Ok, so I have my mind made up to get one of the Cyber Hobby/Dragon Shermans. This is based on the price and the fact that the models I am looking at have figures included and I am a cheap-skate
I am looking for advise on buying either the Cyber Hobby 9104 Firefly 1c w/ Hybrid Hull, 9100 Firefly Vc and lastly, though it is not a Firefly, 9102 M4A4 75mm Sherman.
How is the accuracy and detail on these models?
I am also looking at some German tanks from Dragon that are smart kits. Are these any good? Thanks guys and possibly girls, Danny

These are the orange Box releases and good value but all have been seriously superceded by later DML releases or by Tasca Releases. Out of the three my choice would be either of the fireflies and my personal preference would be the 1c. It is a bit rough in depicting the casting but easily fixed by a very vigorous sanding. The VC is quite nice and has the most up to date parts but it pales next to a Tasca One. The M4A4 is also very good but only has 1 set of markings for a US vehicle in Burma.
It is a real pity that DML never offered their M4A1 75 as an Orange Box kit as the original would have been pretty good with the newer turret mould.

Al

Yes, all three are Orange Boxes. I can get each kit quite cheap and though I am not a very big friend of the individual links, I am impressed with the price/quality ratio. I just got the JSU/ISU 152 kit from the same series and was blown away on the amount of parts. I am currently working on a Russian diorama, but being that I once lived near the site of Operation Market Garden, would love to build some Brit and US Shermans next.

From memory all of these releases has the DS one piece track runs. The M4A4 and the 1c certainly do (T48) but I am not sure of the Vc.
The Orange Box range is a great idea and I really like the concept although our importer has lessened the value these offer by pricing them just under the latest releases.
Cheers
Al

I just ordered an orange box M4A4 tonight. I did a search here on Armorama and read a review before I committed to buying it. It has the DS tracks in it.

I don’t know, maybe I should have held out for a tasca, but I got it for a good price, plus it has the figures with it.

John you did not by chance win this M4A4 on a certain site starting with E and ending in Bay? Cause if you did you outbid me!!! Danny

The one on the Bay ended for $25.55 or something like that...outbid by 5 cents, sighhhh.....the Orange Box kits are from a store and are also $25 each. Is that a good price? Danny

You normally won't find a better price than that for the Cyber Hobby kits.

$25 is a good price. I think I got mine for $29 from Dragon USA. I have all three of those kits in my stash, but have not gotten to them yet. The M4A4 and the Firefly Ic have the DS tracks, but the Firefly Vc has individual links. One bonus there, though, is that you have the option of adding grousers. I like the Orange Box kits because they are good quality for a decent price. Might be because I am not a rivet counter, so the price out weighs any inaccuracies. I do not like the small format instructions however.

The Ic is the best, and includes an excellent 105mm turret you can mate to a Tamiya M4. Unfortunately you need to do a bit of work to Ic turret, but it's still a good value and the composite hull is the only one around in plastic..

All of the German smart kits are good, but some are better than others. It depends on the ones you're most interested in.

Hello Danny ... $25 is a bloody good price for a Dargon Sherman .. here in NZ at a store you wont find one for under $65 or more .. I have the Tasca firefly vc ( 35-009 ) awsome model ..and very soon i'll be getting the Dargon M4A4 for converison into a sherman crab ,,they are great kits and i've never had a problem banging one together ..don't be affraid matey .. these are very nice and for upgrading ,,oh mate theres plenty out there .. Just got my grubby hands on a LION MARC MODEL DESIGNS 17 POUNDER BARREL and ABER ETCH - BRITISH SHERMAN FIREFLY Vc ,,$30 NZ for both lol ..happy camper i am

Phill

Don't CH also sell Tasca?

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Are you sure the OB 1c has the HB 105 turret? the original US release of the 1c had the extra turret (It was DML's first ever 2 in 1 kit) but later releases didn't. I do not recall seeing it in the orange box release.

As for being the only one composite hull in plastic I am afraid you may have missed two more recent kits:

DML Sherman Firefly Mk 1c Hybrid Kit 6228 and
DML M4 Composite PTO kit 6441

These kits have a far superior composite hull (IMHO even better than the after market ones) than the older Imperial series M4 Composite Hull that the OB kit uses. Box are great kits although tDML stuffed up the Composite release buy only giving you the turret lower for a Low Bustle turret and uppers for a High Bustle and the ultra rare very late Low bustle with pistol port, cast cheek and loaders hatch. To date no photos of such a turret on a composite have been seen and certainly none of the marking options in that kit had one.
The new Firefly 1c hybrid is excellent.

Cheers
Al

First of all thanks guys,this is allvery informative. Kevin, the Smart Kits are the Panther Ersatz M10 and the Nashorn.

I'm sorry Danny, But it was $22.55

John that is too funny. I was wondering about that. I normally bid in the last second, but because of bible study had to bid early. Good for you mate

LOL, looks like we both had M4A4's on the brain last night.