Bozothenutter Posted July 3, 2021 Share Posted July 3, 2021 How much of the RFM M4A3 interior could be used in a Firefly kit? I know there were all kinds of different engines used. The ammo storage of course would have to be built. Radio's probably UK types Any specific details that differ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mick4350 Posted July 3, 2021 Share Posted July 3, 2021 3 hours ago, Bozothenutter said: How much of the RFM M4A3 interior could be used in a Firefly kit? I know there were all kinds of different engines used. The ammo storage of course would have to be built. Radio's probably UK types Any specific details that differ? This maybe of help https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/image/10692809 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackG Posted July 3, 2021 Share Posted July 3, 2021 Resicast makes a Firefly VC interior, maybe compare images of that with Mick's link? Radio would be the British made no.19, and it was installed in a purpose built armoured box outside and behind the original turret. This allowed for extra room behind the gun breech, as well as as acting as a counterbalance to the large gun. The hull machine gun was plated over, and the crew position itself was eliminated to make room for a rack of ammo. The hull of the M4A4 was also lengthened to accommodate the engine. Interesting vid of the interior: regards, Jack 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bozothenutter Posted July 3, 2021 Author Share Posted July 3, 2021 To be clear,tjinking about an existing Firefly kit and adding an interior. So assuming a kit has a gun with a breech, everything else is a transplant. All the exterior details would be taken care of. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bullbasket Posted July 4, 2021 Share Posted July 4, 2021 I'm not exactly up to speed on how the two layouts would have differed, but on the face of it, you're talking about chalk and cheese. Firefly's basically had an M4's turret, which was quite a bit smaller than the T23 turret of the M4A3E8 . The trunnion for the two guns were different, as were the way the radios were installed, ammunition stowed etc. John. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingsman Posted July 4, 2021 Share Posted July 4, 2021 I think it to be unfeasible. One thing not mentioned is that the M4A3(76) was a 2nd generation "large hatch" 47o glacis Sherman with underfloor wet ammunition stowage and the hull floor deck behind the drivers' positions raised almost to sponson level above the racks and the drive shaft tunnel. All Fireflies were on 1st generation "small hatch" 56o glacis hulls with the hull floor down at hull bottom level, sponson ammunition stowage and enclosed drive shaft through the fighting compartment (while IC Hybrids had the large hatch glacis casting, they were otherwise small hatch). The 76 and 75mm turret baskets and interiors were also very different and the 76mm gun breech quite different from the 17pdr. The radio is the least of your worries. The interiors of 1st and 2nd generation Shermans are essentially incompatible except for the large hatch 75mm M4A2s for the USMC and Russia which continued with the dry ammunition stowage (the Academy & Zvezda A2 kits). But A2s had a different firewall whose lower half intruded further into the fighting compartment than all other types. Which is why there were no IIIC Fireflies. The M4A4 was lengthened behind the firewall in the engine compartment in order to accommodate the A57 engine. The fighting compartment was not lengthened, but the angles of the upper hull were slightly different so an M4/A2/A3 firewall will not fit directly. 3 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bozothenutter Posted July 5, 2021 Author Share Posted July 5, 2021 18 hours ago, Das Abteilung said: I think it to be unfeasible. One thing not mentioned is that the M4A3(76) was a 2nd generation "large hatch" 47o glacis Sherman with underfloor wet ammunition stowage and the hull floor deck behind the drivers' positions raised almost to sponson level above the racks and the drive shaft tunnel. All Fireflies were on 1st generation "small hatch" 56o glacis hulls with the hull floor down at hull bottom level, sponson ammunition stowage and enclosed drive shaft through the fighting compartment (while IC Hybrids had the large hatch glacis casting, they were otherwise small hatch). The 76 and 75mm turret baskets and interiors were also very different and the 76mm gun breech quite different from the 17pdr. The radio is the least of your worries. The interiors of 1st and 2nd generation Shermans are essentially incompatible except for the large hatch 75mm M4A2s for the USMC and Russia which continued with the dry ammunition stowage (the Academy & Zvezda A2 kits). But A2s had a different firewall