Recently I stashed some M109 kits in order to do the Vietnam-era A-nothing variant of it. I’m still putting it off until unspecified future, but I realized I have more than enough parts for two machines and I could, just for kicks, try to accurize the Italeri kit by using the Kinetic hull top - thus eliminating one of the bigger problems with the Italeri kit. So I used Italeri running gear, Kinetic tracks, Kinetic hull top and Italeri turret on this one. Sand plastic and tracks are Kinetic, olive green plastic are Italeri parts. I decided to show the tool holders empty, I believe Hans once said this would be OK in most cases, and I sprayed Surfacer 500 for the turret’s anti-slip coating. The tool holders are made from copper sheet metal and the footman loops are made from stretched sprue. Here’s what it looks like before painting:
Hope you like it, thanks for reading and have a nice day
Gino - good to hear from you! You see I’m saving the Kinetic running gear for my Vietnam-era M109. And it’s going to have the turret and barrel I got from you!
Pawel - Very nice. Saving the best for the VN era…that figures. With all the new M109s coming out, hoping AFV club comes out with the M109 and an M108. Then for Gino we need an M992 FAASV…
Gino - thanks a lot for the heads up - have to check my references again - but I believe I’ve seen some A6s with those bolts on, like they used old hulls without bothering. But, like I said, I’ll check it, shaving those bolts is no big deal. And thanks for your kind words!
GMorrison - thanks! Sure looks that way now, complete with the stitches [:D]
Guney - thanks a lot!
Mike - I’ve been waiting for you to check out this thread, thanks for dropping by. We sure could use even more nice kits of this classic. But Gino already built his FAASV - he even was so kind as to send me the unused turret and barrel from his kit, so now I’m ready for the A-nothing from Vietnam!
Pawel - First for my brother Gino… We need an M992 with a complete interior!! As for the M109 & M108.yep…Hoping…especially with AFV who loves multiple versions and builds an excellent kit.
Excellent work. I was always impressed with this vehicle from my first experience with them during a war game in Germany. Always wondered how such a large vehicle got around the muddy fields on such narrow tracks.
Good to see this completed; are you still intending to build the A0? As usual, your attention to detail and skillful painting makes for an excellent model!
Marcus - I guess that’s because this machine is much lighter than a tank of comparable size, so the track can be narrow still keeping the same ground pressure.
Mike - I do, it’s just that in Vietnam they tended to keep the hatches open most of the time and so I’d have to make an interior for it - a thought that scares me right now that I’m struggling with another interior project. Thanks for your kind words!
