M109 G

This is an older kit that has been re-issued. I rate it as excellent because of the detail vs price. It is not quite up to the standard of the new issue kits, but it costs much less. The tracks are the only problem area. Most glue including super glue does not stick to them very well. To get around this problem, I don't glue the drive sprocket on to the suspension when I build up the hull and wheels. I glue the ends of the track together with a small amount of 5 minute epoxy then staple across the join with a couple of staples. The staples are easy to hide. When the glue has set, place the drive sprocket in the track and mount the track on the wheels. Press the drive sprocket in place and you are done without having to stretch the track and break the join.

This self propelled artillery piece is a really nice addition to anyone's armor collection of the Cold War era. The build was fairly simple and straight forward using the instruction sheet to find each step. The suspension is straight forward and lends to the ease of the model being built but special attention needs to be paid once again to the instructions. Over all the number of small parts is modest and the detailing depends on just how much extra equipment you choose to place on-board. I built this and other models of the same era way back in the 1990s so the detailing parts weren't as minute as they are now. If I built the vehicle(s) now I would add lots of extras from updated detailing kits. So add away! I would highly recommend this kit for anyone with a few tracked vehicle models under their belt.