Here's the latest from Dragon, the Sherman M4A3 (105mm) HVSS.

Dragon: Sherman M4A3 (105mm) HVSS



If you have comments or questions please post them here.

Thanks!

Man you'v got the greatest job in the world...

Naw! For really great jobs you get paid! :-)

Vinnie

Thanks for another review Vinnie. I hope these Dragon Shermans hit the model shops soon. I look forward to a build review as well.
Cheers

Tony

Thanks for the preview, Vinnie.... so many cool models, so little time!

Buyers of the kit should know (and the instructions indicate this) that the two oval plates on the corners of the engine deck should be scraped off (they were a leftover from the M4A2 76W kits)

Good to see Dragon redoing M4A3(105).

From the preview


This sprue is from the previous 76mm gunned Sherman kits.



The suspension is from the M4A3(76)HVSS "Thunderbolt VII" kit released in September 06.

Chris "toadman" Hughes
Toadman's Tank Pictures

I hear this is due out in December and I took a look at that turret. It looks like yet more Shermans will be flowing from Dragon

Thanks for the review Vinnie

Now as for the tracks............. The guide horns have to be glued onto the tracks I think the only way Dragon could have the hollowed out guide horns is to make them seperate from the tracks The hollowed out portions go from front to rear If you looks at them from the side,the horns are solid

Vinnie: Don't leave that brass tube hanging like that -- you need to slide it away from the oil reservior and glue it to the short piece.

As Chris points out, the suspension is the same as from the "Thunderbolt VII" kit, which I am currently building (Not a perfect kit, but pretty doggone nice!) There are 28 pieces in each bogie, but they build easily and look wonderful when done.

Chad: Those guide horns look pretty sweet -- they even have the hole in the top and the bolt head inside. They should glue to the new soft-styrene tracks with regular model glue.

Bob, wouldn't be that clever to glue it in place, since it's not staying there....would it? It's far too long and doesn't match the reference pictures I have of the real thing. :-)

Vinnie

It stays there. The tube slides on the righthand side.

I know it stays there. It's still too long though. I meant the brass part on my model isn't staying there. :-)

Vinnie

OK ... I'm not sure I'm following all this.

The tube is the right length. The bogies on my model are built and painted and match all of my references, including the photo I posted above.

This shot from PMMS shows the AFV Club bogey and the Dragon bogey. The tube looks good to me.

Thanks for the review Vinnie

Here's what I mean. The brass part looks too long.

Vinnie

Vinnie, double check your bogey assembly. I think you have the volute spring inserted the wrong way. AFAIK (I have been wrong) the spring always points to the reservoir. Left side of vehicle has the reservoirs to the rear and the spring points to rear. Right side of vehicle has the reservoirs to the front and the springs point forward.

The tube you are concerned about comes to about the end of the spring housing. If the spring is turned around, I think the tube will fall to about the end of the spring housing, and the tube will probably seem more correct in proportions. I hope this makes sense to you.

If I'm wrong, I do apologize.
Taylor...

Thanks Taylor. I noticed that once I'd posted the pics, but happily, the whole assembly isn't permananetly fixed yet, it's held together with a prayer! I think I'll still be removing a couple of millimetres off the end of that tube though, and also wrapping some lead foil around the large spring to represent it's end, which isn't shown on the kit. It's something I really want to get on with and build, but unfortunately everything is on hold now until after Telford!

Vinnie

Good deal that it's still loose! I like your foil idea, sounds great. As for the tube, I'm sure you have a better eye for it, since you are seeing it in person. Welcome to the wonderful Sherman! Seems you are using up lot's of OD paint lately .

Taylor...

Vinnie, something else to watch out for when building the rest of the suspension units is that parts Q13 & Q14 have a tightening nut on one side which should face towards the wheel and not in towards the spring as you have it. It's an easy mistake to make I had to go back and take a few apart when I was building the Thunderbolt VII kit
The high bustle turret sprue looks good and I think by substituting a 75mm gun and mantlet for the 105 and leaving off the rear vent cover it can be turned into a regular 75mm High bustle turret.
Great times for Sherman modellers

Vinnie,

What did you make of the bogies?

I had a bit of bother with mine. Seemed like I needed another 2 hands. Maybe it was my technique as I have been out of the game for a while and this was my first kit for about 12 months, (easy eight in sepia)

Des