Previously announced, Trumpeter now shares images of the built-up kit and other details.

Read the Full News Story

If you have comments or questions please post them here.

Thanks!

It looks really good; much better than the Dragon version. They made all the grates on the walkways w/open PE; what a concept! Very nice.

It's definitely a trade-off if you are trying to be accurate vs. looking like you are accurate. The real things are often thick grates, not wire screens, so it's a choice as to whether the see-through effect is more desirable than maintaining the thickness and not-always-see-through effect of the actual part. You run into the same decision in representing many AFV engine grates where the structure is actually quite thick (for strength and to prevent shell fragments from entering) and difficult to see into but us modelers want PE grates so we can see the details underneath.



If this part was modeled with PE you could see right through it at this angle. The question that companies have is whether modelers think that's better.

KL

or make it as multiple parts. A few pieces for the frame and then lots of slats to slot into slits in the frame.
Lots of modeling fun to be had from piecing it all together

/ Robin

It is very accurate because they had measurements and dimensions from my museum and from my personal photos. Not very pleased with them though, since they don't follow through with any promises.

I still think the grates look better in PE you can see through as opposed to the solidly molded ones in the Dragon kit.

Properly designed it would not be difficult. If the PE makers would design the parts like the real things they would be a lot easier to use. Instead we get CAD operators who have no idea how things work in real life making parts that are unbuildable. A good example is the Eduard swim vanes for the 2S1/MT-LB. The real parts have tabs and slots that lets it all lock together. It would be no problem for the PE to be made exactly the same way, but we get a Chinese puzzle instead.

Ha-rumpf!

KL

They could make the slats the same one-piece way that Trumpeter did with the Leo2 A6CAN with its characteristic slat stand-off armour. Photo etch wouldn't be the proper thickness and I hate soldering!

The slats on the Leo are far to thick compared. Sure it looks okay but the real model PE slat set is far nicer.