Peter Browne Posted October 23, 2022 Share Posted October 23, 2022 While on the topic of M4 Composites, what were the main differences between an early/mid (e.g. Asuka China Clipper) and a late (e.g. Asuka Last Chance)? Return roller arm (straight vs curved up) is one...low bustle on China Clipper, high on Last Chance, both 75.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimonL Posted October 23, 2022 Share Posted October 23, 2022 21 minutes ago, Kingsman said: Composites seem to be a mixed bag with guards. There are photos of Bury which should show whether or not it had them. As a general rule no loaders hatch = no guards. With the loaders hatch, probably guards. Ah, that may settle it then. The turret provided in the China Clipper box doesn’t have a loaders hatch, and the looking at the photos of “Bury” above I don’t see the periscope guards, so think I’m going to keep them in my spares box. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bullbasket Posted October 23, 2022 Share Posted October 23, 2022 Loader's Hatch (I think). John. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingsman Posted October 24, 2022 Author Share Posted October 24, 2022 If you enlarge the Bury photo you can see an unguarded driver's periscope on the hatch and no sight guard or periscope guard on the turret. So no guards. I can't see any sign of a loader's hatch on Bury: the hinge and balance springs would be visible even if closed in the photo angle. It is also a low bustle turret and low bustle turrets with loaders hatches are very rare in any case and not known to be used on Composites. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimonL Posted October 24, 2022 Share Posted October 24, 2022 Nice to have my intended course of action confirmed 🙂 Soooo, it looks like I have succumbed to the lure of Shermans. I’m already considering my next project. I’m thinking a British desert Sherman. I can see the Dragon El Alamein going for a reasonable price from an online store here in Australia - but I’m rather put off by the amount of brass. I think I can get my hands on an Asuka Sherman III (both direct vision and otherwise). Any views of the relative merits of the Dragon (which I assume is a Sherman II) vs the Asuka kits? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bullbasket Posted October 24, 2022 Share Posted October 24, 2022 I've not built the Dragon El Alamein Sherman, so I can't verify what the etch is like in that kit, but, the etched brass sheet that Dragon included with some of their Shermans was extremely flimsy to say the least. You're better off getting your hands on an Eduard or Aber set, or if they produce one for that variant, one from ET Models. John. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingsman Posted October 24, 2022 Author Share Posted October 24, 2022 I find myself using little of what comes on etch frets. For light guards and tool straps I would go for the MJ Productions 3D printed versions rather than etch. The light guard set includes the tow cable clamps missing from most kits and the stowage plug tubes for the front light guards. You get 4 tanks' worth in a set. The tool straps have enough for many thanks. MJ does a hull detail set too, including light guards and tool straps and some other parts you might get on a fret. But in the UK it's about £20 a set. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingsman Posted October 26, 2022 Author Share Posted October 26, 2022 Sherman rear lights. And indeed pretty much any other US WW2 vehicle. Something kit manufacturers don't get right. Some older kits even have raised lumps rather than recesses........... These are the standard rear lights, left and right. Seen here on an M3 Stuart if only because these are the best pics I have. Note that they are different. Most (all?) kit manufacturers just give you 2 oval recesses. The other common kit goof is mounting the lights. On Shermans they were mounted only by the cable trunk at the rear and did not otherwise touch the hull. Seen here on an M4A1, but they didn't touch on fabricated hulls either. Some kits do this while others still have big pegs under the lights fitting into slots in the hull top. TMD do replacements, but not for much longer. The Shapeways ones are OK. While we're talking lights, something missing from (AFAIK) every kit is the tubes on the inside of the front light guards to stow the plugs used to stopper the front light mountings when removed. They are quite noticeable. The lights could be stowed inside. Why? Not a clue........ With the lights in place the plugs live in the tubes. There was a similar plug and chain for the turret spotlight mounting, but oddly nowhere to stow it. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimonL Posted October 26, 2022 Share Posted October 26, 2022 Interesting. Great view of the lights. I was wondering what those little tube like things on the side of the light guards where. They were in both my RFM Firefly kit and my current Asuka composite (just visible in this image) I’ll need to take a closer look, but I think the rear lights are different for each side as you have indicated. But yes, they have that simplified peg approach. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingsman Posted October 26, 2022 Author Share Posted October 26, 2022 Do Asuka give you the 2 little bumps found on the glacis centreline on Composites? Can't see them in the picture. The top one is the drain hole from the U vent and the lower one (asterisk) is something to do with manufacture but has no service purpose. Picture from Minutia. These are a frontal identifier for Composite vs A1. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bullbasket Posted October 26, 2022 Share Posted October 26, 2022 Does anyone have the old Dragon M51 kit? If so, take a close look at the box art. Is it me, or has the artist painted the tracks the wrong way round? John. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimonL Posted October 26, 2022 Share Posted October 26, 2022 1 hour ago, Kingsman said: Do Asuka give you the 2 little bumps found on the glacis centreline on Composites? Can't see them in the picture. The top one is the drain hole from the U vent and the lower one (asterisk) is something to do with manufacture but has no service purpose. Picture from Minutia. These are a frontal identifier for Composite vs A1. Nope, they don’t. Hmm, will need to add them in. Bit of scrap plastic should do it. And I can confirm that the rear lights on the Asuka kit are as your examples photographed above. