That's one incredible build. The detail is superb. 

Thanks.  I am very happy with the way it came out.

That's really is fantastic, Gino. Once again I love your attention to those details. 

Thanks Mike.  I do like to add the little details to make them come to life.

Oh that looks fantastic Gino! I too love the extra detail and the camo looks great!!! 

BTW: Is the Trumpeter kit a big improvement over the older Dragon one? 

Thanks Gamera.  I did enjoy building it.

As to the Trumpeter kit, it is much better than the old Dragon kit(s). 

The biggest area of improvement is inside the cab.  The old Dragon kit really skimped on interior details.  The Trumpeter kit is excellent on the inside.  They really captured all the interior parts that make it come to life.  I only added a couple interior details that were missing. 

Secondly, the Trumpeter kit has the updated features that make it an M270A1.  These include a new fire control panel inside, the roof hand hold for the TC hatch, a small square on top of the launcher for the GPS antenna, and new (electric) drive parts for the LLM traverse unit.  It also has the updated, indi-link square block tracks that have been used since the mid-'90s.  Dragon's latest M270A1 version (kit #3557) only includes the hand hold for the TC for the new A1 parts (along w/the APU, A/C unit, and gun mount; not A1 features, but newer updates), and still has the original, triangle block, indi-link tracks.

Lastly, the Trumpeter kit is much nicer in the way it goes together with large pieces molded as single units (cab shell, LLM shell) as opposed to the Dragon kit all being assembled from flat plates.  It has about the same external level of details, but with more finess than Dragon.  It also has updated, more detailed road wheels (with proper undercut of inside rim), sprockets, and road wheel arms that are better detailed as well.

The Dragon kits do give you the option to build it in firing position with extra parts to model the cab louvers closed though, where the Trumpeter kit does not.  Also, the Trumpeter kit is lacking the attachments for the rocket pods when they are outside the LLM and the rear LLM control panel has no interior details, so you can not build a pod loading version as you can with the Dragon kits.  Dragon still has a couple advantages.

Overall a better kit, and correctly updated to M270A1 standards.

Thanks Gino! I read a couple of reviews but you hit on a bunch of stuff they didn't. 

I'm tempted to pick up a M270A1 myself. I really need to get some of my stash built down though before I even look at anything else though. 

HeavyArty

Harold

Thanks Sarge. 

For the "glass", I always use masking tape.  I rub the tape down onto the "glass" tightly. Then with a sharp xacto blade, trim around where I don't want the paint to get. I leave the tape on until I'm done with all the glosscoat/decal/dullcoat process.  Then I weather.

If I can leave the glass out until after painting, I'll mask off the opening and do it that way. 

On this one, I had to mask the inside and outside since both were getting painted and the windows have the frame with bolts on the inside.

HeavyArty

Thanks Sarge. 

For the "glass", I always use masking tape.  I rub the tape down onto the "glass" tightly. Then with a sharp xacto blade, trim around where I don't want the paint to get. I leave th etape on until I done with all the glosscoat/decal/dullcoat process.  Then I weather.

If I can leave the glass out until after painting, I'll mask off the opening and do it that way. 

On this one, I had to mask the inside and outside since both were getting painted and the windows have the frame with bolts on the inside.

 

Harold

Hi m1garand.  Retirement is going well.  I can't complain at all.

m1garand

Can Trumpeter or Dragon kit be built as a ROK Army version?

From what I can tell, the ROK Army uses up-to-date M270A1s.  The Trumpeter one is more accurate as an A1, so I would go with it.

Thanks GreySnake.  It was a fun build.