I was offered the old Dragon MLRS by a kind gentleman for basically 10 dollars. It’s pretty cheap for such a huge vehicle but - how buildable is the kit, really? I’ve built quite a few kits but I’ve mainly stuck to Tamiya and the newer Dragon releases. How hard is it to build the M270 MLRS kit and how bad is the fit? I’ve heard horror stories. I’m thinking of just building one OOB without much care for correcting the issues and perhaps keeping the rocket pod in an in-transit state so I can avoid the issues with the missiles. Thanks to anyone who can share their advice!
I slammed one together in ~1992 when it was a new kit. Overall, I was pretty happy to have the option to build one but it was bit of a grind to build. I can’t recall a lot of specifics just lots of parts clean up.
Deciding open or closed louvers before starting is helpful. I think the cab has a basic interior.
I had an issue with the link & length tracks they were off half a link. I probably glued the idler not knowing any better back then. I don’t think that’s a kit fault.
The rocket pod didn’t fit right. That was where my build really went off the tracks and looked nasty. Somehow a good bit of Turpentine mixed wash seeped into the big rocket box due to my sloppy construction. The model stank of cheap Turpentine for a week and had to have “ventilation” on the patio for a week to dry out.
I have built a bunch of them over the years. It can be built up pretty nicely, with some work. The molds are showing their age and have a bit of flash. It still goes together pretty well though. I really like the individual track links and the suspension is pretty nice. The road wheels could be updated as they are a little flat and there are better options available.
Very good price. I built a slew of them in the nineties for Lockheed Martin Missile Division in Grand Prairie, TX. The main thing to watch for is the sprue attachment points on those large, flat pieces. The slightest little bulge on a mating surface will result in an unsightly gap that will only look worse after paint - best to test fit everything a few times as with any build, but more so with this kit.
The rocket pod didn’t fit right. That was where my build really went off the tracks and looked nasty. .
THIS! I had a hell of a time with it and after about 20 years sitting on the shelf of doom…it made it’s way to the trash. I often wonder about the Trumpeter kits. Are they any better?
The Dragon M26 pods are a tight fit. I sand the sides down before inserting them and only paint the ends and undersides since they are all that shows once inserted.
Denimo - the “updated” DML M270A1 kit still has all the issues of the original kit with some new parts.
My assessment of the DML kits is they are very buildable, but they are not shake-n-bake. They will take some work and patience. My detail set adds what I thought was necessary to make the DML kit look good enough: the roadwheels, idler, and sprocket (the kit tracks will not work with the sprocket because the DML T157 tracks are too wide by ~ 0.5mm. All other aftermarket T157 and T157I tracks that I tested work with my sprocket. Go figure.) Also included a commanders hatch railing, the GPS antenna on the launch box, two new AS3916 antenna, and new footmans loops for the lumps DML gives you.
Again, what’s in the box will build up just fine with some work, as Gino has shown.
(BTW, Trumpeters kits really are WAY better, but they have the parts count to match how good they are. If you don’t want that heavy of a build, the DML kit will still fit the bill).
rocket pod didn’t fit right. That was where my build really went off the tracks and looked nasty. Somehow a good bit of Turpentine mixed wash seeped into the big rocket box due to my sloppy construction. The model stank of cheap Turpentine for a week and had to have “ventilation” on the patio for a week to dry out.
