The M551 model was really Academy new kit. It was built from test shot parts, not final ones, but still - it was not a mock-up.

See below:

Image

I compared these pics to previously posted pics of built model and it looks like the model was indeed built from these parts. For example note that the tow pintle is indeed located in the wrong place on the lower hull part above.

Let's just hope that "final products will be changed a bit for better quality"...

Pawel

Let it go man. Just be happy a new kit is coming out and live with it. What is your fascination /crusade against the Academy M551?

Thank you! I owe you a beer!

Gunnie

And thank you very much too. I suddenly feel I don't belong here... I won't bother you again.

Pawel

I have no interest in modern arms/armor. With that said, I will state that I'm on Pawel's side. I saw the original posting on this subject, and read it on the side of sceptisicm that the model was just a "mock-up" of what was to be released.

I feel that manufactures have no reason/excuse why their kits can not be accurate. Period.
Nough said. ... ducking for cover...

Ok my turn. I'm happy its coming. I really am. I just hope/wish/pray it isn't as jacked as what I am seeing. Looks like they copied the Jaguar lower hull, to a degree. Drivers escape hatch baffles me as to why its almost in the center of the hull, as do all of the little oval portions. I guess these are the hull drain plugs. Jagaurs kit looked almost the same on the bottom. Not complaining, just noticing. I'll shut up now. "Q"

EGAD! Geeze, I am sorry I posted in this thread and the other one. I won't make that mistake again!

Pawel, I sincerely apologize for writing anything that caused you discomfort.

I hope when the dang kit comes out, we create a Sheridan Campaign so that it gets BUILT and all these flaws ironed out in a positive manner for interested modelers.

I'm going back to dreaming of a Tank Destroyer Campaign now...

Gunnie

I'd like the M551A1 final version used in Desert Storm with the TTS added.

Hey Gunnie, wasn't there a Tank Destroyer campaign that is ending soon called Tank Terror? I would have participated in it but they did not allow Braille scale.

Speaking of Sheridan...There is a book by RP Hunnicut available on ebay and I was wondering if was worth a flip? Bradley one too...

Yep - I'd like the option to model more than one Sheridan too in that kit. I hope they "go Dragon" and consider following the trend of adding optional parts. One can dream...

Yep - I think the Tank Terror Campaign was close to the concept of the original Tank Destroyer idea - and I don't want to step on that thunder.

What I'm thinking about is a simple celebration of the Tank Destroyer machines, all scales and all eras. No heavy and restrictive rules other than keeping it to "tank destroyer" vehicles and ordnance. I think the new small scale kits will be as interesting as the 1:35th scale ones - maybe more so. STuG's and HellCats - I'd love to attract them all. The discussion going on over in the History Club Forum has got me all interested in the Tank Destroyers again...

Gunnie

I can't wait for the kit..... going to paint it pink....
put russian stars on it, and yellow wheels... and beatle figures for crew......
Whatt the hell... it's my money... my model .... and really could care less who likes it......

I'm going to be Paul, and Pvt Parts will be John......
Matthew would you prefer being Ringo or George...... ????
WE have room for one more...... but you don't get to pick.....

As for making a judgement about this or any other kit, I prefer seeing it myself....... before passing judgement.

I'll be ringo since I like the drums! :-) :-) "Q"

I've waited at least 2 years for this kit. I can't wait to do my usual marginal OOB build. I don't think I'll paint it pink :-) but it'll be fun. Now....all I need is a Duster.

Chuck

I give a build up at a show even less credence than the all too prevalent "in the box review." Who knows, or cares really, what the origin of the kit was. If you can handle the suspense, and don't mind not being the first kid your cyberblock to stay up three nights running so you can get out the first review, wait for someone else to purchase, and actually build one. Then, when all the rivets have been counted, throw up your hands in dismay and either buy one anyway, or wait another ten years until something better comes along.
That said, I wonder if half of the "problems" with this kit weren't builder generated. Pintle in the wrong spot.?Well, hell's bells! if it still LOOKS like a pintle, and is not just a misshapen blob of Colorado resin, simply move it to the correct location. Idler not spaced the same as in a photo you have? Hmmm...it COULD be that the idler, either on the model or the 1:1 version, was moved to provide the correct track tension.
I never served on a Sheridan, and haven't a single photo of one I've taken myself, so silly me-when I saw the pics of the new kit I thought, "Hey, nice kit-maybe I'll get one." On the other hand, I recently built a resin kit of a piece I DID crew, and before I found my photos, I thought the thing was spot on. And now, having pored over those photos to get every last detail right, I doubt anyone would know the difference. I'd buy another one even, and I'll bet if I showed it to my buds back in the 1/355, they'd say, "Cool howitzer, dude. Looks just like the one we use."

So what exactly would be different from a Viet Nam era Sherdian and one used in Desert Storm? Sorry - I don't know what a TTS is. Any other major differences? The Squadron Signal book I have only makes a brief reference to the 82 Airborne Sherdians deployed during Desert Shield. I don't have a Hunnicut's book (man, I wisht they would reprint those).

