Heng Long Sherman M4A1 (75)

[Model Builder 4]

Here are a couple of pics of my desert Sherman work still in progress. I too have drilled out the road wheels per the early style, I used a set of plastic mato wheels with the rubber tyres though so much easier to drill than the metal one's The next step for me is to modify and fit the new boogies

Cheers, Lee.

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

[Exhibitedbrute]

To be fair with the Sherman there isn’t really an incorrect version. Pouring through photos of the second battle of El Alamein there are so many Sherman lined up and almost all of them have different variation. Some have the early mantle others the late some with some without pistol ports. Some photos suggest hatch conversions others not. So as long as I use the later cammo I can’t really go far wrong

[Tiger6]

If you are seeing M34A1 mantlets on Shermans at El-Alamein, I'm going to suggest that the photo was mislabled... Similarly for hatch conversions and missing pistol ports.

http://the.shadock.free.fr/sherman_minutia/

[Exhibitedbrute]

If you are seeing M34A1 mantlets on Shermans at El-Alamein, I'm going to suggest that the photo was mislabled... Similarly for hatch conversions and missing pistol ports.

http://the.shadock.free.fr/sherman_minutia/

It claims El Alamein but I would be more inclined to think Egypt or Tunisia maybe.

I can’t really remember what battle was when now

[Exhibitedbrute]

Right my final decision will be to do the hatches add the welded plate to the turret thin point and cheat with the bogies. Rather than alter it I will just hide it with canvas sand skirts.

Don’t know what you can’t see

[Exhibitedbrute]

Right my final decision will be to do the hatches add the welded plate to the turret thin point and cheat with the bogies. Rather than alter it I will just hide it with canvas sand skirts.

Don’t know what you can’t see

And remove the un-necessary parts such as the gun lock and siren

[Estnische]

The gun lock is an interesting one. Its often been deleted, but shows up from time to time like the British Shermans above.

I wanted to keep my Sherman running in between modifications, so my next step was to get the Mato upper hull to fit properly on the Heng Long lower. What you should notice is that the bolts of the transmission cover are missing when the two are put together. Also the lower hull sponson front corners interfere with the front mudguards. These were cut off across the diagonal.



I cut the bolted section off the Heng Long upper and set about fixing it to the suitably trimmed transmission cover. This was done initially with CA glue, then reinforced with a plasticard section and JB Weld epoxy. On the Heng Long Sherman the transmission cover is screwed on, which is essential for easy access to the gearboxes. Unfortunately trimming to top lip of the transmission cover removed the top pair of locating lugs, so I fashioned a new pair from brass strip and again glued them with epoxy.



The join at the front was then tidied up with filler. None of the Mato body posts line up with the Heng Long lower, so these were trimmed. More on that in the next post, but at least its now back together.

[Exhibitedbrute]

It’s married up quite nicely. I wonder if I will have the same luck with the 3 piece transmission cover.

I haven’t really done anything other than the paint colour test on mine because I working on an is-3 and the Clark’s board has just arrived for the crusader. My choice would have been ibu like in my other tanks but it doesn’t fit with the dklm gearbox being so big

[Estnische]

Sounds like you've got some nice bits if kit.

[Exhibitedbrute]

You know I just had an idea. If I put another 76mm type turret on this a1 I don’t have to change anything and could still use those colours as they were used in the Mediterranean by British and African units in 1944

Or perhaps there’s the Hybrid firefly. If I build a Canadian one research suggests all I will need to do is install a 17pdr in a low bustle turret. Many of the ones used by Canadian forces had the large hatches and retained the front mounted gun lock where as the British retained the small hatch. And installed a gun lock at the rear.

I find no evidence of this but it seems that many of the British firefly ic are just Sherman II’s refitted with the 17 pound gun.

I’m sure someone will know