Pat McGrath takes a close look st this new kit from dargon, the M4A2 Tarawa. Thanks Pat!

Dragon: M4A2 Tarawa



If you have comments or questions please post them here.

Thanks!

Wonderful review. Thanks Pat. Question though. I see the price is in Euro's which converts to about £16.50 !! Pretty good for such a great kit.

Any idea when it will be available in the U.K.?

Thanks

Tony

Cheers Tony
The kit was supplied for review by Dragon Models so the price quoted is from Hobbylink Japan where I have another one on order. With postage it'll come in at around 37 euro which is about €5 cheaper than in my LHS. Dragon kits are usually around £23 in the UK am I right? No idea when the UK will have them though.

Hi Pat,

Thanks for the review, excellent.

Is there any major difference between this one and the Mk III that's due out apart from the obvious British bits.

You highlighted Commonwealth use, could you give me a bit more on that. I know the Canadians had a lot of Mk IIIs.

Looks like a graet kit, pity they didn't include a metal barrel.

Cheers

Al

I received mine last week and after reading this review it's now the 2nd to mention the twisted teeth on the DS tracks. I opened mine up and sure enough, the method of packing in the "card" has resulted in some seriously twisted/deformed teeth on both tracks right at the tension points of the card. One track isn't too bad but the other is very mangled. Guess I'll have to contact DragonUSA about getting a replacement set.

Alan
This version has the square welded hoods whereas the forthcoming Sherman III will have cast hoods. There are plenty of photos Polish mk IIIs with welded hoods as well as New Zealand and Canadian. I’m sure if you look though the IWM database you’ll find some. Here’s one from the Staffordshire Yeomanry, 27th Armoured Brigade, during 'Goodwood', http://www.iwmcollections.org.uk/media/images/Photographs/Image/B_007555.jpg
and another from the 13th/18th Royal Hussars

http://www.iwmcollections.org.uk/media/images/Photographs/Image/H_038992.jpg

There’s an article in Military Modelling showing some from the Wiltshire yeomanry the Jay Laverty used a basis for his model, although I think he got the colour wrong
http://hsfeatures.com/features04/shermaniiijl_1.htm
I’ll see what else I can dig up.
Bill
try leaving the tracks in warm water for ten minutes. That’s working for some people

]

I just got the kit last week and I must agree, It's an excellent kit. What's really interesting is that it's taking me longer to build this model than the actual tank lasted on Tarawa. Most were knocked out within 72 hrs. Some didn't even make it onto the beach.

Pat,

The warm water method worked with the teeth that were bent inward, unfortunately in my case because of where I live, I think the heat of riding around in a delivery truck and then sitting on my front step until I came home didn't help matters. :-)

One of the tracks has severely deformed guide teeth on one side, and as luck would have it, this is the side that would display outward, not in.

Can any of you guys please tell me how to attach those tiny bolts to the rear armor plate? They are so tiny.

Okay I haven't got that far yet but heres what I plan to do.
The attachment spots are premarked so after very carefully cutting the bolts from the fret I would pick them up with a piece if plasticene or non-drying Modelling clay on a cocktail stick, apply CA glue to them and carefully push them into place. Hold them there while the glue dries and the plasticene should pull away easily

Ahhh, great idea. Thanx a million!

Huh?

Those tracks are not sided -- just directional. Swap sides and the bad guide horns will be on the inside.

Great review for a great kit!

Bob,

The other side's teeth are also deformed on the same track, the pic shows the "good" side unfortunately. :-) Might be able to hide one set with the sprocket but since they wrapped it around the card in a circular pattern, the rear side is plain to see around the idler. The tracks are beautifully molded, probably the best I've ever seen as one-piece tracks, it's a shame they packaged it this way and I hope my case is in the minority.

Edit:

DML has posted an announcement on their main site regarding the DS Tracks:

http://www.dragon-models.com/html/6062announcement.htm

The hot water treatment they recommend, which I attempted already, worked for straightening the teeth back upright but not for correcting the deformity.

I've raised a ticket with Dragon Care and will see what happens.

http://www.dragoncare.com/chsmain.asp

Roger that, Bill. Good luck with Dragoncare. Others have reported good things, so I hope it works out for you!

I was lucky and my M4A2's tracks are OK.

ooooo ... they are pretty gooey and spongy compared to previous tracks. I wonder if this is the shape of things to come?

I got one today. A little disappointed when open the box. 1. No of spures only half of M1A1 AIM but with the same price. 2. not so luck to have un-damaged (or recoverable) tracks. However, the molding quality is excellent (not superb). Comparing to Tamiya AFV's price and no of parts. I feel better.

A question to the T54E1 tracks that DML provide, does T54E1 have the holes (pointed at the picture below) ?

Hi Pat,

Thanks very much for that, looks like this one will have to go on the to buy list :-) :-)

There seems to be a bit of a problem with the tracks. I like the individual ones now I've gotten used to them, progress!!

Thanks again for the references and for highlighting the differences.

Cheers

Al

I just saw it it at the LHS, if I hadn't just bought up 3 of his cyber-hoby models I would of picked it up

Funy thing is being used to indies now like Magic tracks, its the continuous ones that scare me in kits.