Monogram Sherman #2

[oldscool]

Here's ole Greased Lightning ready for battle. This is a better detailed kit than the first one with separate tools and actual towing loops rather than nubs molded to the hull. The Ma Deuce is better detailed as well although there is a sink hole in the ammo can. Parts fit was good and very little flash for such an old kit. I didn't do the rocket launcher version as i just don't care for the way it looks. The biggest let down are the cheesy vinyl tracks in both kits. I'm sure they could be made to look better by someone skilled at weathering. I painted both from the same tin of Humbrol enamel but the came out different shades. Don't know what caused it but the real things were seldom exactly the same shade after a period of time anyway.

Once again I had fun and they look good on the shelf. Now if I can track down the Hedgehog and the Greyhound scout car.

[PappyD340]

Very nice!

[Jim B]

Nice looking 75mm Sherman.  Well done.

[plasticprime]

Looks good! I have an original Monogram 1/32 release of the M3 Grant and the German Ostwind. The original boxes are long gone, but I saved the Shep Paine diorama sheet that came with the M3 and I still have both instruction sheets. (The unbuilt kits themselves are in plastic bags from an old line of local grocery stores that went out of business more than 50 years ago.) Actually, I think the rubber band tracks on the 1/32 kits aren't all that bad. I also had an original issue of the Screamin' Mimi, which I built, but that one met its demise at the hand of my Crossman pellet gun for the sake of a Super-8 film..
 

[Dave Van]

After seeing your builds I ordered the Revell kit...but found it was the wrong model for a 'Kelly's Hero' model.  So I ordered a MENG kit which is correct. 

You are doing nice work!!!

Edited June 28, 2021 by Dave Van

[oldscool]

12 minutes ago, Dave Van said:

After seeing your builds I ordered the Revell kit...but found it was the wrong model for a 'Kelly's Hero' model.  So I ordered a MENG kit which is correct. 

You are doing nice work!!!

Thanks Dave and everyone else. I'm thinking about filling those seams behind the drive sprockets with Wite Out and repainting them. Don't laugh, I have used it for filler in the past.

[Snake45]

On 6/27/2021 at 8:12 PM, oldscool said:

I didn't do the rocket launcher version as i just don't care for the way it looks.

First off, your build looks great! 

You did well not using the rocket launchers. Both these Monogram Shermans feature the very early suspension, a legacy from their common heritage/tooling with their M3 Grant/Lee kits. It's pretty rare to find these early suspensions in actual combat and I've NEVER seen them on a tank with either the rocket launchers or the "hedgehog" cutters. The first issues of these kits had an insert by Shep Paine showing how to modify the early suspension to the later, more common type, but it's a LOT of work. I didn't want to go through all that so I just built both of mine straight out of the box and made them more or less factory fresh. If you don't mind me posting pics in your thread, I'll see if I can find them on the computer (very old files) and post them. 

Again, great job! These '70s Mono tanks aren't the most detailed, but they're easy and fun builds, aren't they? 

[slusher]

Looks fantastic!

[oldscool]

8 hours ago, Snake45 said:

First off, your build looks great! 

You did well not using the rocket launchers. Both these Monogram Shermans feature the very early suspension, a legacy from their common heritage/tooling with their M3 Grant/Lee kits. It's pretty rare to find these early suspensions in actual combat and I've NEVER seen them on a tank with either the rocket launchers or the "hedgehog" cutters. The first issues of these kits had an insert by Shep Paine showing how to modify the early suspension to the later, more common type, but it's a LOT of work. I didn't want to go through all that so I just built both of mine straight out of the box and made them more or less factory fresh. If you don't mind me posting pics in your thread, I'll see if I can find them on the computer (very old files) and post them. 

Again, great job! These '70s Mono tanks aren't the most detailed, but they're easy and fun builds, aren't they? 

Yes they are great fun Snake. If you can find your pics feel free to post them.

[Snake45]

Thanks! Found 'em. The cast-hull one I built to match an illustration in the Squadron In Action book. The welded-hull is factory fresh. Both are straight OOB near as I can recall. 

[Mike999]

23 hours ago, Dave Van said:

After seeing your builds I ordered the Revell kit...but found it was the wrong model for a 'Kelly's Hero' model.  So I ordered a MENG kit which is correct. 

You are doing nice work!!!

Oddball's tank was an M4A3E4 Sherman, re-manufactured post-WWII in the former nation of Yugoslavia.  "Kelly's Heroes" was shot in Yugoslavia, partly because of those available Shermans.

The resin specialists Formations used to make a detailed "Oddball Sherman" conversion kit complete with loudspeaker etc.  And Jaguar used to make figures of Oddball and other crew members.  Unfortunately, both companies seem to be dead now. 

Here's a build of Oddball's Sherman with crew, using the Formations and Jaguar kits. It might help if you're building one:

 http://www.arcarm.com/Gal01/201-300/gal263-Sherman-Duddy/00.shtm

Edited June 29, 2021 by Mike999
omit

[Dave Van]

Thanks so much!!!! I want to get close....but ballpark will be OK.....figures would be cool.....maybe mod some Tamiya figures. 

