Trumpeter SU-152

[Vincent Power]

Brackets look good Philipp. What is the small piece over the vision port in the last picture?

Vincent

[Philipp Gross]

Thanks

The vision slit had a piece of wire welded across, I don't know why exacty. Either to help the driver aim the vehicle or to prevent German spades from causing headaches inside

Philipp

[Philipp Gross]

Well, this came along a lot faster than I anticipated. The brackets are all in place and basically all that's missing are the handrails, fuel tanks and tow cables. Concerning the hatches, Trumpeter took that decision away from me. There is no internal detail whatsoever, no locking mechanism, no periscopes, no nothing except for huge ejector marks. I might still have the rear hatch open with a spent shell flying out, but everything else is now glued shut.

By the way, I've decided to build an early model from mid-1943. I found a colour plate of a vehicle in a nice green and yellow scheme from September 1943. The main difference to the later versions are KV-1 style exhausts and the lack of the two big domed ventilators on the roof. You can imagine how well that went with the vehicle buttoned up during combat.



On the sides of the mantlet are small loops for fixing a tarp in place, they are missing in the kit but a little piece of wire can fix that.


Fender brackets....76 tiny bolts altogether...sometimes I'm scared of myself


Philipp

[Vincent Power]

Thanks

The vision slit had a piece of wire welded across, I don't know why exacty. Either to help the driver aim the vehicle or to prevent German spades from causing headaches inside

Philipp

I guess it doesn't matter why it's there Philipp, it's another detail to add to the model in our pursuit of realism I'm surprised how quickly you got this one done.

Vincent

[Philipp Gross]

I'm surprised how quickly you got this one done.

Vincent

Me too

I forgot to mention these brackets directly in front of the superstructure are entirely scratchbuild. Give me a few more years and I'll rival Roy's builds

Philipp

[Philipp Gross]

Well well well, seems like I'm done building. Belive me, I'm just as surprised




Minor additions included spare track links as mentioned in the 4BO review...


...as well as a rough approximation of what the interior of the rear hatch may look like based on a grainy photo of the Bronco kit part Getting details right is a bit difficult with only three known survivors, one of them locked away at Kubinka and two in a more or less wrecked state in Poznan, Poland.



Here's what I have planned, spent shells tumbling around the rear with one being tossed out of the hatch. As soon as I've pieced together a suitably posed figure....


Philipp

[Adam Durrant]

Nice Philipp, just the right amount of detail, not overdone. Should look great with a coat of paint!

[Philipp Gross]

Thanks Adam This was quite refreshing after the impossibly complicated Tiger.

I probably need to clean up a few mould seams I missed, then it's time for the big black rattlecan

Philipp

[Steve Hutchinson]

Very nice Philipp

Very nice indeed

I guess the top hatch at the rear will come off, to put a figure inside?

She really will be an impressive lady when the paint lands

Well done

Steve H

[Philipp Gross]

Thanks Steve

Yep the top half is only dry fitted, it holds in place relatively well. The lower half is only fixed with two tiny drops of superglue, just in case I change my mind

Philipp