Tom Cromwell provides a full build of Tasca’s new M4A3E8 Sherman “Easy Eight” (Korean War) to see how it shapes up.

Link to Item





If you have comments or questions please post them here.

Thanks!

Nice work on the review! Very detailed write-up and I love the pictures.

This is a must have kit. The tracks alone make it very interesting!


- Jeff

Tracks are on backwards in the photos.

Nice review otherwise.

Ah, chalk it up to haste! Fortunately they've since come off again for painting...

Tom

Great review and build, Tom! And of course it's great to have it in the Korean War Campaign too! ;

Cheers!
Stefan

Thanks for this Tom. I was wondering if the tracks were going to kill the experience, but now that I know what direction to go for assembly I feel comfortable that this will be an enjoyable build

I'm glad it's been helpful - I just thought myself lucky to get the fun of building it! If you aren't shackled by the "/reviewer's curse" of strict OOB then it is a very good basis for any of the T-80 equipped HVSS versions.

Tom

My biggest concern is how the tracks flex inward on the drive sprocket. You may want to insert serene supports to prevent that. Also, the smile you were referring to could easily be fixed by cementing the suspension units on so they do.t move. I'm buying this kit regardless of the interesting tracks. I'm the type that would spend a week on just the tracks, as I think the extra work really pays off. In all that was a really good review.

Sorry for spelling; my Droid like to change my words lol

Jon,

Yeah, there is a slight inward bend to the track on the sprocket. It tends to bend in along the centre-line even before fitting (with only a thin rubbery connection in the middle I'm not surprised), and I'm not sure if it can be fixed without being visible. I know later tanks like the M47 had added discs on the sprocket drum either side of the guide horns to support the middle of the links, so I wonder if the real things also suffered from unwanted bending? Still, it isn't too visible - otherwise there are hard plastic indy-link tracks out there that could be substituted. But I wouldn't glue the suspension to cure the "smile" - the working bogies are just way too cool. A little ballast attached to the hull bottom is the easy cure, and still allows it to be posed on a base later.

Still, get one and have fun with it!

Tom