Bill Cross reviews Takom''s Skoda 30.5cm Siege Howitzer.

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Thanks!

Bill, thanks for a great review! I may add this to my stash now! I had a 30 year hiatus with a 30 year military career! I am just back in the hobby and share your joy at being back! Good luck!

Hi Bill
Very informative and useful review. I actually thought it was set for WWI configuration, but hey, it looks cool anyway.
Jacob

Hi, Bill: I'm looking forward to your build as I am building the Skoda as well for the Howitzer campaign. So far I've only clipped parts and done some test fitting and everything appears to be lining up well. I've been accumulating photos/jpegs of the gun so if you need any please let me know.

what would need to be changed for a WW1 build?

Bill & Jacob, thanks for the nod. Much appreciated.

Chris, I would love any photos you come up with.

Aaron, I don't know the answer to this. The photos of the WW1 version show it mounted on metal spoked wheels. There is also the question of color, since KuK Austrian field guns had various colors. I asked this question over on MissingLynx and got nowhere.

Do a web search with Google or Bing, there are a lot of pictures out there of different vershions of the gun . I used them when I did the build on this kit back in December . If anyone is interested just check the build in the artillery section of the forems here.

Thanks for the concise review, Bill. When my copy arrived I was VERY disappointed with the barrel muzzle. The rifling only goes in 1/2 inch, allowing the viewer to see the end of it, and there is no twist to the rifling! That's not going on my model. I expected better from Takom. A rifled aluminum insert would be exceptional.

Donald, this is the only post I found, and there are no photos of real guns. Perhaps you can post a link to those various versions?

Tom, I, too was very disappointed to see the limited (and incorrect) rifling. Seems this kit cries out for an aluminum insert/barrel. This might be the short-term answer:

I'm not to good with linking, The best that I can say is that at the top of your web page that is open here type in Skoda 30.5 and hit the search or go to button. You should get a lot of different web sites with the info. that you are looking for.

Frenchy?

UPDATE:

I have finished the kit and it is now a "built" review. Please have a look again, especially the new section added ("the build"), as well as numerous photos of the steps along the way and the completed, painted gun.

Thanks for the review, Bill, and great job on that BEAST. It's got such a cool surly "Steampunk" look to it. I'd like to get one, even though I'd prefer a WWI version of it.
It looks like it might be a good kit for me to build "on the road".

Chris

Chris, it will appeal to some of your "WW1 addiction" while being an easy build when traveling. I'll bring it along to the next meeting so you can see it "in the flesh."

@bill_c – Bill,

Well written build review, I especially liked the intro – very informative and well researched. Again great job on the build - very inspirational.

~ Eddy

Thanks, Eddy!