I've been working on this kit in small doses for a quite a long time. With a few very minor exceptions, such as the not quite exact fit and the amount of flash on some parts that I don't remember Tamiya having in the past,this has been a very enjoyable kit to build. UNTIL....however, I got to the main armament. And although this seems to be an industry standard, I can't help but wonder why the manufacturers of armor models don't do one-piece molds for the main gun on tanks. With this kit, the somewhat iffy fit and line-up on the 2 halves of the gun make for a lot of time-consuming filling and sanding. I feel that a 1-piece main gun would eliminate these problems, and it doesn't seem that there is anything gained by doing it in halves. Still and all, despite this annoying issue, the kit is overall a decent build that is going to turn out a nice looking finished product. As for the gun issue? I'm considering using some lichen or model railroad tree material to drape over the cannon, a la some pictures of modern German armor that I have seen. Enjoy the build!

I've been working on this kit in small doses for a quite a long time. With a few very minor exceptions, such as the not quite exact fit and the amount of flash on some parts that I don't remember Tamiya having in the past,this has been a very enjoyable kit to build. UNTIL....however, I got to the main armament. And although this seems to be an industry standard, I can't help but wonder why the manufacturers of armor models don't do one-piece molds for the main gun on tanks. With this kit, the somewhat iffy fit and line-up on the 2 halves of the gun make for a lot of time-consuming filling and sanding. I feel that a 1-piece main gun would eliminate these problems, and it doesn't seem that there is anything gained by doing it in halves. Still and all, despite this annoying issue, the kit is overall a decent build that is going to turn out a nice looking finished product. As for the gun issue? I'm considering using some lichen or model railroad tree material to drape over the cannon, a la some pictures of modern German armor that I have seen. Enjoy the build!