This model is a bit of a departure for ACE, a company that usually specializes in post-war Soviet hardware. But they've held opinion surveys, and this was what the modeling community wanted. Prior to the release of this kit, the only RSO tractor available was a resin kit from Modelkrak. That was a very nice kit, but for those of you who don't build in resin, you no longer have to do without an RSO for your collection.

This model is a mix of ACE's typical limited-run plastic parts, plus a couple of sprues of normal injection-molded parts, and photoetched details (specifically the tracks). As keeping with ACE's high production standards, the parts are all molded very cleanly, and on the sprue this kit looks great.

The tracks are a special treat. Although some tracks may be too thick to accurately represent in brass, I think that these are petite enough so that they will look really great when built. And their assembly procedure appears to be quite simple and hassle-free. A few spare links are included in case they are needed for correct length.

A small amount of interior detail is provided inside the cab, and the undercarriage is also completely detailed. The small parts in this kit are some of the best I've seen from ACE. Markings and painting instructions are included for three vehicles: two wartime examples, and one museum specimen (accurate colors and markings?).

Thank you very much to Jim Singer for the providing the review item.