Okay I finally finished my M4A2 here are a few pictures taken at the show in Halifax



Those pictures were taken with a flash but the others were dark but the color is better

Let me know what you think ..I'll be adding these to the campaign gallery soon ...Hey I finished my first campaign!!

Rick

Its says Colorado on the Hull....what more can you say.. :-) :-) :-) Looks great. How did you do in the show? "Q"

Hey one thing i noticed was that the engine cage on the back was not weathered. no biggy. It looks awesome, great job.

The engine deck is weathered but I threw in a black wash for depth ...this was exagerated by the flash ..here's another picture without the flash
..
I won a bronze for my Pershing but this one didn't catch the eye of the judges ...I think they like em cleaner.. :-) oh well I like the effect .

Rick

Judges are a fickle lot are they not?

Me too Nice effort here Rick.

Question ----no "stars" i.e. minimal markings/decals on this one --- is this unusual? No criticisms regarding this Rick, just curious.

Congrats on the Pershing bronze by the way.


Steve

I too like your weathering effects Rick nice looking with the look of dried salt.
Steve/Rick could a reason for there being miminal markings be that the Japanese used the stars as aiming points? ..............Just an idea

Good Morning, Rick

All I can say is "outstanding" job on 'Colorado'. She came out like a gem, man! I saw her in progress and she only got better. I can't remember, was this the Trakz or the Formations conversion kit? I'm doing an M4A2 based on the Trakz, but it's still in the very initial stages of building.

Hi guys thanks for the comments ..The reason there aren't more markings is because the Marines didn't use the star at allon these Shermans...
..I borrowed that picture from the sight of Tarawa on the web.
http://tarawaontheweb.org/
As for the kit yes it is the Formations kit ,but I'm sure the Trakz kit is just fine ..What I like about the Formations kit is you get a lot more details with it ...The tools are to be seen to be believed.You also get a turret and I got the Tarawa special kit that had the decals for these machines ..so I was sold .

Rick

Always good to see a USMC M4A2 kit built up ! Well-done one at that

Even better, that its "Colorado" from Tarawa !!

HOORAH !

Alpen

SEMPER FI, MARINES !!!

Robert ...I enjoyed this build from beginning to end and I too find that the Marines and the whole Pacific war has been forgotten about by modellers...I've had this project in the back of my head ever since the first time I browsed through my Sherman book by Hunnicutt so many years ago...When Rob Ervin (Formations)brought out the Tarawa special I knew I had to have it ..Now if Dragon can bring on their M4A2 late we'll add another to the list to do .

Rick

I read this from an article in FSM.

The stars of some Shermans, both in the Pacific and European theater were deleted. The Sherman's high profile makes it an easy target for enemy anti-tank guns and the star provides the enemy a good aiming mark.

That's a very nice Sherman you got there. I like the weathering.

Angela

Thanks for the comment Angela.

Rick

Congratulations Rick, on your Pershing, if it was me I would of given you one on the Sherman to, but I guess we can't win them all.

Now for the missing star, I always thought they shouldn't have it over seas, like you said, that makes one good target. I always thought the stars were for here for the public to see for promotions, and if they got shipped to war, they got removed, or at least be like the modern jets something you can barely see.

Then when I seen how everybody done their models, I was surprised to find out they kept them big targets on them mostly in Europe. I figured if they are going to have a big bright star, they might as well have a flag on each fender.

I guess it depended on the situation, you really couldn't hide a tank going down the road anyway.
Keep up the good work
Kerry

actually I have seen some pictures of Shermans with black stars (at least on the trurret sides).
I guess having your tank covered with really big white stars could pose a problem in full moon nights when you dont want the enemy to know where you are.

in north africa the US tanks had yellow stars, anyone knows why did they switch to white afterwards?
btw, they also had big full colour US flags on the sides of the hull in north africa and tunisia

Outstanding job. I like the weathering. One question: the fuel filler cap in the center of the rear deck. The instructions said to remove it, which I did and it seems to agree with all references, did you find anything different? I'm not a bolt counter, but I am trying to put this question to bed once and for all.

I like the scratch built water can holder - very nice effort. It looks great form the photos here!

Yeah well that fuel filler cap is a mystery ...I used the MMiR Sherman book as my main reference ..it shows the direct vision M4A2's without it but with the squared off hatches it was in the drawing ...So I left it there...I haven't noticed it on any pictures ..one way or the other..
You might be right,but when your not sure go with the references you have ..which I did.
Thanks for the comments .

Rick

Lord Rick,.

This is an awesome looking sherman. I like the weathering a lot!

You done a great job, and congratulations on the bronze.

That should have aleast placed some where on the top 10 aleast becasue that is some job.

The weathering looks as good as I have ever seen. I wonder why ? Maybe a judge had a friend in the contest. Because if I was a judge I would have put it in my top 3 aleast.

Even the ground work was awsome. Why does the grid i the back have to be weathered I thought that was where the engine was isn't that where the smoke comes from.

Happy Modeling

Thanks for the comments Dave and Tom ...Hey like I say ...When you go to a show you pay to have two people tell you what they think of your kit ...I spoke to the judges after and looked at their models ...Not the same style ..I can live with it .. :-) Like in all things about modelling it is very personal and I'm very happy with it ...I had a young modeller come up to me and say that my kit was just the way he wanted to make his look ...Now if I can inspire him then what else can I say ..he made my day!..
Tom those hatches on the back are the air intakes and the exhaust is under the back end .

Rick
p.s. I should have a couple more pictures this week taken at a little expo we had here yesterday ..if they are anybetter I'll post them..unless your all sick of seeing this one ..

I finally got those pictures from the show ..at least the colors are better ..





And to finish off he sent me a couple of pictures of my Pershing so why not...


Any comments are welcome ...

Rick

Hey Rick,
You've got a couple of real winners there in my books. I think the heavy weathering looks great and quite realistic You know what they say...those that can enter models and those that can't Judge 'em :-) Seriously though I like your work alot I wish I could bring myself to weather that heavily. Keep up the great work buddy. We can't have too many shermans out here.
Cheers,
Bryan

I second Ex-Royal on that, the weathering is outstanding. These pictures show the finish of your models much better. Hard to find anything to comment on, but this being the Rivet Review, maybe the towcable on the Sherman looks a bit to stiff, and the lift eyes on the rear hull are perhaps a touch to thin, I feel the should be a bit chunkier, after all, that what they lift the beast up with. Did I mention I really like your weathering? Those judges must be blind! Well, at least they don't have taste (probably never seen a tank from close up).

Cheers
Henk

Thanks for the kind words guys ...Now on to my next project ....M4 ..or M4A1 ...??? What to do ?

Rick

Richard,

Seems like every time I see your m4a2 I find something new to like about it. Ya done good! Did you use OOB or AM treads? Can't recall if I asked you that or not. The Pershing is Good to Go also! Is it the Tamiya or Dragon kit?