. As I said this was a learning experience for me.Ignoring the issues I had which were of my own making and inexperience the model is very detail and the final result is impressive. There is a surprising amount of detail and the etching adds to that too. From that point of view I am really pleased with it.You do need a few tools to make the model incling some snips, tweezers and different types of pliers. You also need good lighting and possibly a magnifying glass (unless your eyesight is exceptional) to see some of the tiny holes for the parts. Took me about 5 hours to make and was challenging but enjoyable. May try this one again to get bettr results but will also try some of the others too.

Great model...for people with the time and patience to complete! The manufacturer should give more guidance of the expertise required on the pack...but this may put off some potential purchasers. Bear in mind that this is for 14 yrs and up. The instructions are in no way suitable for the trickery that will be experienced when completing and this must be considered if the model is given to a 14 yr old. The best description of what will be required (mentally and physically) to achieve completion without breaking the kit (which will be extremely disappointing given the cost and difficulty in repairing) is to be found in the Amazon reviews (thanks Tom). As such, a great idea and a great kit but lazy assistance from the manufacturer.

I have built a few of these models now but this is the trickiest one I have come across so far. There are a lot more small parts and the construction of the side pods is awkward, you need three hands to attach them! An illuminated magnifying glass comes in handy with thisCompleted the first stage which is more complex, the landing stage should be simpler.The model does look great though and is cleverly executed.Update April 2020.Some 5 years after I built this I nearly bought it again as the picture on the listing shows it complete with the command module. To clarify, you will receive the lunar lander only!

As with all these kits a little patience is needed but results are very pleasing.A little time spent reading the assembly diagrams before starting and planning the construction is well worth doing.I have seen some comments saying that the instructions could be clearer, while I agree they could, I think part of the fun is trying to work things out for yourself. Think more puzzle than simple construction kit.Some of the tabs are a little tricky to get at when trying to fit them to parts that you have bent to shape. In these cases, I find you get a better fit if you fit them first and then fold the component to its final shape. (others have made the same observation)If I find myself struggling to fit some of the smaller parts, washing my hands in very cold water before attempting to fit them again does the trick.I am sure someone in the medical profession could explain the process behind this, me, I just know it works!