Rob,

On one of the TUNA's pictures form the trip to your motor pool (I envy you guys!) there is a M102 105 mm howitzer visible standing right next to the M88. As there is a very nice little AFV Club model available it would be great if you could take some walkaround style photos of this howitzer and put it in your gallery. I'm not building this model now, so I don't have any specific requests for detail photos, but I guess you as a modeler can easily guess what shots would be of most reference value

I built one AFV Club M102 in "Nam style" some time ago (without this large frame on top of it - is it for chopper transport?) with M35 as a mover and it is a little gem! Carefully assembled it remains fully moveable and one can even change the configuration from transport to firing without breaking any parts!

I plan to buy and build another one, in newer version, possibly with the Humvee as a prime mover. By the way - do you have any Humvee movers there? I wonder what changes should I do to Academy M998 to make it a M1097 mover for such howitzer. I know that L119 kit has to be installed to M1097 movers to tow M119 howitzer - what version of Humvee towed older M102s, was there any similar special kit needed for M102 as is for M119?

Best Regards,
Pawel

Yes, I have a pair of M102 105mm howitzers as well as a pair of M198 155mm towed howitzers. I can take some shots this week and upload them.

The M1097 more closely resembles the M1037 than a normal M998, both of those vehicles have the heavy duty suspension not found on standard HMWVs. You are in luck that I happen to have a couple of M1037s (many folks took shots of these two vehicles in the bays). The main difference with the M1097 is the beefed up rear suspension to handle the weight of the howitzer ammo in the back. Another difference is the camouflage net rack that goes over the 2-door cab. Artillerymen are the masters of erecting camouflage netting. No other branch of service comes close.

I'm not certain of all the other differences, but I have ample amounts references to check. I've got the AFV Club M102 and planned on taking shots of the cannon someday, but just never got around to it. The large frame you mention on the howitzer is an airdrop rollover bar. If the howitzer lands upside down or on its side, that bar makes it easier for the crew to roll the gun upright once again.

I was surprised to see that the traversing barrel (for lack of a better term) was rubber coated on the M102. Dixon 66 mentioned that he needs to repaint that area on his AFV kit.

I'm going to build that kit someday too and will certainly appreciate any photos that you post up Rob.

Hugh, (the large, blond bearded man with Cav Stetson) was telling me about that traversing wheel making it easier to turn the gun.