SPA Modeler

Planning upcoming build, a Sherman tank.

But dear SPAMmers, Carlos:

What would be the most suitable kit of the most common Sherman type ( find so many different under types)

Does not need to be way too over engineerd kit, but neither too easy build.

Any tips?

And of course, will use AM tracks!

- Kari

Yes, talk to Carlos you must, or rather you must wait for him to come here and respond. He even found a way to kit a Korean War Corsair in 1/32 scale for me, which I thought was going to take a resin sculpted fuselage and vac-formed wings and he was like nah, padawan, you get this one kit and use it as your foundation and go from there so I know he’s gonna show you the best way or ways to go about this project based on what he knows and he knows about you. He really is a Jedi Master with kit selections.

For a long time, the Tasca Sherman's (now boxed under the Asuka name) were considered the best in the scale....I recently picked one up on a sale and while I haven't built it yet, it seems nice!

Jeeves wrote:For a long time, the Tasca Sherman's (now boxed under the Asuka name) were considered the best in the scale....I recently picked one up on a sale and while I haven't built it yet, it seems nice!

Tasca/Asuka makes the best comprehensive line of 1/35 Sherman kits out there currently. But depending upon which version you are looking for, there are other options as well. Dragon has some good new tool Sherman kits, but their old es are not bad either. Academy makes some decent ones as well. And the new tool Tamiya M4A3E8 is gorgeous, but their older Sherman kits are so so- easy to build, but simplified or skipping some details. And Meng has just jumped into the game with a new released M4A3 76mm. The Sherman has a long varied production line, so your kit choices may be limited by which variant that you are wanting to build.

Thank you Bruce, Jeeves and Carlos!

Indeed, a lot of options...

- Kari

I'd say wait for Meng.
https://www.scalemates.com/kits/meng-mo ... w--1212512

The main thing is, do you want to model a particular type or period? If you’re looking for the post WWII versions, Tamiya and Academy offer the best choices for the most part. One more thing, do not underestimate the Italeri Sherman kits either.
I’m sure that Mengs kit will be very nice. But so far, they only offer a single version, and a late war ETO type at that.

Stikpusher wrote:The main thing is, do you want to model a particular type or period? If you’re looking for the post WWII versions, Tamiya and Academy offer the best choices for the most part. One more thing, do not underestimate the Italeri Sherman kits either.
I’m sure that Mengs kit will be very nice. But so far, they only offer a single version, and a late war ETO type at that.

I am looking for a Sherman type from June 44 onwards on the european theatre, a Sherman that ”liberated” western europe - type.
Not really sure which that would be precisely..

- Kari

Then it starts to break down by type and nation- US forces used mainly the M4 (including the composite hull type) and M4A1 75mm type thru the summer of 1944, with the M4A1 76mm showing up for Operation Cobra with 2nd and 3rd Armored Divisions. Commonwealth forces had the M4/M4A1 (not the M4A1 76mm), plus the M4A2 and M4A4 versions, with the 17pdr equipped Firefly from D-Day thru VE Day. Free French forces were mostly equipped with the Diesel engined M4A2, starting with the early hull type. The welded large hatch hull M4A2 and M4A3 with both the 75mm and 76mm guns did not appear in numbers until fall of 1944. The large hatch M4A3 in both 75mm and 76mm types was the main type for the 1945 fighting with US forces, replacing the older M4 & M4A1 types for the most part. Although both of those were still in front line use to the end. The M4A3E8 made its appearance in the later half of the Ardennes battle, and the M4A3E2 Jumbo entered combat in the fall of 1944. US forces did not use the M4A2 or M4A4 as a rule, for logistical reasons.

Many thanks Carlos for this outstanding package of information!

- Kari