I just got my new fireflies and to me they look great so can anyone give me the pros and cons what after market products will make the kit better.Who has the best metal barrel and tracks for this kit.When and where were they used?

Thanks

Jackalone,

Accurate Armor makes a nice update kit for the old DML firefly but I believe there is no issues with the new one. It has alot of stowage, some additional armor plating, all new hatches and both tool boxes.

https://www.accurate-armour.com/

The eduard detail set is a little small. It has clamps for the pioneer tools, cage for the lights, fenders, buckles, and some PE for the the .50 caliber

That kit is pretty complete ( there's actually alot of extra pieces)


Good luck with it

Hi jackalone,

I've got a couple of the new Fireflies and a third on the way, just bought some Eduard barrels and PE from Hannants. The barrels are good but do have some very light but nonetheless visible machining marks, don't know if they will show through after painting & look like they will polish out

The PE is one of Eduards earlier sets with only basic add ons, fenders, tool brackets etc.

The Accurate Armour detail set is aimed at the original kit and therefore includes correction pieces for the lower hull rear plate, never the less it contains lots of useful details like the additional stowage ( a camo net and tarp for the turret sides, an ammo case and a rolled tarp for the engine deck) and white metal idler wheel with detail front & back. It also contains a new radio armoured box and a stowage box for the turret rear and hull :-)

Happy modelling
Ant

For updating the OLD Firefly, the only game in town is the newly released Formation Models Firefly update....The new one, according to what I have read, has very little to add to it . Perhaps some of Vince's figures This is the Formations Set: VERY COMPLETE ...Jim

I have the new Vc as well as the original 6031. The new one is pretty complete, and dimensionally more accurate.

I don't think you really need a PE set for the new DML Firefly, you can add details by scratch build or some spare PE from your spare box.

I have the Eduard barrel, as well as Barrel depot one. Eduard one is slightly better, and the Barrel Depot one is a drop-fit for the Academy M-10. I don't know they have one for Firefly or not, as they are much cheaper.

Also Jordio Rubio got an one-piece one, whcih is also quite cheap. Item number is TG31.

Elefant also got one, but I heard from the dealer they are not out of business.

CMD has a nice one with a resin muzzle, but it is more ecpensive.

I'm waiting patiently for my formations update kit to arrive....I was drooling over the kit last night ...with the new kit there seems to be some question about either the drive sprocket being a bit low or the bogies being a bit high so that when you add the tracks you'll notice that they are not straight across the top...As for the tracks well the kit tracks look pretty good..just one punch mark on every link and one on each attachement horn...I'm thinking about stealing the tracks from the Academy Achilles kit as they do have an extention piece to add the extra length of the M4A4 hull ..A hint of what is to come from Academy maybe??

Rick

I haven't seen the new kit but I've built several M4A4 based variants on Dragon's old kits. Dimensionally more accurate? Great, but do you have specifics? I ask because I haven't seen one yet. For example, the old rear hull was .165 inches too long; did they shorten it? The driver's hoods were too wide, was that fixed? The splash guards on the rear of the turret ring, are they separate pieces now? Is the turret sprue reworked and the barrel shortened appropriately? How about the top of the radio box?

As you can see I'm rather a Firefly geek and while there is plenty of room in my collection for more Canadian Fireflies I'm wondering if the new release is that much improved, or if it is worth what they are asking for it. Those who have this new toy, how does it stack up?

Greg

Hi Greg,

The answer to your question is yes and no, the hull length problem has been corrected and they have tidied up the drivers hood area but I'm not sure that they've been narrowed. There is also a new sprue with hew bogies including horizontal return roller supports

See here for Terry Ashleys 'in the box review' including photos of the sprues.

Terrys review

I just hope that Dragon retool some of their other Shermans to the same extent. (M4A1hint, hint, nudge, nudge, wink, wink, say no more eh!!)

Happy modelling.
Ant

I just finished building the new firefly. Did anyone else have problems mating the rear bustle to the rest of the turret. I got a 2 mm gap to fill!! Other than that and the fact that dragon should proof read their instruction manual (alot of parts were miss numbered in the manual causing a seach by comparing) Lots and lots of spare parts too!