Aca13500 135 Academy M4a3(76)w Sherman Battle of the Bulge Kit Review
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by: Tom Cromwell [ ] introductionThis latest release from Academy is based on the M4A3(76)Due west as they started turning up in Europe at the start of 1945. Early attempts to put the 76mm gun on a Sherman resulted in the M4A1(76)W, with the bandage hull and a turret with big round �divide� loader�south hatch borrowed from the aborted T23 tank programme, appearing at the Front in July 1944. By September tanks with the 76mm �T23� turret fitted to the new M4A3 hull with the 47-degree single-slice glacis (the so-called �large hatch� hull, assembled at both the Chrysler and Fisher plants) started arriving in Europe, just the split up loader�s hatch did non get replaced by the one-piece hatch on new tanks until after Christmas. The new turret was like to the before one, simply had an oval loader�s hatch and a new part number, and a double-baffled cage restriction on the gun. These tanks continued in employ to the end of the state of war, but further changes in production meant that Shermans also started appearing with the new HVSS �Easy Eight� break instead of the old VVSS type seen on this kit. So, the timeframe for this kit suggests a tank issued to troops around Jan-March 1945. This isn�t the first time round for any of the parts in this kit � Academy has offered the intermission in its M10/M36 kits for decades now, the hull in its Sherman Dozer (from 2001?) and M4A2 �Russian Ground forces� kits, and the turret in its M4A2 �Russian Army� kit. About of the hull parts appear in the Sherman Calliope kit of 2015 besides, reviewed by Russ Amott, whose comments are well worth reading. In fact, I think the only �new� parts are the decals! Other manufacturers have offered this type of Sherman too � notably Dragon, Tasca, and Italeri, although these last ii are of the earlier turret with split loader�s hatch. (The Italeri kit is nominally an M4A2, but yous go the A3 hull with a dissever A2 engine panel to splice in. A properly labelled M4A3 was released later.) contentsThe box is filled past 10 greenish sprues belongings 553 parts, with the sprues packed 2 to a plastic bag. So there are two vinyl tracks, a photo-compose fret, a decal canvass, and a piece of string. Flash on my sample was non-existent, and our quondam friend �Sammy Sink-Hole� makes very few appearances. However, the sprues accept lots of holes in them where the ejector pins failed to retract, suggesting that tool maintenance is needed � fortunately this did not affect any of the parts. Tracks are the T48 �rubber chevron� blazon, with factory-made extended end connector (EEC) �duckbills� fitted to the outer edge. In that location are a few nubs to remove from the chevrons, and a few faint ejector marks on the inner pad surfaces. The vinyl is fairly soft. Instructions come as an A4 line-cartoon booklet, with a separate folded sheet identifying the six marking schemes. markingsThe vi schemes are: Of these, the 709 TB scheme is from a well-known photo, merely is an early on �split up hatch� turret instead of the oval-hatch turret in this kit. The Beutepanzer is likewise from well-known photos, only to build it you will need to use the muzzle brake (instructions call for the thread-protector cap instead) and trim off the extended finish-connectors on the tracks. I could not find pictures of the other tanks, simply the units they stand for had a mixed bag of M4A3(76)W tanks over the class of the 1944/45 fourth dimension period, so these might be correct. The partsAcademy�southward �pick & mix� approach to sprues means there are parts to build most of the subtle flavours we have come to await from Sherman tanks. Most (if not all?) of these would use the later upswept bogie frames on sprue R, only if you wanted field-repair diverseness the horizontal-roller frames on sprue a are perfectly useful. Likewise there are open up-spoke wheels in the kit that might exist used equally replacements, fifty-fifty though they were erstwhile-hat by the time these tanks were built, and a couple of the after dished wheels too. Another option is the selection of muzzle brake or thread protector for the main gun, but tanks with the oval loader�s hatch mostly left the factory with the restriction installed, so information technology is odd that Academy calls for the protector instead. We too become ii Commander�s �vision� cupolas, and two sets of driver�s hatches, representing evolutions in tooling in the kit�s family tree � there�s certainly lots of parts for the spares-box. Sadly for some, these are not clear, but I�ve