Metal Earth James Webb Space Telescope 3D Laser Cut Miniature Kit MMS497

These are really nice models. This one was my third, after the Apollo lunar lander, and the Hubble Space Telescope. They are great for model makers. But be aware they do require a bit of effort as they can be very fiddly to build. Some of the parts are very small and can be difficult to form into shape. The efforts is worth it , as the completed models are very nice. Just the right size as well.

This is a very accurate metal model of the JWST built from lazer cut metal sheet parts that you fold & bend, and lock together by inserting tags through slots and twist or bend etc. If you are familiar with Metal Earth's models of skyscrapers and bridges etc., you'll know what to expect. The lazer etching is astonishingly delicate and the overall accuracy of the parts interlocking is exceptional. It is a self assembly model of course - you don't need glue but you do need tweezers or delicate long nosed plier, small side cutters (or a modelling knife) to cut the parts away from the 4 master sheets and pretty good eyesight (or a magnifying glass). Some of the parts are colour etched on one side to give the final model the correct colour scheme. The iconic main mirror is of course reflective gold. Reasonable modelling skills and a fair bit of patience are needed. Scale is 1:221 and the finished model is about 3" high & 4" long. It comes on a plinth. In the absence of a main stream pre-assembled model making company adding the JWST to its product list, I think this currently is as good as it gets for those wanting this model in their collection. Well done, Metal Earth!

Very accurate and well made

Make no mistake, this will consume an entire evening. I lost count of how many times I swore out loud when making this JWST. It’s a lovely model you’re left with though. DO NOT EXPECT TO COMPLETE THIS WITH JUST YOUR BAREHANDS. Tools needed at the very minimum tweezers.

This is an excellent model, I really enjoyed putting it together but their where problems that I'd recommend you bear in mind before building. Step 1: The panel is drawn as being curved and the blue lines make it look like your supposed to do that however they are not curved so don't bother. Step 18: The heat shields are illustrated having a significant curve but if you look at the final model on the packaging it's almost completely flat. Step 21: It annotates the bottom heat shield being flipped but then doesn't show the part as flipped in the remaining steps. The 3D model shows it being flipped but I'm not sure how accurate that is. Step 22: (the last step) it wants you to bend tabs behind a plate without access, meaning that it's impossible to mount (image included) so I just had to bend them to a position where they wouldn't show and skip them. More of a design flaw then a instructional one but worth mentioning. Again I love these things and all metal earth models are mildly infuriating but that's part of the fun! And I love the final model even if it could have been better with clearer instructions.