Sherman Firefly VC

[Niall]

Some photos of the Firefly I'm building for a mate. All modifications are scratchbuilt, except for the cupola, barrel and lights.
I'm waiting on 3D printed rear hull vents, fire extinguishers, driver's and bow machine gunner's hatches and the second radio ariel from Shapeways.

[BarryC]

You doing excellent work with the scratch built parts.

Barry

[Harry Serpent]

Looking good, always nice to see more Sherman Firefly tanks.

[c.rainford73]

Most excellent work. I really like how these Shermans become so menacing when converted as such. Well done

[Firefly68]

Great work on the Firefly build will be watching with interest.

[Raminator]

An impressive small-hatch conversion there Niall, very well done. Were you planning on a three-piece transmission cover?

[steve_pickstock]

We looked at the three piece Transmission cover, but there are plenty of extant pictures of Fireflys with the single piece cover to not bother. Perhaps in the future, but i like it as it is

[Niall]

Thanks for the replies.

I looked at making the 3 part gearbox case and have done a CAD design for one.

However an accurate one would be difficult as the Hen Long gearboxes would need to be modified to make it fit and I'm not sure if that would be possible without weakening their structure.

[dgsselkirk]

Great work! All M4A4 Sherman VC's had the 3 pc transmission covers. Only the hybrids didn't. Dave at Forgebear will soon have my new resin ones in about a month. They sell quick!

https://www.ebay.com/itm/173369339694?s ... 1555.l2649

[Niall]

Making the exhaust smoke generator was a problem as the m4A4 has a completely different exhause system. As the unit needs to be filled with oil throught the exhaust pipes, the only way could see to do this was to make the external exhaust unit a removable part, held on by rare earth magnets, one in the unit and 1 in the hull.

The photos below show this unit and the modified hull rear.