Is this kit worth building? I figure it has to be at least as good as the Trumpeter release, or am I way off base?

The Esci T-72 and its brother the T-74 were made before the fall of the Berlin Wall. The kits are fairly inaccurate and are based off of distant fuzzy photographs. The T-74 doesn't even exist and was a ficitious nomenclature of a later T-72 variant.

But as a model goes, it looks like a Soviet tank when completed and will build nicely.

Thanks Rob.

As Rob said, it certainly looks the part.

Just be advised that the fit of the side skirts (the T74 kit) could stand a bit of extra reinforcement - a bit of handling, and they break right off.
The link/length trax look OK, least easier to assemble than the link/link type.
Also, the smoke grenade launchers have a difficult fit.

I have compared the road wheels, upper hull and lower hull to the Tamiya T-72. They are a complete different scale. Also the turret shapes are aslo not the same, along with no texture or weld seams. The V shaped splash plate on the ESCi kit is wrong. I have two ESCi kits, are they worth building?
Thanks
Euan

I say let's build 'em, eh fellas?

If were not to focused on 100% accuracy, then we can get something decent looking. I got a DML T-72 w/ ERA. Compared to my Hobby Craft T-72, it seems most things are of equal size. Sure some things are off a bit, I rather like the shape of the turret though. I'm already building it and going to try and improve some detail and see what I can get.