all right all you Sherman freaks,which of these kits are any good any more that you care to suggest would be appreciated I am doing a search on another browser at Armorma now but will take awhile so chime in buds and give me the run down especially you Rob cause I know you know all the numbers. Here are some that I might get
Tamiya Jumbo is it worth it
Dragon 6041
Dragon 9009 I know the hull is suppose to wrong am I right on this one.
Any of Italeri ones any good need numbers if so
thanks guys appreciate it and have a smiley day

Jeff--my money is always with the Tamiya family. I am a big fan of the Jumbo, their 105mm is a beauty. I also think that investing in the DML line is worthwhile. Their Sherman FireFly is superb! If you are a person who is after accuracy then I defer to Rob and Gunnies always astute observations. As for me, I just love building them and Tamiya is my prime source.
Hope this helps
DJ

Thanks DJ allready got the Firefly ,most likely will go with the Tamiya Jumbo and see what else .

I wouldn't call myself a "freak." We who follow the True Faith tend to call ourselves "Shermaholics."
Now, if you promise to show the proper respect, I'll tell you a bit about the kits you are asking about, Jeff

The Tamiya M4A3E2 Jumbo kit is not what it claims to be. It includes parts to make the hull thicker, plus a new turret, but the final drive is from the original M4A3 kit and is not bulky enough for a Jumbo. Also, there are many, many questions about the shape of the turret. It seems it was made from some bad drawings and bears little resemblance to the real thing.

DML 6041 is the Coldstream Guards Sherman V (M4A4) with 60 lb. Typhoon rockets. Not bad, but it suffers the same problems as all DML M4A4 kits: the rear end needs to be fixed (a bit a surgery) and the bogies should really be the horizontal return roller arms, not the upswept.

DML 9009 is the Korean War M4A3E8. This kit started out marginal and got better. Early issues had lots of problems, but DML fixed most of them in subsequent reissues. I have an early issue and a late issue. The early kit's biggest problem is that its mantlet is upside-down. This was fixed in later issues. Also, the early hull had problems, kit 9009x included a corrected resin hull, and later kits have the corrected hull in plastic. Not bad, needs some tweaks, the suspension is a little fragile, but builds up nice.

Italeri kits (sorry, but I don't want to dig for numbers -- check the kit list on the AMPS site to find kit numbers and mini-reviews):
M4A1 -- decent out of the box...the only major problem is the gun barrel, which must be replaced with an aftermarket part because the kit's two-piece, stepped barrel is dead wrong (many people believe this is because the kit was based on a post-WWII Italian Sherman that had its barrel cut off and then spliced back on with a piece of pipe).
M32 TRV -- nice, but depicts a vehicle that never existed. Replace the hull and you're in business.
"Jumbo" kit (sold under various names) -- really an M4A3. Not a bad kit with a bit of work.
New M4A2 -- really an M4A3 with lots of extras. Not enough to build a "true" M4A2, but there is a replacement deck, plus wading stacks and "wooden" side armor.
M4A3 with T-34 Calliope --The M4A3 again, with a Calliope rocket launcher that builds up nice with a little TLC.
M36B1 -- M4A3 hull with a M36 turret. The turret is needs major surgery to make it right and there is no interior if you fix the turret.
M7 Priest and Kangaroo -- I lump these together because ehy are basically the same kit. Both are nice OOTB, but depict very late vehicles and really need to be backdated to depict service vehicles.
Did I miss any?

You may want to check out DML kit #9010. This kit depicts a WWII very late-war HVSS 76mm Sherman. It may be out of production, so it might take a bit of work to find it. It uses an older hull, so some surgery is required to use the new suspension. Or, you can do as I did, and buy the Jaguar hull designed exactly for this kit.
Another out of production kit that you may want to look for is the DML M4A1 Early Version kit#6048. This kit looks really nice, but is quite hard to find now.
The 'new' Tamiya M4A3 and M4A3 105, are good kits, but not really new. Still have the Tamiya problems of lacking detail in the suspension, missing backs on roadwheels, open sponsons and thick-ass decals. I really like the Italeri M4A1, but as Hollow said, the gun is wrong and the turret is just not the right shape. I have a photo of T23 turret on a M4A3E8 and you can really see the differance.
Right now the best kit M4 suspensions are the ones coming with the new Academy kits. But buying a model just to get the suspension may seem a little wasteful. They could make a bundle of money if they would just make sets of their new kits suspensions and sold them as replacement parts.
AFV Club offers a replacement M4 suspension, item #35029, that corrects most of the more common problems on the Tamiya kits, all except the hollow back wheels.
Some of the 'extra' equipment included in the new Academy kits (Achilles & M10) is not even used in the M10/M36 family of vehicles(hull machine guns). Some of the sprues are even labeled "1/35 Sherman Series" so hopefully they plan on springing a few GOOD Shermans on us before too long.

Thanks you Shermaholics My mistake .Will do I still want that Tamiya Jumbo no surgery on it.
and will check the website for for what I need
Guess I did right by asking before buying this time really don't won't another" Plastic Brick"

Typed a long reply, then AOL booted me

Yes, I have this kit and it gives you a fairly easy build of a different Sherman variant. Sure it has errors, but I like it. Sponsons are uncovered, but is easily fixed. Someone also mentioned that the suspension shuold sag due to the extra weight of the applique armor, makes sense to me. Model Expo has them for $19.99, I highly recommend this online store.

Nice kit is basically their standard M4A4 with an extra sprue containing Typhoon rockets. Mine comes with a small PE fret with antenna base detail parts and grouser cover mesh.

