1/35 injection moulded plastic DD Sherman

[RHWinter]

Hi all, this posting might sound like some kind of a rant, but it is nothing but pure desperation…

 

I would really, really want to see a plastic injection moulded kit of a DD Sherman in 1/35th scale.
In fact I am waiting for one of the manufacturers to produce such a kit for at least 15 years, but to no avail so far. 
 

What might be the (economic) reasons for that?

Am I the only modeler to want a DD Sherman? Or is it technically to difficult/expensive to develop/produce a kit of a DD Sherman?

If so, I will give up my hopes.

But until I do so:

 

Could it make sense to contact a few manufacturers directly? 
Which ones? Any experiences? Any ideas?

 

Best regards from a sad and somewhat grumpy

Richard

Edited February 13, 2022 by RHWinter
Title completed

[JackG]

The DD Sherman is a very specific type, and although quite important from a historical standpoint, simply put the model manufacturers don't see it as a money maker, otherwise they would have been all over it.  

 

 

 

 

regards,

Jack

 

[Kingsman]

No there are no parts available for DDs, nor anything remotely useful.  The DD parts were all bespoke.

 

The only DD show in town are the Resicast offerings, which are certainly not cheap.  IIRC their current range is a V DD and a US-type M4A1 Sherman II DD, both in skirt up and down versions.  These are appropriate for D Day and the M4A1 DD was used by 2 British regiments as well as the 3 US battalions.  They do not do a III DD MkII as used on the Rhine and the Scheldt. I have a collapsed screen M4A1 version in my stash.

 

In injection plastic the skirt might be a problem in either configuration, perhaps more so collapsed to get the fold undercuts.  In any medium, cleaning up the mould lines on the support structure parts will be a real PITA.  But at least the current MkI kits don't need the fine air lines to all the knuckle joints as on the MkII.

 

Asuka have the base kits for all 3 types of DD built but their range grows only slowly and I can't see them going down the DD road.  The tooling for the 3 types would each be different although much of the support structure would be common.  The 3 skirts, "hull bottoms" and exhaust vents would all be different.  RFM could do a V DD if they also tooled parts for a standard 75mm tank for their nice Firefly kit.  If Dragon were going to do a DD I suspect they would have done it by now.  They also have tooled kits of the 3 base tank  models.  Resicast clearly decided that complete kits were a better answer than conversions and they have not offered "conversion versions" as they have with some other products.