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The M4 Sherman Tank Epic Information Thread.. (work in progress)


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2 minutes ago, Jeeps_Guns_Tanks said:

Never built those. I did have some sweet diecast tanks with working treads, and guns, that you could cock back and load a little red shell in the muzzle and press the antenna and it shot the little shell. 

 

Just now, Walter_Sobchak said:

My friend down the street had those when I was a kid.  They made a tiger and and chieftain.  

"Dinky" is the maker you are looking for. Matchbox  also had some  nominal 1/50 scale models  .  The other was Solido from France.

Only Dinky and Matchbox offered firing models, to my memory.

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1 minute ago, Jeeps_Guns_Tanks said:

Yeah, it's kinda funny too, those were not used all that long, but they end up on every tiger reproduction!

 

I wonder if it was because of Tiger 131 at Bovington? It was the most convenient example of a Tiger tank available for British model makers to use as a source.  And probably once one model was out there, the next company used it as a reference, and so forth and so on.  

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Lindberg models are fucking terrible. The crewmen that come with the SdKfz 222 have their binoculars molded directly into their face so clumsily that they don't actually have any facial features.

 

But speaking of Shermans, Warspot wants me to do a recognition guide. I'm clear on the major stuff, like the turrets (old school/T23), suspensions (M3 style with the roller on top, the upgraded kind, HVSS), tracks, small/large hatch and associated UFP slopes (the large hatch ones have less sloping, right?), and obviously the major visual differences between the M4/M4A1/M4A2/M4A3/M4A4. Is there anything else I'm missing?

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1 hour ago, EnsignExpendable said:

Lindberg models are fucking terrible. The crewmen that come with the SdKfz 222 have their binoculars molded directly into their face so clumsily that they don't actually have any facial features.

 

But speaking of Shermans, Warspot wants me to do a recognition guide. I'm clear on the major stuff, like the turrets (old school/T23), suspensions (M3 style with the roller on top, the upgraded kind, HVSS), tracks, small/large hatch and associated UFP slopes (the large hatch ones have less sloping, right?), and obviously the major visual differences between the M4/M4A1/M4A2/M4A3/M4A4. Is there anything else I'm missing?

 

Gun mantlet and gun sights for 75mm gun as well as the absence or presence of loaders hatch.

 

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13 hours ago, Walter_Sobchak said:

I remember my friend and I never did figure out what those black plastic things on the back were for (the engine snorkels)

Oh, the "Feifel" air filters?  Yeah those still turn up on Tiggers, in games, etc.

They were meant for North Africa.

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2 hours ago, EnsignExpendable said:

Lindberg models are fucking terrible. The crewmen that come with the SdKfz 222 have their binoculars molded directly into their face so clumsily that they don't actually have any facial features.

 

But speaking of Shermans, Warspot wants me to do a recognition guide. I'm clear on the major stuff, like the turrets (old school/T23), suspensions (M3 style with the roller on top, the upgraded kind, HVSS), tracks, small/large hatch and associated UFP slopes (the large hatch ones have less sloping, right?), and obviously the major visual differences between the M4/M4A1/M4A2/M4A3/M4A4. Is there anything else I'm missing?

They don't make their own molds.  I don't think Lindberg has made a mold since...Ever.. They buy old molds and reissue "vintage" kits.

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2 hours ago, EnsignExpendable said:

Lindberg models are fucking terrible. The crewmen that come with the SdKfz 222 have their binoculars molded directly into their face so clumsily that they don't actually have any facial features.

 

But speaking of Shermans, Warspot wants me to do a recognition guide. I'm clear on the major stuff, like the turrets (old school/T23), suspensions (M3 style with the roller on top, the upgraded kindill, HVSS), tracks, small/large hatch and associated UFP slopes (the large hatch ones have less sloping, right?), and obviously the major visual differences between the M4/M4A1/M4A2/M4A3/M4A4. Is there anything else I'm missing?

 

I'll check the thread when I get home from work, abd see if I can think of anything else.

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55 minutes ago, Jeeps_Guns_Tanks said:

Post some pics! More sherman pics the better.

 

Tricky at the minute, but I would be glad to once I get sorted out.....The only ones I have pictures of right now are the Airfix kit I posted earlier in this thread and a bunch of WIPs:

 

PrimeTimeTrio

Unimodel 1/72 M4A1s (with a lot of extras)

 

Strongly recommend the modellers here check out Britmodeller (& Missing Lynx if you don't already), invaluable source of information and there are some serious experten there who are always glad to help out with advice & tips.

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6 hours ago, Walter_Sobchak said:

 

Gun mantlet and gun sights for 75mm gun as well as the absence or presence of loaders hatch.

 

 

Gun Mantlet is a good point. I can tell the difference between M34 and M34A1, anything else? 

 

Also only the British cut out a loader's hatch in old turret Shermans, right? It would probably help to have the proper numbers/terms for all of these things...

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5 hours ago, EnsignExpendable said:

 

Gun Mantlet is a good point. I can tell the difference between M34 and M34A1, anything else? 

 

Also only the British cut out a loader's hatch in old turret Shermans, right? It would probably help to have the proper numbers/terms for all of these things...

 

 

 

Hmm, note the M4 105 and M4A3 105 tanks have two ventilators on their turrets and a specific gun mantlet and gun mount. 

 

There were two types of 75mm turrets, a high and low bustle, but that's really in the weeds if you're mostly concerned with telling models apart. 

 

Don't forget about the Composite hull M4 tanks. 

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11 hours ago, EnsignExpendable said:

Yup, I already mentioned composites in my Firefly article, so I'll cover them again. Whats the difference between a high and low bustle turret? Is there a matrix of manufacturers and features specific to each one somewhere?

"high " and "low" had to do with the vertical height of the bustle.

A "low" had less space between the base of the bustle, and the engine deck when the gun was facing forward.

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21 minutes ago, Meplat said:

"high " and "low" had to do with the vertical height of the bustle.

A "low" had less space between the base of the bustle, and the engine deck when the gun was facing forward.

 

Yeah, and when the large hatch hulls came out, the hinge point could rub the low bustle turrets, this could be fixed with some grinding. 

low_bustle_1.JPG'

high_bustle_1.JPG

more pics here

http://the.shadock.free.fr/sherman_minutia/turret_types/75mm_turrets.html

 

The pistol port also got removed them brought back. 

 

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Another question, probably not about the Sherman specifically, what is mpq? I have some documents on Sherman trials, the M4E1 gave .77 mpg and 3.8 mpq in cross country trials when running on diesel fuel, for instance. 

 

Edit: never mind, I figured it out, it's oil consumption. Naturally it's measured with a different unit than fuel. 

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