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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.

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