The wrong hulled one (basically the lower hull of the Italeri kit) is hard to find and most likely off the shelves. The resin hulled one (9009x) is impossible to find unless you are willing to pay collector prices for it. It is one of the ones I have and as stated, the running gear does not like to stay affixed to the hull. Your best bet is to get the #6811 corrected hull one. I have this one too and it looks like the HVSS will stay attached to the plastic hull better than the resin hull, especially since the lower hull mounting points were modified.

The old M4A1 kit is still a good build, most people use it as an inexpensive basis for some conversion. The Italeri "Jumbo" was pulled off of the shelves rather quickly, but was a nice kit. I had started one in Germany, but then sent it to a friend in the states. Would have kept it if I knew it was going to be rare. You'd be hard pressed to find one. The same kit was reissued with a calliope sprue, I picked one up in 1996 so it's been out for a while and may be hard to find.

The USMC M4 kit another inaccurate kit that, if you don't mind, will give you different looking Sherman for your shelf. I recommend it for an inexpensive way to get wooden applique armor and a fording set.

Big problem with Italeri Shermans is that they make the roadwheel boogies "operable". When the tracks are tight (which are the stiff type), it makes the rear set raise in the back. Use caution when cementing the suspension arms in place to remedy this.

Thanks Rob. I will go after the dragon and Tamiya kits and check numbers on the italeri One.

Ps on those italeri tracks am using all AFV club tracks on all the Shermans I think it is easier on the suspension,but goosh darn it America had it's tracks tighter then you know know what.

Hey Jeff, Don't Know enough personally about the Jumbo But check out last months MILITARY MODELLING, there was an article there by Steve Zaloga on perfecting Tamiya's jumbo.If you can't find the article I'll scan it fo you. sorry can't help more, my strain of shermanitis has me building all those IDF versions.

Josh
aKa shiryon

And a thank you Shiryon. Don't get that magazine. This is the British mag correct? If I can't find it I will PM you for article. Now I don't need $60.00 in parts do we to make it correct another Goosh darn it.

Josh, I'll take a copy of the article. The Jumbo's on my rebuild list thanks to the earlier thread regarding the suspension sag. E-mail it to [email protected]

Jumbo--hold the presses! I'm building one with a long 76mm gun. Here's how:

Buy a Tamiya M4A3; I'm using the new tool #35250.
Buy The Tank Workshop's full conversion kit: New resin upper hull, turret, aluminum short 75 barrel, idlers with detail on both sides, and stamped steel wheels ditto. About $38 and woth every penny IMO. The fit is great, the cast texture very nice indeed.

The Jumbo alway had tracks with extended end connectors, so get an aftermarket track of your choice. I'll be using T48 with duckbills from Accurate Armour.

This makes for an expensive project, to be sure. But it is the best way to get a dimensionally accurate Jumbo.

Greg

Hi all,

One more to build M4 Sherman Crocodile by Steve Zaloga.

Thanks Jose. Can Zaloga make your mouth water or what! What a talent. The vehicle is a tribute to his creativity and artistic talents. WoW.
DJ

I have to second the vote for the Tank Workshops full conversion set for the Jumbo. It is very nice. I really like their including of a full set of road wheels. I have heard the Jumbos used the early Open Spoke type road wheels, though. This is may because they were the lightest, I'm not 100% sure. Every picture I can find of a Jumbo that shows road wheels shows them using the Open Spoke (5 spokes) type. Wish I knew this before I finished my Jumbo ;-)

Jumbos have been seen with all types of wheels. The open-spokes were preferred on the front bogies, as they were perceived as being structurally stronger and better able to bear the increased weight of armor than the stamped or pressed wheels. But I have seen pictures of a Jumbo in postwar French service sporting a full set of stamped-steel dish wheels like the ones supplied with the TTW set. So, don't feel bad about building a model with dished wheels--they were for real.

For my Jumbo, I am using DML bogies in front so I can "droop" the suspension arms a little. This is obvious when you look carefully at pictures; all that extra weight compressed the suspension some. My front wheels will be spokes, but I am blocking in the spokes with styrene bits to represent the welded-over wheel variation. The other bogies will be stock Tamiya with a mix of Tamiya open-spokes and TTW dished wheels. Don't worry; I'll take pictures before and after painting and post them when the model is done and I can get back to the site.
Greg

Jeff ,at the very least get The Tank Workshop Jumbo Transmission cover The Tamiya's one isn't thick enough I believe VLS still sells TAnk Workshop www.modelmecca.com I'm not sure of the item # #:-)
Chad

Hi,

Have anyone tried the RHPS tracks ?

The RHPS track-links are really nice. If I had a gripe about them, perhaps it would be shallow depressions in the pads of the "rubber" portions of the links - just deep enough to show after painting. Other than that - they're great.

Gunnie

RHPS are pricey and not easy to find.

At least on this side of the pond.

I can get them but as Gunnie said that depression bothers me putty would do but on The AFV no problem.

a blown-up Sherman ain't half bad #:-)

Did anyone get that Verlinden half submerged Sherman? If so, what do you think?
DJ

Jeeeeeeeeez, get you guys yakkin' about Sherman's, and see what is wrought!

Tread.

Seriously though, I've got a Sherman related question. In my attempt to become more 'Sherman friendly', I picked up a VLS replacement resin turret for the Sherman with the applique armour and the long 75mm gun, kit # 317 off of EBay some time back. Which would be the best use (read, match-up) of this turret ?

Thanks for any help. Is there anyone here who knows anything about Sherman's?

Tread.