e'er preferred painting the glass anyway because it looks glossy blue-black from the outside and the clear plastic spoils the effect. Headlight guards are provided in both plastic and PE, but there is no bending tool for the complex shapes � I�1000 fortunate to have one left over from a Tasca build, but others may be stuck. The lamps themselves are solid green (no clear parts hither!), and then my usual approach is to paint the lens expanse argent so add several thick coats of Micro Gloss to build upwards a sort of �glass lens� upshot. They were removable, then if your tank is heading into combat you can just leave the lamps off and say they are stowed inside. Ane big upshot to annotation is the tracks � they are also brusque. Mine demand another link to stretch all the mode around the break, so are useless every bit supplied. Existent ones have 79 links, but these accept 76. Fit was adamant past stretching them effectually the built-up bogies rather than link-count, so I�m sure mine will non fit. You could try to splice in a section of the plastic rail on sprue H as I did, but information technology will exist hard to hide the change, and the vinyl will not take gum so the pins need to be melted like rivets. Besides, the tracks are also narrow (by nearly 0.75mm) and are best replaced anyway. This however causes trouble with the sprockets, which will need a shim of 0.030� plastic inserted to cope with proper scale-width tracks. The funny thing is the spare track blocks (for stowage) are the right size, so it isn�t equally if Academy didn�t know� the buildI started a build log nearly it, and so will only give highlights here. Starting with the hull, I plugged the useless square hole in the floor (thanks, Academy!) and added the tranny sides before calculation the housing � this avoided whatsoever fit problems that others complain about. It�s a compassion the details on the underside are so inaccurate for the M4A3 tank. Trouble came when I looked under the sponson floors, as there are big gaps to fill with plastic. The upper hull too needs some strip reinforcement along the edges to hold the sponson flooring edges in identify � I added this through the turret and engine-deck holes while property the upper hull in place. The idler wheels accept a major problem, since the hull comes from the Piece of cake Eight kit (where the idlers are different), and I needed to fill the holes and re-drill them to 2mm bore. The hole also needs reamed out to 3.2mm to a depth of 1mm � the resulting fit is then perfect. The bogie arms (parts a21/a22) don�t fit the peg on the bogie frames (R11/12) � drill the holes out to 2mm for a stiff press-fit. And the front bogie does non fit the hull considering the floor is deeper at the front � I filed downward the bit of the bogie sticking out that goes nether the hull until information technology fit. (Leave the peg/hole alone � these are at the correct height to match the other bogies�) The idler mounts (A21/22) are wrong � use F57/58 instead. And forget the concluding-drive housings F3 which are for the Like shooting fish in a barrel Eight sprocket, and use a18 to fit the kit sprockets. The moulded-on mounting plate for the idlers is spurious (not matching either the VVSS or HVSS types), simply fortunately is completely invisible behind the exhaust deflector. And don�t use the crank handle D29 as information technology was only on the radial-engined M4 and M4A1 tanks. The welds on the upper hull are all �trench�-types, and so I filled them with plastic rod and shaved information technology downwards. The real welds are raised apartment surfaces. Cast texture on the driver�due south plate is inadequate, then I glue-stippled it. The shapes of the ridges effectually the hatches and the bleed-gutters are slightly off, only at that place�south not much tin be done. The engine deck doors (A13/14) have interior item for anyone brave enough to fit an engine conversion, but the handles are moulded on as lumps. Meanwhile the handles on the back of the deck are separate parts. Go figure! On the bottom of the rear plate in that location are four small rectangles that need sanded off. These are the hinges for the late exhaust deflector (the ii-piece chore that swings up for access), which is not in this kit. The gun cleaning rods that mount nether the stowage shelf are missing despite existence in University�southward other kits. These are piece of cake to make from rod and strip. Academy gives united states of america the parts for the spare track holders on sprue H, only fails to mention them. Pretty much every M4A3 with VVSS interruption will have had these fitted