Total Parts: 205pcs Metal Parts: 2X Stamping brass vaulted hydraulic lever cover Photo Etched Parts: 1pc. Total Sprues: 4 sprues plus left and right gun trails, 4 tyres
Paint Schemes: 1) Marine Air-Ground Task Force, 2) Australian Army
More Features :
-Slide-molded Muzzle Brake
-2 directional slided-molded gun trails with beautiful detail
-Gun can elevate to different angles.
-Gun breech is newly designed.
-Hand wheels reproduced in detail.
-Either combat or travel and lift modes can be selected for assembly
.-The main tyres are hollow rubber with very good tread pattern.
-200mm length string towing cable
-Photo-etched vaulted mesh guard etc.
Bonus kit: eight of two style M107 shells
I hope not. Their WW2 German Filed Pieces of similar size were about half that price. I’m hoping this will be priced similar… in any case I will be waiting to whatever LHS that has it having a sale before adding it to my stash. I am wondering how the current economy situation is gonna hit kit prices.
Still over-priced for towed arty… If they released the primemover AND the gun in one kit, then I’d consider 75 bucks or so as a fair price… And they can keep the PE… Put a few more rounds with powder and fuze cans and add a collimator in the box instead…
You are all welcome. They announced this just about the time I was finishing up the bear of a model in resin of Airmodel’s M198. As usual…Scratch(resin)- Build it and they will come - in plastic.
I will be getting one though. Now they need to come out w/the FMTV 5-ton to go with it.
As I remember from Hobby Expo, they were looking at MSRP of around $44.99. Either way, within a few months/weeks it will be on ebay for $30 - $35 with shipping.
Gino, be calm, once they have the master mold, hopefully it will be one variant/year released. Besides…the M198 really needs the M925 for a prime mover.
Now the new M1078 family of vehicles need a M777 to put behind it. Since the M198 was fielded more than 25 years ago…I hope I don’t have to wait that long for a M777 kit.
50 bucks is still high, but I’d go with your ebay guesstimate, Redleg… Or Hobby Lobby with a 40% coupon… And the M925 five-ton is what I’d want for a prime mover… (I still need a 5-ton (M54?) for my Pig as well)
I still can’t get used to that M1078 truck though… It just doesn’t look… American…
What you see in the military is a reflection of today’s economy.
We are no longer the leader in manufacturing so many items are now built in other countries. We no longer do everything within, during ODS ~ 10% of the military tasks were done by private contractors. Currently I think the number is around 25%.
With all the cutbacks in the military, the number of trained people has diminished greatly. We buy overseas because it is cheaper. All due to some peanut counter who figured out in peace time this is the cheaper way to go. During war time is another question. I sure the contract kitchen personnel are making a lot more $$$$ than 4 privates, an E4, and an E6. Now you know why OIF cost soooooooo much money
We don’t build it anymore, we don’t maintain it, we don’t supply it.
If we were ever in a situation like Bastonge again where cooks, clerks and mechanics were put up on the line…we don’t have them
God I’m glad to be retired…this is our kinder gentler military (no disrespect to my friend that are in…your stuck with it and God bless you for dealing with it)
This is MHO. Now back to model building
PS…thanks Rob, I knew the M1078 was not US built but was not sure where.
actually it’s a little different than the one built in Europe. Mostly in the drive train, but also there’s some differences in the cab too. We had three or four of them setting around for several years at work. Also had one from Mercedes and another from over there that escapes me at the moment. Remember that nobody liked them very well as they all felt that everything on them was kinda awkwards. Engines were junk (we must have had two dozen of them in a pile out back). What they finally went with I don’t remember, but it seems like it was a Cummins engine and an Allison MD with a dropbox out back. There were a handfull built that had retarders built in them as well to help with the braking issues in the mountains. Also heard they road like there was no suspension in them! The Stewart & Stephenson truck was by far a better truck, but hear now that Mercedes owns them.
And another for what it’s worth: My son inlaw (well removed now) was in the lone M198 group out of Ft. Bragg during D.S. They used Hemmits for about everything along with M925’s (923’s?). I think they actually towed with the Hemmit, and carried ammo with the 5 ton. Seems like they had a lot of trouble with the 5 tons getting bogged down in the sand.
The M1078 is US built down in Texas by Stewart & Stevenson. It is license built, meaning it is someone else’s design being built to US specs here in the States.
