Hi all,

Okay, I've made some fixes to my future "In the Mood" per comments here and on ML. Here is my latest project (I just haven't been in a painting mood lately, just building).

It is a Soviet M4A2 75 w/47 degree hull. The kit is the Academy Marines Sherman with Tamiya wheels and bogies (except the sprocket and idler, which are Academy). I did some texturing of the turret and transmission cover, added weld seams, added the sandshield attachment strips, added the thickened cheek on the turret, added grab handles on turret as per a few photos I'd seen. Headlight guards are Italeri, much thinner than the Academy ones. PE would be better, I know. Just didn't feel like it. I also added some of the interior gun detail from the Tamiya M4 kit. That's about it. It's mostly OOTB. It'll be part of a small dio.

Comments welcome. Thanks for reading/looking.

Rob

Looks good Robert. What do you think of the Academy Kit? Personally I think it is one of the most under rated Sherman kits out there.

Pat,

Thanks. I just started painting it (along with "In the Mood") today.

I think this kit is awesome. The only thing I had trouble fitting was the rear exhaust deflector. Also, there ended up being a gap along both sides of the transmission housing compared with the two front fenders, so I used a slightly wider than normal piece of styrene in that area. Other than that, I think it's an awesome kit. I like that it comes with lots of options such as the open periscopes (I'm SICK of the "driving blind" Tamiya, Italeri, and old DML ones!), extra tow hooks, extra MGs, other gear, etc. Plus, it's the only source for "rubber band" style rubber chevron tracks with EECs! A figure would be nice (then again, we've seen Academy figs, haven't we?).

I wish they'd do more Shermans. Too bad they messed up the Lee quite a bit, but I'm looking forward to the Priest.

Rob

Forgot to say the texturing was done with squadron putty mixed with liquid cement, "painted" on, then stipled with an old brush, then finally sanded to tone it down a bit.

Rob