Soviet Su100U Tank Destroyer

This kit is another fine example of Trumpeter's dedication towards producing models of the Soviet's prototype/proposal design tanks. The tread system is of the individual link type, and for the price, it would be nice if they had included optional long rubber strip style ones. The production of the particular tank was somewhat simple/spartan compared to others, and it is reflected in the kit with fewer parts to deal with. Builders will likely find that the tread system is the most complex/tedious part of assembly. The fewer parts does not mean that the unit is lacking detail, it is just that the original was simply constructed that way. I generally resin cast some of the various gun tubes from kits, for use in other projects. The weapon on this kit is a converted 130mm B-13 naval gun, that with a little modification and the addition of a single-baffle muzzle brake similar to that used on the JSU-152-1/2 M1944 prototypes, you can come up with a reasonable version of the 130mm S-26/S-26-1 guns used on the JSU-130/JSU-130BM M1944 prototypes (Obj. 250/251). The unit represented in the kit is 1 of 3 design proposals, and the one that made it to prototype stage. The other 2 designs were to have either a converted long-barrel 152mm Br-2 gun, or a converted 100mm naval gun. Just some additional variant ideas, if you have any of those gun tubes laying around. Overall, the kit is of good quality, and is nicely detailed for its simplistic nature, and I would recommend it to others.