whose lower half intruded further into the fighting compartment than all other types. Which is why there were no IIIC Fireflies. The M4A4 was lengthened behind the firewall in the engine compartment in order to accommodate the A57 engine. The fighting compartment was not lengthened, but the angles of the upper hull were slightly different so an M4/A2/A3 firewall will not fit directly. Ypu come through again with a coherent answer, thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingsman Posted July 6, 2021 Share Posted July 6, 2021 16 hours ago, Bozothenutter said: Ypu come through again with a coherent answer, thank you! Thanks I was half afraid of being accused again of showing off, as I recently was by a new member who seems to think that we display our knowledge for that purpose rather than for the greater benefit of the collective community. We're all on here - I hope- to share what we know and learn what we don't know and need to know. As someone once said, none of us is as smart as all of us - or words to that effect. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Mcellaney Posted July 11, 2021 Share Posted July 11, 2021 On 7/3/2021 at 11:41 AM, Bozothenutter said: How much of the RFM M4A3 interior could be used in a Firefly kit? I know there were all kinds of different engines used. The ammo storage of course would have to be built. Radio's probably UK types Any specific details that differ? Are you building for competition or going to do a cutaway model to show the interior? if so then the Resicast set is the way to go around £95.00 to £100.00 plus shipping. If you are building for a diorama only want to have some thing inside the turret and or the hull when the hatches are open consider looking at CMK the do interior sets for the M4 Sherman they do one for the Hull and one for the Turret both sets around £40.00 plus shipping, so if only the turret hatches are open then you could just get the turret one and the same with the hull as what you will seen through the hatch is minimal I am sure you could adapt the CMK kits to suit, as Das Abtelung said the turrets and hulls are different shapes so you may have some difficulty fitting the RFM interior into a Firefly without a lot of cutting and shunting to get it to fit CMK Hull Set CMK Turret Set Resicast Firefly Interior On 7/6/2021 at 9:44 AM, Das Abteilung said: Thanks I was half afraid of being accused again of showing off, as I recently was by a new member who seems to think that we display our knowledge for that purpose rather than for the greater benefit of the collective community. We're all on here - I hope- to share what we know and learn what we don't know and need to know. As someone once said, none of us is as smart as all of us - or words to that effect. Das Abteilung as I have said to you before check your information before posting I have been on this Forum nine months before you so not a new member. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingsman Posted July 12, 2021 Share Posted July 12, 2021 (edited) Deleted. Edited July 12, 2021 by Das Abteilung correction Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bullbasket Posted July 12, 2021 Share Posted July 12, 2021 18 hours ago, Mike Mcellaney said: Das Abteilung as I have said to you before check your information before posting I have been on this Forum nine months before you so not a new member. Deleted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bozothenutter Posted July 12, 2021 Author Share Posted July 12, 2021 23 hours ago, Mike Mcellaney said: Are you building for competition or going to do a cutaway model to show the interior? if so then the Resicast set is the way to go around £95.00 to £100.00 plus shipping. If you are building for a diorama only want to have some thing inside the turret and or the hull when the hatches are open consider looking at CMK the do interior sets for the M4 Sherman they do one for the Hull and one for the Turret both sets around £40.00 plus shipping, so if only the turret hatches are open then you could just get the turret one and the same with the hull as what you will seen through the hatch is minimal I am sure you could adapt the CMK kits to suit, as Das Abtelung said the turrets and hulls are different shapes so you may have some difficulty fitting the RFM interior into a Firefly without a lot of cutting and shunting to get it to fit CMK Hull Set CMK Turret Set Resicast Firefly Interior Das Abteilung as I have said to you before check your information before posting I have been on this Forum nine months before you so not a new member. That resicast set looks yummie! Don't do competitions, just have a sick attraction to stuff which changes every week or so....keeps life interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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