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Basic
Kit:
AFV Club 35009 "M59 155-mm Cannon Long Tom"
Aftermarket:
Masters Production 35019 "Dolly M1 155 Long Tom -
203mm"
Eduard 35295 "M-59 Long Tom Detail"
Using US Army TM 9-350 and the
Masters Production detail set, I back-dated the AFV kit to a
late-WW2 or Korean War 155-mm Gun M2, Carriage M1, and Limber
M5.
The AFV Club kit is really very
good for three basic reasons -- it is a needed kit, it is in
scale & proportion, and
the detail is crisp & clean (i.e., check the big castellated
nuts which are not just lumps of plastic). On the other hand, a
lot of work is required to correct the mold marks, sink holes,
& seams; there are some very, very fragile parts connected
to sprues in the worst way; and the instructions have no
explanatory text so you must figure out order/location from
large exploded diagrams
The Masters Production detail set
provided 6-spoke wheels with commercial tires, the most critical
items to replace. The MP detail set also provided a few little
parts, but they could have been scratch-built if necessary. The
Eduard detail set was only useful for a few hinges, chains, and
replacing some "lumps" on the trails.
I corrected limber parts (axle,
limber lift, limber lift guide, T-bolt, clamp, bolts) and their
usage for travel mode, and added parts such as the limber lift
cable and air brake lines/fittings. I added air brake
lines/fittings to the rear bogies & lower carriage. I
corrected the barrel stop, recoil mechanism, and trail travel
lock and added the trail travel lock support cable. There are
several other enhancements and corrections to parts, equipment,
and fittings.
The paint is a dry-brush method
to replicate non-smooth cast surfaces. Moderate weathering has
been done to reflect usage of the gun, and has been focused
primarily on the areas where the spades are stored or mounted.
I really enjoyed this build. The
AFV Club kit is a great starting point. Obtaining a copy of the
TM is, of course, extremely helpful, but I also must thank lots
of guys online (Missing Lynx, Armor-ama, Fine Scale Modeler,
etc) who contributed information, comments, and questions which
forced me to dig deeper.
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