at the factory. There is a tow cablevision to be made from the string, but no brackets to clamp it on the hull. I pinned one end into the forepart towing eye by scratching a quick-release pin from plastic scraps, since this was the most common type of attachment in period photos. There are shackles and even the late T-type hooks in the kit, simply these are rare to see in photos around Dec �44 - March �45. The turret shell has the spotting features of a Continental Foundry & Machine Co of Wheeling casting, merely lacks the �Westward in circumvolve� logo on the rear (to right of the vent dome) and under the hurry. Archer Transfers provides these equally resin decals on its Sherman casting numbers set 35007. Ane issue I institute was that the loader�due south hatch latch (E11) should be located next to the antenna base (and so equally to engage the round end of the hatch when open) but the antenna base is in the incorrect position on the turret roof. Information technology should exist further frontward, and it should take a larger base ring, like the other mount. This is fixable, if it bothers you � I just added the latch where it touched the open hatch and ignored the discrepancy. Either style, the marked location is wrong. The gun tube is about 5mm too short, when compared with drawings in �Son of Sherman�. The muzzle brake lacks the fine particular around the locking ring (where it attaches to the tube). A metal replacement barrel could be used with a little effort, but that would add together to the cost of the kit. The elevator rings on the gun shield need to be sanded into rounded profiles, as they await extremely flat � I establish this to exist delicate work. And assembling the gun shield to the frame that acts every bit trunions is tricky � the part gets trapped between the shield and a backing plate, with piddling room for error when gluing. The same goes when gluing the frame into the face of the turret, since any excess glue will freeze the gun at a stock-still elevation. There are several tabs on the turret roof for the mantlet dust comprehend that Academy says to remove. These were added to tanks that arrived in theatre old after New Year 1945, and the actual canvas seems to have been held up for some other couple of months, existence a rare sight even at the war�s end. One of the sprues has a number of these tabs on it to �shave & stick� on the gun shield and turret sides, and in that location are the metallic rods on sprue I to consummate the fittings, but no instructions to guide the modeller. (Instructions here from the University Easy Eight kit on 1999.co.jp shows where the rods all become, but leaves out the tabs which run down the turret sides and around the gun shield.) I chose to shave off the tabs for an early advent. Academy forgets to mention the demand for a periscope (E2) in the gunner�south position, but in that location are enough spare. Then at that place�south the fit of the shell-ejection port (or �pistol port�) on the left side of the turret. This needs to be blended into the turret, equally the existent affair was bandage as part of the main shell. The .50cal MG is a serious little kit in itself, and is almost too good for this tank! It begs to be used disassembled in a gun cleaning scene. The older MG on sprue D could exist used as an armature for sculpting the canvas bag seen over these when not in contact with the enemy. Another pocket-sized omission is the spotlight, unremarkably mounted in front of the loader�s hatch. (Cheers Carl for pointing information technology out to me!) A unmarried stub is moulded in, but in that location should be a taller cylindrical socket next to it for the low-cal. These lights were removable, and then the lack of actual lamp is less of an issue. conclusionsThere is a lot of potential in this re-release of Academy�due south M4A3(76)Westward, but there are major issues that will stump beginners and generally frustrate experienced modellers. With a piddling TLC (and possibly a decent spares-box) a fine model can be made, but without creative piece of work the running gear cannot exist congenital straight from the box. It�southward a shame.
Photos Click prototype to overstate About Tom Cromwell (barkingdigger) A Yank living overseas on a long-term basis, I've been building tanks since the early '70s. I savor the challenges of older kits (remember when Tamiya was "new"?...) because I love to scratch-build. Copyright �2021 text by Tom Cromwell [ ]. All rights reserved. |  Photos Click image to enlarge | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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