I bought a set of 1/144 Oerlikons from l'Arsenal:


These are the PE parts with the shields:


Note the openings in the shields where the shield supports are supposed to go. Why would l'Arsenal make them like this? They just don't work. The shield supports just fall right through the shield. Is this some kind of error?

Looks like a design error....contact l'Arsenal.

Cheers,
Joe

Funny their quality control ("Quality control?" - what's that?) didn't notice that. Anyway I was planning on making my own shields as theirs are kind of flat and plain.

The product drawing on their website does show a full shield, though...strange that
this should occur.

How are the rest of the parts making up the guns?

Cheers,

are there any instructions with them to describe how to install ?

The only "instructions" are the illustrations on the packaging. The shoulder yolks could have been made as one piece with three bends, instead of two separate pieces, to make application easier. Has no one else ordered these and noticed this flaw? Or did I just get the "special" edition?

looking at the things you show us... in the second drawing, where it shows the gun from the rear..... it looks like these crows feet things should be integrated into the shield by soldering and then the long arm bent 90 degrees along each side of the gun...sort of like a cradle or a mount

they are strange shields to begin with, but would work if done properly. i am going to TRY to explain what i think is supposed to happen with those, but doesnt excuse the fact that i dont think the parts are correct. the main shield should be a full piece. i think we can all agree. for whatever reason, what you have is the main shield with a void, but then you have a part to put in that void. i will call that piece the Y piece due to its shape.
If you notice, the Y piece has a piece of brass that intersects the ends like a T. i believe that you will need to keep that on there, not to trim it down to the brass to make it a Y. Those brass strips that intersect the ends would allow you to connect the Y to the main shield withgout it falling through.

on the other hand, i think these are just poor quality.

I think the problem here is that the parts, though accurately designed, were simply etched incorrectly. The shields should have been solid without those y-shaped voids; my guess is that these voids were intended to be etched depressions into which the y-shaped shield mounts were to fit to give a 3D look to the assembled parts. Apparently the etchers misunderstood the CAD drawings and instead of etching those sections of the shields partway through instead cut them through all the way.

I'd contact l'Arsenal - I'm sure they will either refund your money or send you correctly etched parts.

A further correction: the shield was two plates connected by a length of angle bar bolted across the bottom edge on the inside, but also could be a flat bar across the front or rear edge, probably depending on the manufacturer . That bar could have been relief-etched, in 1/144 scale, instead of just being flat with the shield plates. L'Arsenal could also have relief-etched the bolts for the Y-shaped shield supports on the front surface.

Here's what the guns look like. Very nice, actually; and the business ends are drilled out. I made new shields from .010 styrene strip:

I think it is an attempt to join the two, without sacrificing scale thickness. I've attempted a sketch to clarify.



You would bend the "Y" piece, then solder to the flat piece, still attached to sprue for handling/ease of operation.

Like Brian said

Two reasons why I think not:

First; the Y supports are smaller than the cutouts and just fall right through whether you glue them in or solder them;
Second; the Y support will be visible from the front which is just wrong, wrong, wrong...
Third (I just thought of this one!); it's a stupid method of attaching the parts in the first place;
Forth, and most important, l'Arsenal contacted me and offered to send me a corrected set. But I already made my own shields!