I had already been toying with the idea of undertaking the reproduction of this legendary German piece designed to accompany the infantry during attacks against bunkers and fortified positions for a few years and I already owned the old ESCI kit, already aware of its absolute inadequacy for those , like me, in modeling, seeks exasperated verisimilitude with the original of the same name. For this reason, more recently, I purchased the Verlinden kit, under the illusion that the resin reproduction and the photo-etched parts would allow me to obtain an already basic model that was very close to the real thing. An illusion, in fact, and therefore a bitter disappointment: the kit is very far from the original in all its parts in terms of dimensions, detail and accuracy. Thus I come across the Dnepro kits, a failed copy of the Verlinden kit, and the American KMC kit, more interesting, especially in the very delicate photo-etchings and the very fragile shields but incorrect in the dimensions of the carriage and in the detail of the muzzle control gears fire, on the other hand, however, excellent reproduction of the aiming optics, of the elevation and traverse controls and of the mobile front shield connected to the cannon elevation and of certain parts of the fixing pylons of the shield system which will then be absolutely revealed perfect for subsequent creation. But, in the meantime, disappointed and aware of the fact that I would have had to surrender to the total reconstruction of the piece, once the collection of all the photographic documentation was completed, I became aware of the Vision Models kit which seems to be the new reference for those wishing to undertake the construction of the LeIG 18. Too good to be true: after a year of desperate research it is practically impossible to find the kit in any shop. At that point I decide to go straight to the source: write to the manufacturer and ask if by any chance they had plans to redistribute the kit. Unexpectedly and very kindly they replied that they still had three or four kits aside and that I could buy one from them. What a stroke of luck. I couldn’t wait! I already savored the exclusivity of that piece and its creation. The kit arrives after almost a month and I can finally start planning the construction. The kit, although at a decidedly higher level than what I already have, has its strengths and weaknesses. Accurate in scale and therefore in general dimensions, accurate in detail and in the reproduction of the aiming organs, the faithful reproduction of the piece’s reloading system with the tilting of the barrel inside the cradle is unexpected, the delicate photo-etchings, however, leave to be desired regarding the reproduction of the thicknesses of the various shields and of the anti-recoil ploughshare plates, of the wheels for the mechanized towing (too large) and of the pointing optics, which are coarse and oversized. Having made the necessary assessments and planned the work, I decide that construction can begin with the creation of the shield plates from scratch. The work would seem easy if it weren’t for the dozens of external and internal rivets that these shields have so that the various plates can be connected to each other. While the wheels are replaced by a pair from The Bodi Miniatures. Looking carefully at the photographic documentation and the various technical tables which describe in detail the barrel, the breech and the operating levers for reloading and firing, we then realize that, to faithfully reproduce the piece, a quantity of details must be added very nourished at all levels. It being understood that the kit has an ocher colour, all the reconstructed pieces and the super detail are in white plasticard, green/grey resin and brass. The ammunition comes from the Verlinden and Dnepro kits (the only really useful pieces taken from these kits).
Great detailing work.
A lot of unused kits to build one model.
Impressive
It was necessary to achieve exasperated verisimilitude; it is more engineering than modelling. But I like it. Well done.
Fantastic scratch building work. It looks fabulous.
outstanding
From my point of view and for what modeling is for me, many useless kits, otherwise what purpose would modeling brand have in trying to insert more and more photo-etched elements, metal barrels and more?
Absolutely amazing result.
Very delicate work!
Shows not only devotion, but a great expertise in scratchbuilding too.
I take my hat off!
Cheers,
Angel
Really impressive scratch building. Looks wonderful.
Very impressive, beautiful job. Looks fantastic unpainted!
Fabulous!
Having just recently bought the Italeri 6595 Sd.Kfz.10 and le.IG.18 combo this is all great info to get the most out of that kit. Brilliant detail and craft in your work, thanks for sharing. 
Thank you very much! if you need iconography, write to me privately, I will be happy to send you the necessary material.
Thank you all for your appreciation, I know that it’s an exaggerated modeling task but I really enjoy it, it’s a challenge when the model kit requires it. If you want to see more at this link you can view another work.
Grazie mille per la tua gentile e generosa offerta .