What is the best Sabinga Martin book for the M51’s used in 1973 Yom Kippur War. Not too many pictures in volumes 1&2 Lion and Lioness books

Thanks

But plenty online. And don't forget the stowage set by Legend.

You will have to wait until Sabingamartin covers it. Volume 3 covers the conversion of the M51 to diesel engines and stops before the 6-Day War. Volume 10 covers the 6-Day War (first of 2 parts?).

Yes, I have the Legends Stowage set as well as the 1973 upgrade kit. I guess I will start surfing the web again.

Tango Yankee

Hi Gary,

Thanks for the reply. What part of the republic are you residing?

Mike Witous
Temecula Valley Model Club and AMPS Pendleton.

Mike, we must be nearly neighbors. I live in Murrieta and have been asked to attend Temecula Valley Model Club's meetings but haven't made the time. PM me if you can with a website address and any info you have. I should also join IPMS again. I haven't been a member since I was I teen.

Regards,

Eric

I'm in northern California.

Don't forget the new Tom Gannon book from Barbarossa Books.

Ah! Sounds like a re-print of his first book on Israeli Shermans. I used to have that. I seem to recall it was quite good.

It isn't just a reprint. There is a lot of new information included. Pictorial study with detailed captions. M-50s, M-51s, M-1s and other variants; and specialised vehicles including ARVs, dozers and mine clearing vehicles. Over 700 b/w and colour photographs - including many close-up. Revised and expanded edition of the study first published 2001. 407 pages.
Unfortunately I cannot find any revews.

What he said!

I toyed with getting a bunch of the S-M books, the 4 currently available costing about £130 minimum. And as noted above, not complete coverage.

I decided to get Gannon 2.0 instead, and I can heartily recommend it for any price (it's £60) - never mind half the S-M price.

Barbarossa books here: http://www.barbarossabooks.eu

It doesn't come up if you search "Gannon" for some reason, but it does come up on about the 5th results page if you search "Israeli".

I can also recommend Son Of Sherman for understanding more about the base vehicle characteristics and variations. Having said this, the Sherman Minutia site is very informative: http://the.shadock.free.fr/sherman_minutia/.

That book varies tremendously in price, but I managed to get a softback copy for about £80 last month. I have seen hardbacks pushing £400.

While IDF Shermans can be very much mix-and-match with interchangeable components, there are many variations of non-interchangeable parts that are mutually exclusive between variants and manufacturers - which kit manufacturers are not immune to getting wrong. A1s are somewhat easier as they suffered less production variations than welded variants. IIRC without looking it up, the minority welded-hull M51s were all large-hatch, which varied less than small-hatch.

The Tamiya M51 is supposed to be The One To Have, as Asuka haven't gone down that road yet. I made the mistake of getting the Dragon 2nd release, which has problems. I also have a couple of the Academy M51, from which a very decent model can be made. However, many people seem to feel the need to cross-kit parts of several kits - generally including Asuka parts - to produce an acceptable but hugely expensive M51.

And will someone please make an alloy gun barrel with decent resin muzzle brake (both types) for the M51? Yes. I know DEF do the early one in their early conversion set.

Pending a "proper" one, an SU-100 gun barrel is dimensionally a very good match for the M51s unique gun.

Gunner Mike,
Check the engine deck in the Legends 73 Upgrade set. Mine had shrunk in both length and width.

John C

Mike were you at Lancaster last October?

G

Heh, their comments on the S-M books are quite pointed--shockingly over-priced and shoddy color photos--can't say I disagree.

MR Modellbau do a barrel:
http://www.mrmodellbau.com/_shop/product_info.php?products_id=727

Cheers,
E

The MR Modellbau after market barrel does not include the muzzle brake.

Reference for the Sherman tanks during the Yom Kippur War can be found easily online too.

The best book is, as previously mentioned, the book by Tom Gannon.

Regarding kits and after market, unfortunately the best choice is the second release by Dragon of the M51, the Smart Kit version no 3539, not kit no 3529, accompanied with Accurate Armour M51 upgrade set no A041 and perhaps some photoetch sets (Eduard provdes some nice fenders and stowage boxes).

Thanks for the MR Modellbau tip. I hadn't seen that. I've never bought direct from them and the usual sources I use don't have it.