Codename: Sherman 2016 - 3pc Differential Housing Conversion 210122

[ultravanillasmurf]

Excellent.

There is a picture of the M4A4 engine here:http://ultravanillasmurf.blogspot.co.uk/2016/04/frankenengine.html

[Pinky]

Finally, the M4A4.  It was powered by 5 6-cylinder engines bolted together, which necessitated extending the hull.  The M4A4 therefore had a noticably longer profile than the other types. This type was not used operationally as a gun tank by the US Army (which regarded the power plant as unsatisfactory), but it was used for training in the US.  It was widely used by the Allies - principally the British (as the Sherman V), but also the Canadians, Free French and Free Poles in NW Europe and Italy.  A small number were also used by the British and the Chinese 1st Provisional Tank Group in Burma.

Distinguishing features: elongated hull with additional space between bogies, radiator bulge behind turret, sloping rear hull without visible exhaust, 'low bustle' turret.

Early production: M4 bogies, bolted transmission housing (all M4A4s had the bolted transmission housing), direct vision ports and narrow M34 mantlet.

Mid production: M4 bogies, bolted transmission housing, periscopes instead of direct vision ports, narrow M34 mantlet (transitioning to wider M34A1 mantlet during production).  Many were rebuilt to late production standard in 1944.   

Late production: M4 bogies, bolted transmission housing, periscopes instead of direct vision ports, wide M34A1 mantlet, appliqué armour on the hull sides, glacis and (depending on when the turret was produced) on the right turret cheek, sand shields and gun travel lock. 

[ultravanillasmurf]

Excellent. I can understand the US Army concern having seen the engine at Duxford (see above link).

[sandsmodels]

the usa did us 2 variants of the m4a4, a few crab flails and some dd's later in new, but not as a gun tank.
they even had come Churchill avre's (inc an sbg)  in Italy and southern france

[Pinky]

According to Fletcher's book on the Sherman DD, the Americans used a few M4A4 and M4A2 DDs for the Rhine crossing (although he doesn't mention the M4 Composite DD at all).  In his book on the Sherman Crab, he says the Americans rejected the Crab, although some British Crabs were seconded to US units and a few of them (presumably M4A4s) ended up with the 739th Tank Battalion.  I'm sure there will be other obscure exceptions (like British use of the M3A3), but the idea of this was to set out an overview of the development and employment gun tank types. 

[ultravanillasmurf]

Just a quick note about M4A2 Shermans,  some of them had fabricated drivers hoods.

The Shaddock site states that they have not seen non Fisher produced M4A2 tanks in USMC photographs and they used fabricated hoods (it is not clear if that all USMC tanks had fabricated hoods).

It might be a feature to include in any model.

[ripley]

Driver's hoods ? Do you mean the canvas and glass hood used in the rain , stored in a box on the transmission cover ?  IRC a lot of US vehicles had these , I've seen M5 Stuarts and Chaffees with them on . Word is they leaked and weren't worth the hassle of setting them up or storing them when wet . Not to mention trying to close the hatch in a hurry under fire !

[Pinky]

Ripley - we're using "hood" to mean the raised cowling around the driver and co-driver's hatches.  Maybe "cowling" is a better word...

[ultravanillasmurf]

@Ripley,

As Pinky said, these parts of the Shermans:
http://the.shadock.free.fr/sherman_minutia/hoods_hatches/hoods_hatches.html

I suppose they are distinctly "hood" shaped on the 57° glacis.

Though it might be from a foreign language where hood means bonnet (of a car) ^______^.

[ripley]

The cast driver hoods , I got it . Some cast  rounded , some cast  squared off ,  and some actually welded together , depending which company supplied them . Its the same with the antenna pot beside the MG , how it looks depends on which smaller company made it . And various types can be seen on the one factories tanks . Gets very confusing , even with the shaddrack site to figure out a tanks manufacturer from a war time picture 

[chrismanu87]

Guys, anything about something like this?There are some word on the side of this tank which would be good as decals...

[ripley]

War time shipping label painted on tank . Length , width , height , and weight , standard  stuff needed to ship large vehicles by rail . IRC , all US lend lease and  Canadian stuff shipped to UK / Russia  had these so it was easier to place on flatcars and ships to get the load balanced .( Also late war German stuff had this kind of stenciling as well ).  Would be nice to have this as a decal , but should   be vehicle specific  if your really an anorak     . North American trains have this kind of stenciling on most freight cars dating from the 20s . I've used N or HO scale decals to represent this , too small to read for the most part 

[Pinky]

I agree that it would be nice to have these shipping labels in decal form.  Sometimes there were markings in chalk as well. 

[Rubicon Models]

Had a very productive day at the studio.  We have a special meeting on the M4 project.

Here are some features put forth regarding the lower hull components for your feedback:

1) VVSS Bogie & Return Roller - We will be using the most common bogie assembly with the "offset roller" and skid.  These will be used on M4A1 / M4A2 / M4A3 variants.

2) VVSS Roadwheel - The type will depends on the variant, but will tend to use the two types found on our Allied Stowage Set 1.

3) VVSS Sprocket - Also depends on the variants, will research on factory production data.

4) VVSS Idler Wheels - Also depends on the variants, will be "paired" with the sprocket.

5) VVSS Tracks - On our existing M4A3, we have a slightly distorted T56E1 track.  We have also finished drawings on a T54 with duckbill track.  What other tracks do you want to see?  We are looking at doing ONE more...

6) HVSS Suspension - Basically not much of a variant to choose from, is pretty standard.

7) HVSS Tracks - This is important as we can only do ONE set with HVSS suspension.  The T66 (first track type for HVSS) is out of the question because of incompatible mould angle on our one piece track design.  We are fixed on a T80 / T80E5 track at the moment.

Any comments welcome!

[H0ffmn]

It looks like you've made up your mind on most of the features of your Sherman project. On feature choice number five, I'd suggest the T-48 rubber chevron track. It was the most used track in Europe. The T-54E1 that you talked about is the most common steel track. The easiest to mold would be either the T-41 or T-51, as the rubber pads are plain.
On choice number seven, you only leave two choices, unfortunately.  Really, only one, as I believe the T80E5 was made postwar. Have you considered etched brass for the face of the T-66 tracks? Maybe not the entire track, but just the cast pattern detail that meets the ground? I seem to remember a company that made etched brass track for the Roco Minitanks years ago. Maybe something like that?