Trumpeter 1/35 Soviet SU-152 Self-Propelled Heavy Howitzer First Look Kit First Look
By Dave Manter
| Date of Review | December 2012 | Manufacturer | Trumpeter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subject | Soviet SU-152 Self-Propelled Heavy Howitzer | Scale | 1/35 |
| Kit Number | 1571 | Primary Media | Styrene, Photo-Etch |
| Pros | New subject, nice details, great 'cast' texture | Cons | None |
| Skill Level | Intermediate | MSRP (USD) | $52.95 |
First Look
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The Su-152 was a Soviet self-propelled heavy howitzer used during WW II. It mounted a 152mm gun-howitzer on the chassis of a KV-1S heavy tank. Later production used a IS tank chassis and was re-designated as ISU-152. Because of its adopted role as an impromptu heavy tank destroyer, capable of knocking out the heaviest German armored vehicles – Tiger and Panther tanks, and Elephant tank destroyers - it was nicknamed Zveroboy, "beast killer".
Trumpeter's kit of the Soviet SU-152 heavy howitzer consists of 451 plastic parts on 24 sprues, 25 photo etch detail parts and a metal main gun barrel. The parts are all very well molded and flash is minimal. The cast texture on the casemate and the mantlet is very good. The kit gives you the option of a metal barrel with a one piece plastic muzzle brake or a conventional 2 piece plastic barrel. Both will look good. A generic sheet of Russian decals is provided, but no mention of them is included. There are decals for at least 8 different vehicles. The kit gives you individual track links. They have great detail and do not have any knockout marks on them, so you can just trim them off and assemble them. The instructions are well written and will be easy to follow.
As Trumpeter gets maximum use from its KV series of molds, it is really nice to have some new versions available to us modelers. This one will look great when finished!
My sincere thanks to Stevens International for this review sample!