Codename: Sherman 2016 - 3pc Differential Housing Conversion 210122

[Pinky]

As UVS said, Warlord have said they are releasing a plastic Sherman V (with a Firefly hinted at as well).  It looks quite good too - it includes a blanket box on the turret, spare wheels and tracks, and a commander.  There's no real incentive for Rubicon to do one now.

[H0ffmn]

Warlord have it available for pre-order on their website, with an April release date

[ultravanillasmurf]

Warlord have it available for pre-order on their website, with an April release date

I wonder if they will have it on offer (like they did with the M4) at Salute?

Back on subject, so models of a small number of shiny tanks (jumbo or easy eight) or lots of dull lend lease?

[Rubicon Models]

Don't really worried about who is releasing what products.  We do have our own production schedule and everything is on time as planned.

The WLG plastic Sherman V is again a PSC scaled up (slightly modified) kit.  The figure on the turret had gave it away...
 

[Pinky]

Then it's going to be a very average kit.  In fact, looking at the photo of the built and painted model, I can now see that it must be a scaled up PSC kit.  This means the dimensions and some of the details look a bit off - what looks fine in 15mm can look rather less so in 28mm.  Strangely, however, the commander is the reverse of the 15mm version.

[Rubicon Models]

We still believe building a digital library of M4 components is the way to go!

When completed, we can build almost any M4 variants we wanted as need arises... and it is about 60% completed!

Here is a rare look of the duckbill extender fresh from the 3D printer!


Enjoy!

[Pinky]

They look awesome.  And you've managed to improve the tread pattern! 

[ultravanillasmurf]

Excellent.

Probably does not fit in with my army building but I am always tempted by shiny stuff.

[Rubicon Models]

They look awesome.  And you've managed to improve the tread pattern!

Is a relatively expensive investment to get these tread pattern done! 

[Pinky]

Is a relatively expensive investment to get these tread pattern done! 

It requires slide moulding - right?

The problem is, once you've shown it can be done, you're not going to want to go back...

[H0ffmn]

I didn't notice it in your earlier drawings,but your 3D prototype has the steel cleat track. If this is for the upgrade to your M4A3 kit, I would suggest that you use the rubber cleated T-48 track instead. It was the most common type on U.S. Shermans in NW Europe

[Rubicon Models]

Food for thoughts for those who are interested.
Would like to compile a list of key features for each variant for future references...

M4 / 6,784 produced / Jul 42 – Jan 44
- 75mm gun
- have a composite production variant
- both small and large hatches

M4(105) / 6,281 produced / Feb 42 – Dec 43
- 105mm gun on large hatch only

M4A1(76)W / 3,246 produced / Jan 44 – Jul 45
- 75mm & 76mm gun
- both small and large hatches

M4A2 / 8,053 produced / Apr 42 – May 44
- 75mm gun
- small hatch

M4A2(76)W / 2,915 produced / Apr 44 – May 45
- 76mm gun
- large hatch

M4A3 and so on...

[ultravanillasmurf]

I am not sure if there was a large hatch welded M4 75mm, the M4 composite appears to have used a large hatch M4A1 style front.

The large hatch M4 105mm looks completely different to a normal M4.

Single source warning, but this has pictures: http://the.shadock.free.fr/sherman_minutia/

[Pinky]

How 'granular' do you want to go?

For instance:

Very early production M4s, M4A1s and M4A2s had M3 bogies and a bolted transmission housing.  The M3 bogies were quickly superseded by M4 bogies (of which there was an early and late version).  The bolted transmission cover was replaced soon after (again there was an early, rounded version and a later 'sharper' version).  All M4A3s had a cast transmission housing and M4 bogies.  All M4A4s had M4 bogies and a bolted transmission housing).

All early production M4s, M4A1s, M4A2s, M4A3s and M4A4s also had direct vision ports for the driver and co-driver and the narrow mantlet.  The direct vision ports and narrow mantlet were replaced on all marks by periscopes, resulting in better armoured 'hoods' for the driver and co-driver.  The narrow mantlet was also replaced by the wider M34A1 mantlet in late 1942.

It gets more complicated as the number of variants proliferates.  For instance, the pistol port in the turret side was eliminated in 1943 then reintroduced in 1944.  Appliqué armour was added, both during production and in field workshops (a lot of upgrading was done in the UK ahead of D-Day).  It wasn't uniformly fitted to all marks. 

And so on...

[Rubicon Models]

What we are looking for are "standard" features on various variants for quick references.  We understand there are many minor details and differences, but those are not our key concerns.

What we basically wanted for each variant is:

1) Early war features

2) Late war changes

more or less of a "must have" list for each variant!