Advantages: German version of the well-known US "Eight Incher"

Disadvantages: Same problems as the older kit, no corrections made

Rating: Recommended

Recommendation: For Modern German Armor fans

Italeri's love for US artillery weapons has made them a standout, as no one else except for AFV Club has until now show a whit of interest in them.  They have produced all of the major members of the T197 family -- the M108 SP 105, the M109 short-barreled 155mm, the M109E4 and European model, the M109A2 long-barreled 155mm, and soon to be released M109A6 Paladin. They also did the T235 series – the M107 175mm SP gun, the M110 short-barreled 8", the M110A1 (a very short lived kit, and the rarest of the lot), and the M110A2.   If in the US the company is now called "Revellogram" after the merger between Revell and Monogram, it could probably be referred to as "Reveleri" in Germany based on the relationship between Revell GmbH (the German subsidiary) and Italeri. While the relationship has produced some nice changes to older kits, this is not one of them. That isn't to say it is bad, as there are not many changes between the German and US versions of the gun.  The main difference here is that the kit now includes a set of correct Diehl tracks to match German federal highway regulations. Modern NATO-style German markings are included for three different weapons circa 1990.

The Diehl-style tracks feel a bit better than their US predecessors, as that has always been one of the two main problems with this particular kit. Problem one is a big problem area at the rear of the hull where the upper deck and rear plate mesh up, and it is a pain to get a clean seam from that joint. Italeri designed the rear plate to "wrap around" and connect to the  rear of the barbette mounting for the gun, and as a result, it is a seam which rarely fits right and tight. The other problem has been the fact that this vehicle uses no return rollers and a "dead" type of track, and getting the right sag to the tracks is always problematic.

It would have been nice if instead Revell GmbH had seen fit to make the US late model version with all-weather protection hood and mounts, as many other recent kits have been spruced up and had new parts added to them to justify the higher German prices. This is not one of them. (I freely admit picking one up at a model show as a "loss leader" for $10 as I didn't have an A2 in my collection!)