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zigster Posted October 29, 2022 Share Posted October 29, 2022 My Archer resin foundry decals just arrived, Is there a some info, which should go where? I believe Tasca kits are lacking in that respect (comparing to RFM) z Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingsman Posted October 29, 2022 Author Share Posted October 29, 2022 (edited) This photo came up on Facebook. Sherman V. Censor has scratched out beret badge and shoulder titles. Not sure I've seen Panther track used as turret applique before. Interesting scruffiness too. Can't work out what the blotches on the hull side are. Looks like something was attached, and are not unlike the DD screen frame attachments. But the characteristic "hull bottom" weld line along the lower sponson edge isn't there - and that required the removal of the sandshield strips anyway. Edited November 9, 2022 by Kingsman missing photo 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartH Posted October 29, 2022 Share Posted October 29, 2022 I think the idea of putting alternative applique tracks onto a Sherman would make for a very cool model. Sherman with Churchill tracks (also with dummy muzzle brake): Firefly with Panzer IV tracks on turret?: Polish Sherman with Panther tracks on turret?: Sherman with Tiger tracks: 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Browne Posted October 30, 2022 Share Posted October 30, 2022 Currently building the RFM 1/35 Firefly VC. On page 7, it says to make cuts to parts E33 and E34 if using Y35 (see page 15). I'm building a 2nd Irish Regt. Guards vehicle crossing the Waal in Market Garden, so no sand shields. So I assume I make the cuts... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimonL Posted October 30, 2022 Share Posted October 30, 2022 I don’t know if that’s correct - but it’s what I did for my build (I asked the same question during my build, but in the end ploughed on ahead as I couldn’t see any other way to do it) - build thread here: 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Browne Posted October 30, 2022 Share Posted October 30, 2022 Ah, yes, I recall that thread now...and it's cold again! Thanks. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingsman Posted October 30, 2022 Author Share Posted October 30, 2022 I'm not convinced that RFM are correct with their cut line. I think that for no sand shields the entire downward-angled projection should be cut off along the upward angled step on E33/34 (above the little hole) and the plate overlap at that step removed too. They've used the Bovington example as a muse, which still has the rear plate of the sandshields attached. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Browne Posted October 30, 2022 Share Posted October 30, 2022 4 minutes ago, Kingsman said: I'm not convinced that RFM are correct with their cut line. I think that for no sand shields the entire downward-angled projection should be cut off along the upward angled step on E33/34 (above the little hole) and the plate overlap at that step removed too. They've used the Bovington example as a muse, which still has the rear plate of the sandshields attached. Thanks Peter. I haven't made the cuts yet. Any possibility of photos? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Browne Posted October 30, 2022 Share Posted October 30, 2022 @Kingsman Perhaps this one. I think you are correct Peter. I don't have the part with me to orientate, but it looks like that whole pointy section (looking from the outside, up to the diagonal overlap past the hole) is removed. And these: http://www.primeportal.net/tanks/robert_de_craecker/m4a4_sherman_vc_17pdr/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingsman Posted October 30, 2022 Author Share Posted October 30, 2022 (edited) Yes that's exactly it. That's what I would regard as the norm for no sand shields on any M4 variant. A straight diagonal from the hull corner to the top of the idler mount. Noting that this tank has been fitted for wading at some point. The vertical plates inboard of the tow spring brackets are mountings for the trunk. I have a diagram somewhere showing the various rear end wading bits that I did for a thread over on Missing Lynx. I will look it out. Edited October 30, 2022 by Kingsman addition 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartH Posted October 30, 2022 Share Posted October 30, 2022 17 hours ago, Kingsman said: This photo came up on Facebook. Sherman V. Censor has scratched out beret badge and shoulder titles. Not sure I've seen Panther track used as turret applique before. Interesting scruffiness too. Can't work out what the blotches on the hull side are. Looks like something was attached, and are not unlike the DD screen frame attachments. But the characteristic "hull bottom" weld line along the lower sponson edge isn't there - and that required the removal of the sandshield strips anyway. Could the blotches be where applique armour tracks were attached in some way? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfoot Posted October 30, 2022 Share Posted October 30, 2022 23 hours ago, Kingsman said: This photo came up on Facebook. Sherman V. Censor has scratched out beret badge and shoulder titles. Not sure I've seen Panther track used as turret applique before. Interesting scruffiness too. Can't work out what the blotches on the hull side are. Looks like something was attached, and are not unlike the DD screen frame attachments. But the characteristic "hull bottom" weld line along the lower sponson edge isn't there - and that required the removal of the sandshield strips anyway. I saw this picture too and confused me. Could it be spot welds from where track armour was attached? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diablo rsv Posted October 30, 2022 Share Posted October 30, 2022 12 hours ago, Peter Browne said: Currently building the RFM 1/35 Firefly VC. On page 7, it says to make cuts to parts E33 and E34 if using Y35 (see page 15). I'm building a 2nd Irish Regt. Guards vehicle crossing the Waal in Market Garden, so no sand shields. So I assume I make the cuts... 6 hours ago, Kingsman said: Yes that's exactly it. That's what I would regard as the norm for no sand shields on any M4 variant. A straight diagonal from the hull corner to the top of the idler mount. Noting that this tank has been fitted for wading at some point. The vertical plates inboard of the tow spring brackets are mountings for the trunk. I have a diagram somewhere showing the various rear end wading bits that I did for a thread over on Missing Lynx. I will look it out. I was having the same dilemma on my build ( link HERE ) and found a couple of period photos that may help. On the above photo the plate seems to be as RFM suggest... and on this one of a VC on the back of a Dragon Wagon, although I cant tell if the left one has been cut or is just bent. Wayne 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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