The Tamiya rebox of the Italeri kit. Came wit the original Italeri instructions. Tamiya added a sprue from their M113 ACAV kit with the armored copula and the figures. There were also 4 light grey sprues for individual workable tracks to replace the original rubberband tracks.
This is a commission build built per the clients wishes. He did supply an AM barrel and muzzle break.
Thanks for looking.
I like it! I’m sure that the client will be quite happy with this build.
Very nice. With some work, the old Italeri M109 kits can come out looking great.
Thanks. Worst part of the kit is the workable spades. A bit of a chore to fill the gaps and the seams that trap the pins and to keep them workable. In the end I just kind of gave up since they were going to be in the up position anyway.
Did you use the tracks that came with the kit? What do you think of them? They are the Italeri tracks sold seperately and I have a couple of them to build.
I like the weathering and the dusting.
Looking good. It is amazing how a great job of painting and weathering can make even an old kit look good.
I found them easy to deal with. They do supply a jig which helps. Just takes a bit of time and care.
Very nice work all around! I like the shades of OD you used.
I notice the left side track has a droop just below the idler wheel.
And shouldn’t there be a sag on the top run of track? I have to check my refs.
Still, the Italeri styrene track may be a good addition to the AFV Club M109, I will consider this.
As the above pic shows, the tracks should be just about touching the middle two road wheels and angle up to the front sprocket and rear idler.
There is some sag but I forgot to check the alignment of the guide teeth before the photos. Some of the guide teeth rub the side of the roadwheels and need a little coaxing to sit properly.
Great job !!! I did the "poor man’s " version had the old Testors/Italeri kit and added the leftover turret from the Academy M-163 . Hope you and your loved ones are well and have a great/safe Holiday Season ! Cheers, Tony
Looks great. Love the dusty 'I’m here to work, not to play" finish. I do not have fond memories of the Italeri kit - my fault, not the kits.
One nit picky thing I noticed is the track under the rear idler has two pads that are flat to the ground where they should be rising toward the idler.
Also, is the rubber on the roadwheels painted? The rubber looks the same colour as the vehicle in the pics. Period photos usually show that despite the layers of dust, the rubber colour is still noticeable especially where the rubber meets track-eg (and note the track position at the rear).
I am sure you client is going to love it.
The rubber on the road wheels is painted. the issue with the tracks is a oops. Thanks for the catch. should be fixable.
Great job I like the subtle weathering.
Cheers,
Ralph