[oldscool]

1 hour ago, Snake45 said:

Thanks! Found 'em. The cast-hull one I built to match an illustration in the Squadron In Action book. The welded-hull is factory fresh. Both are straight OOB near as I can recall. 

They look great. The welded hull must be the Hedgehog version.

[Snake45]

14 minutes ago, oldscool said:

The welded hull must be the Hedgehog version.

You are correct! But I didn't use it because as I said I couldn't find pics of one with that early suspension.

[Mike999]

Since I'm just hanging around anyway and have all this irrelevant trivia in my head...here's a quick guide to the different Sherman types by their engines.  All these are available as plastic kits, except for the ultra-rare M4A6.  Cromwell Models made a resin conversion kit for it, using any DML M4A4 chassis.

M4, M4A1: the earliest Shermans, like the M3 Lee/Grant before them, were powered by a Continental R975 radial engine. That was a license-built 9-cylinder Wright Whirlwind aircraft engine.  

M4A2: powered by 2 GMC 6-cylinder Diesel truck engines.  To avoid supply problems, the US Army wanted to standardize on gasoline-powered tanks.  It didn't use the M4A2 and the tank was fobbed off on the British, French and Russians.  And the U.S. Marine Corps, which liked the M4A2.  It could be re-fueled "right on the beach" by any Navy vessel burning Diesel.

M4A3: powered by the Ford GAA 8-cylinder DOHC aluminum engine.  The most common Sherman in US service, and the only model the US Army kept after WWII.

M4A4: powered by Chrysler's monster 30-cylinder A57 "Multi-Bank" engine, which was basically five 6-cylinder car engines on a common crankcase.  It required the Sherman chassis to be stretched.  The US Army feared a maintenance nightmare and (again) dumped it on the other Allies.  In actual service the M4A4 turned out to be dependable and easy to fix when it broke.

M4A6: the rarest Sherman, with only about 75 built and restricted to Stateside training.  It used the stretched M4A4 chassis, mounting a Curtiss-Wright 9-cylinder radial aircraft engine (same as the B-17 bomber).  Caterpillar modified the engine to run on almost any fuel, from Diesel up to 100-octane gas.  But by the time the M4A6 was built, the US Army had standardized on gasoline and lost interest in multi-fuel engines. 

[oldscool]

3 hours ago, Snake45 said:

You are correct! But I didn't use it because as I said I couldn't find pics of one with that early suspension.

Good to know.  I probably won't bother with building the hedgehog kit

[oldscool]

2 hours ago, Mike999 said:

Since I'm just hanging around anyway and have all this irrelevant trivia in my head...here's a quick guide to the different Sherman types by their engines.  All these are available as plastic kits, except for the ultra-rare M4A6.  Cromwell Models made a resin conversion kit for it, using any DML M4A4 chassis.

M4, M4A1: the earliest Shermans, like the M3 Lee/Grant before them, were powered by a Continental R975 radial engine. That was a license-built 9-cylinder Wright Whirlwind aircraft engine.  

M4A2: powered by 2 GMC 6-cylinder Diesel truck engines.  To avoid supply problems, the US Army wanted to standardize on gasoline-powered tanks.  It didn't use the M4A2 and the tank was fobbed off on the British, French and Russians.  And the U.S. Marine Corps, which liked the M4A2.  It could be re-fueled "right on the beach" by any Navy vessel burning Diesel.

M4A3: powered by the Ford GAA 8-cylinder DOHC aluminum engine.  The most common Sherman in US service, and the only model the US Army kept after WWII.

M4A4: powered by Chrysler's monster 30-cylinder A57 "Multi-Bank" engine, which was basically five 6-cylinder car engines on a common crankcase.  It required the Sherman chassis to be stretched.  The US Army feared a maintenance nightmare and (again) dumped it on the other Allies.  In actual service the M4A4 turned out to be dependable and easy to fix when it broke.

M4A6: the rarest Sherman, with only about 75 built and restricted to Stateside training.  It used the stretched M4A4 chassis, mounting a Curtiss-Wright 9-cylinder radial aircraft engine (same as the B-17 bomber).  Caterpillar modified the engine to run on almost any fuel, from Diesel up to 100-octane gas.  But by the time the M4A6 was built, the US Army had standardized on gasoline and lost interest in multi-fuel engines. 

Thanks for all the info Mike.

[mustang1989]

That's a good lookin' Sherman Gerald!! I've always liked the looks of this track and have learned alot about them in the last few years. The book Spearhead by Adam Makos shed alot of good as well as alot of bad light on them. Great book if you ever get the chance to read it.....but then again....anything from Adam Makos is a good read.

[oldscool]

Thanks Joe. Another good book on Shermans is Steven Zalogas Armored Thunderbolt.