Thanks

cn

Gee , thanks to you guys I'll save my money and build that old tamiya kit cllecting dust .

What I want to know about is the Dodge ambulance and the GMC 6x6 in the in the background of one of the M551 pics . Maker and scale???

When the M60A3TTS was being phased out of the inventory there was a surplus of TTS or tank thermal sights. The guys at Anniston upgraded a bunch of M551 and called them M551A1. Gave the Sheridan a great night vision sight. Better than most of the Abrams tanks on the battlefield during Desert Storm.

Thats a crummy attitute to have. if modelers overall had that attidute, we would be still stuck building 1970's era kits that well fit together well, but had some major quaitly errors to them.

Academy needs to learn that most modelers want an accurate model out of the box, not one where they have to spend 10's of hours correcting the problems that shouldnt have been there in the first place. Academy has had a horrible track record with their AFV releases and accuarcy for ages now. The only kit I think of that doesnt have any thing major (i.e. dimental flaws that aren't easily corrected) was the M12. Everything else has some sort of flaw (major or minor in dimentions) in it, like M18,Stuarts, M10/36 and the M4 series they have done. If this M551 doesnt have corrections done to it to fix the big isses with the running gear, I'm not going to spend my money on it and I'm not going to have any hope for when they release their M3 medium tank series.

I'll just wait for the kit to arrive. As I stated previously, I'm happy the kit is coming. I'm anxious to compare it with the Tamiya and Jaguar kits I have. Build all three and do a nice little write up on it.

jcneel- Some of the differences between the Vietnam era Sheri's and the Desert Storm era ones include, different grenade launchers, the addition of TTS that Sabot mentioned, differing bustle racks, a different arrangement for the armored tub on the cupola and the addition of a laser range finder. There are more, but I can't recall all of them. Once the 82nd Sheri's returned from DS the search light was dropped as well. Not sure if they had the TTS installed and maintained the searchlight during DS, but I know pics show them in DS with searchlights mounted. I could be wrong on this though. Some later mods we made were the deletion of the standard aircleaner. We replaced this with a "V" pack, simular to what is used on Brads and Abrams today. Very tight fit, but they ran sooooo much stronger with these. Easier to clean and re-install as well. Ealry Sheri's had a different gun tube as well using a OBSS (Open Breech Scavenging System) for removing the burnt embers from the caseless ammo. This didn't work too well so they went to a CBSS instead. You can tell the difference by looking at the gun tube. If it appears to have a bore evacuator running almost the entire length of the tube, OBSS. If the bore evacuater is short, CBSS. Kind of hard to explain, but if you see one, you should be able to figure it out. HTH. "Q"

From the sound of it I should just ebay my Jaguar Sheridan (the build sounds like a horror show) which I have on the shelf.

I am curious about one thing. Did the 82's Sheridans in DS actually fire any rounds during the actual war? I know they were rushed to the area as a stop gap (not sure this is the best term for it but you know what I mean) while forces were mustered and deployed but I am curious if they participated in combat when the ground war kicked off.

Not wishing to enter into the whys or wherefores or who said what to whom and how it is interpreted, I would like to make the following points.

Academy, like Tamiya, is not (IMHO) really in the 'Armor Business' any more. They have announced a handful of new releases, three in 1/72nd, and the Sheridan.

Academy's M3 series, has been the subject of rumor and counter-rumor for the last few months. My gut-feeling, is that it won't appear.

Sitting here on the bleachers with my large (virtual) popcorn and my (even larger) virtual beer, this thread (like the other) is not an particularly edifying sight. That said, I can see the arguments on both sides:

a) There is no excuse for sloppy (if this is indeed the case) research.

b) Personally, i'd wait for someone who knows what they are talking about, to have it in their hands and start evaluating the sprues, the construction and the reference sources. in other words, twenty pics of display model is NOT going to convince me, one way or another..

I don't like absolutes. I don't like everything being black or white. At the end of the day, we are discussing Plastic Model Kits. Not cures for poverty or cancer. Plastic Model Kits. It's something we all enjoy and get a lot of personal satisfaction out of. It isn't the end of the world if a kit doesn't come up to scratch....Jim

I agree with jimbrae regarding letting the consumer decide for themselves the relative merits of a kit. In these pages I have ladyed and moaned about the quality of a particular resin conversion kit, yet I DID succeed in using it to produce a model that I am quite proud of. The model would not have been on my shelf if the conversion kit had not been available.

If the Sheridan is overall better than the old Tamiya standby, then it should be the basis for many successful models in the near future, given the abilities and expertise of those who read these forums.

Bur if all we can do is criticize something that is not even in our hands yet, we had better back up and re-examine just what it is we expect to find when we open a model box. It is a kit, whether injection-molded (Tamiya/Academy) or resin (Jaguar) that is only parts, pieces and maybe instructions. It still requires the modeler to put it all together--good or bad, this is where the talents of the individual come to play.

I guess you might say that I fall into the category of not being a nuts and bolts counter. An article in MMiR had the line that the kit looked like the real thing, and that was just fine for the author. And that's good enough for me!

Jim Peterson