1/35 m777?

Does the M777 look worth the cost???

I’m in the final stages of assembly. I am adding hydraulic, airbrake, and electrical cables from lead wire now.

It is an excellent kit. As it is 3D printed resin, there are a couple of limitations. There are only two options for elevation - tube level or at about 40 degrees. This is due to the printed equilibrators. It can be assembled in firing mode or folded up for travel. The breach is undersized. I corrected this with a wrapper of styrene tubing. It can be built up as a plain M777 or as an M777A2. Although 3D printing limits some things, it makes others possible. The kit includes nicely printed and flexible cable coil vibration isolation springs. Some of the parts are as thin as PE.

It is 3D printed resin, not styrene, so it is more difficult to assemble. CA glues are a pain to work with. You need to test fit everything. Holes need to be drilled out to ensure roundness. Etc., Etc. Vargas has done something really nice - the thin, easily broken parts are printed in a flexible resin. In spite of the many delicate parts, I haven’t broken a part yet.

Is it worth it? Well, I ordered a second one to do in travel mode…

Here are some in progress photos.

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Looks impressive. And I do not really see printlines ?

Do you maybe have a picture with the breach that you adjusted to better understand what you did ?

I will pass on this. I checked my references and found too many inaccuracies.

Genau.
It is indeed a very nice looking kit. Normally I might be fine with it, but being that this gun is one I actually have a history with, I want a higher level of accuracy which is sadly just not there.

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I hope that Trumpeter will see this and use my references for better. I think it´s just a matter of time ´til we see a “Tripple 7” injection molded.

I think it´s just a matter of time ´til we see a “Tripple 7” injection molded.

Just like when I bought the resin M198 way back in the day. It was “close enough,” and even though I had a history with that one as well (30 Level Howitzer course) I bought one, and when the injection molded kit came out it was far better.

I think Trumpeter is one of the companies that have mine as well.

Bis jetzt - Heuschrecken zirpen.

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Which M198 did you have? Some decades ago, there was a kit from Airmodel frm Germany. It came together with a M923 kit that was made from my BMY references. With the war ongoing and the M777 get the media attention, there is a chance to see the “777” someday in plastic, along with other modern stuff.

I believe it was indeed Airmodel. Somewhat disappointing.

Go easy on them. They did the best with the references they had after Desert Storm. Their masters were made somewhere in Czech Republic. I was surprised to see my M923 pics in a Czech book some time later.

https://www.airmodel.de/product_info.php?language=de&info=p152_us-155mm-haubitze-m-198-neu.html

FSM review

H.P.

The Airmodel M198 was good for its time. I built one and it turned out pretty nicely. It has now been eclipsed by the Trumpeter plastic version though.

Hi Frenchy. Thanks for the link. I though they were OOB for decades. I was often in their old brick-and-mortar ahop in the 1980/90`s. My late dad collected thir 1/72 scale vacuformed plane kits.I had an eye on their C-5A Galaxy kit, but rather spend my budget on armor.

@18bravo and @HermannB as it is a printed model maybe Vargas would be open to some input based on you experience and or references.
This way maybe could improve some points and we all win :innocent:

@MB6400 here is what I did to the breech.

  1. Breech and rear portion of tube undersized and missing the recoil rail slides
    1. Ring too thin - added 9.5mm tubing around breech ring
    2. Rear portion of tube undersized - slide a length of 7.1mm tubing over the kit part
    3. Breech block hinge was removed to allow the breech block to fit
    4. Added recoil rail slides to the breech ring from Evergreen C channel

I communicated this with Vargas and he is changing on future prints.

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Working on this M777 kit, I can see why the big kit manufacturers have taken a pass on it. Some of the parts would be very difficult to tool for injection molding. I hope that Trumpeter or AFV Club build one; but, I honestly don’t see it happening.

I send Mr. Vargas my references via Wetransfer but he didn´t downloaded it.

I offered as well. No reply. We does what we can, and we can’ts do no more!
Yark ark ark ark…

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Thank you for the service to the community :+1:
:smile:

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Trumpeter have my references since 2013!