Project: V6.0 Airsoft and IR Firefly Turret

[43rdRecceReg]

Love your work as usual Roy.

Have you considered putting the bolt heads on the rear hull vents?

I have some Meng nuts to apply here and there, Brett- and thanks for the shot-in-the-arm of the confidence-booster.
I think scale bolt heads will look sharper, and more distinct, than the existing ones.
I might even use metal bolt heads, here and there...I have some remaining from Tamiya projects.

[43rdRecceReg]

Primer's very useful for highlighting areas that escaped attention before, that need sanding, extra filling, and so on. It works a bit like Luminol, in that sense...
Some of the existing nut and bolt heads have almost disappeared, or are indistinct (as per the previous post), and I'll be dealing with those whilst the 'accessories' are being added (with the exception of the crew tools- they'll go on after the topcoat of Olive Drab on the tank)

While I was waiting for ever-reliable Forgebear to deliver some metal eye-candy, I got to work on the donor hull.


After this, the TX and MFU (used only once, to test upon arrival) may be of use to someone here. I'll be using the HL V6.0 tech in this mauvais boy.



That's it for the moment. O yes, I forgot to mention that I'll probably use the latest, slimline, HL speaker here. It's not bad for the price.

[43rdRecceReg]

Well, I've now bonded the battery cover into the hull floor. Later, I'll create a plate to support the MFU and battery out of styrene- a sort of internal organiser.


Here, the rear panel needs the attention of my razor saw. That engine door, and the fishtail exhausts, will have to go, as they're for the M4A3 configuration.


After 20 mins of cursing, and careful sideways sawing, I'd levelled the plate ready for the resin Firefly doors:

I shall also need the rectangular twin air filters found on M4 Ic Fireflies. That'll mean another visit to Shapeways. They should make the rear panel look more credible.

Now for fitting some of the nicer Mato metal lights guards, lifting brackets, and the travel lock for the barrel. I also fitted real bolts through the grouser air vents.
First, having removed the HL plastic guards, it made sense to test the lights to see whether they work, or not. I have spares, as they came with the brackets, but there's not much to be gained from fitting them if the (passable) existing ones will do the job.

Yep- they work.
To line the barrel lock up, I borrowed the Comet's turret (The Firefly turret has a turret ring screwed to it currently, I couldn't be ar**d to remove.

Here it is, in place, along with the other rear accessories. At some point, I'll also need some gauze for the grouser vents (that's what they're called, according to Shadock..)


It might be my eyes, but the Mato barrel lock looks quite large, for 1/16 scale; but it's too late to worry about it now...

Still loads of fine filling and finessing to do. I have to sort out the front lights next. For that, I'll need to redo the wiring to suit HL's V6.0s standards. It never seems to end... if I ever buy another tank- it will have to be ready to run! I'll leave plastic surgery to the NHS.

[PainlessWolf]

Roy!
Looking splendid! The tall barrel brace was an M4A3 item. Looks perfectly fine on your Sherman. Following along as usual.
regards,
Painless

[43rdRecceReg]

Roy!
Looking splendid! The tall barrel brace was an M4A3 item. Looks perfectly fine on your Sherman. Following along as usual.
regards,
Painless

Many thanks for the info, Painless. Thanks, as well, for endorphin-boosting support!
Ah, well, that explains the jumbo look. Still, given the myriad mods on the Sherman from all of its manufacturers, and then with subsequent Brit additions, an M4A3 barrel travel lock might have been used on the odd Firefly. In any event, it's in the right place, at least!

On another thread, I assembled a collection of tools I find indispensable for general tank surgery, in a single photo. Well, this little 3VDC power pack, with an assortment of connectors, is in that category- but not in the photo. I have several multimeters, and a special mains-powered power supply, (with a range from 2V-15DCV for other jobs- and all the connectors under the Sun); but this cheap little power pack can be used on lights, and some motors- to good effect. You really don't want to make an assembly around an LED, or motor, only to find that it's a dud.

The lights work!. All that remains is to strip out the old HL plastic light protectors, and replace them with Mato's metal specials. At the same time, I removed the third cluster (some sort of siren?) from the right of the glacis, as I couldn't see it on any M4 and M4 Ic examples. Other evidence of the M4A3 origin of the glacis has also been Dremelled off.
3VDC power pack - circuit tester


testing the lights prior to removing old plastic protectors, and other M4A3 features...



Mato metal lifting eyes, and headlight protectors fitted.

[43rdRecceReg]

Time, I think, to find the optimal arrangement for the hull's components. Then, I have to move the fishtail exhausts to a position that's about as correct for the M4 Ic, as I can find.
I began by making support decks for the smoker, MFU, and the battery. Fitting the speaker will come last of all, as I'm about to order the latest slimline type, that comes with HL's V6.0 RTR models.
The space for the smoker:

The three moulded standoffs for the original smoker will have to be cut down, to support the deck I'm making.
Here's the smoker support deck about to be tested for ease of fitting.



Here's what the fishtails look like on the typical M4 rear... (couldn't find any suitable WW2 pics of the pipes..)

...now for the outlet pipes; for these, I used tubular styrene. I could have used brass tubing, but it might have had a cooling and condensation effect on the smoke. Oddly enough, when I dismantled the transparent pies, i found a length of wire in one that had clearly been inserted in the factory. Either it was left there in error, or, HL have discovered that a length of wire helps the filling process, or perhaps the smoking process. Anyone have some ideas about that?
The fishtails are being bonded in place here. I've tried several superglues on this project: all of them failed. Thus my default fixatives for metal/metal; metal/resin; metal/ABS and Resin/Metal/ABS are:
Plastic Fusion Pro (two-part epoxy) and JB Weld ('metal'-also a two-part epoxy). For convenience, I'm using JB Weld exclusively now, as it seems to make the strongest bond in any combination of materials.

Just for info, the two component decks are attached to the hull floor by two-sided adhesive pads, just as the MFU is now attached to the deck by two-sided tape.

[PainlessWolf]

Good Morning Roy!
That is some sweet looking engineering and space saving plastic. The wire in the smoke tubing was something designed to help prevent kinking of the tubing. I noticed it on smoker sets for a while some years back then it vanished. Could be making a comeback with all the convoluted lower setups showing up nowadays. Following along on this great looking Build!
regards,
Painless

[43rdRecceReg]

Good Morning Roy!
That is some sweet looking engineering and space saving plastic. The wire in the smoke tubing was something designed to help prevent kinking of the tubing. I noticed it on smoker sets for a while some years back then it vanished. Could be making a comeback with all the convoluted lower setups showing up nowadays. Following along on this great looking Build!
regards,
Painless

I made the same discovery, Painless, thanks The wire certainly does help to prevent total pipe 'strangulation'. I must see whether black plastic 'elbow' joint are available in the same style as those atop the smoker itself. That way, smoke-throttling kinks could be avoided entirely.

Meantime, I'm wondering if anyone can help this query- did the M4 Ic Firefly (Welded) have the British leaf-spring style towbar, or the one routinely fitted to the Sherman?
This pic of a Dragon (1/35) Firefly Ic shows the model sporting the British leaf-spring type, frequently seen on the Comet and Cromwell.

Elsewhere, I've not seen any actual photos of the M4 1c with one. Not yet, anyway. Curiously, though, photos often don't show the projections of tanks modeller's would like to use (from above, for example).
The majority seem to focus on the front, and the cannon in particular (some sort of subconscious p*nis pride, maybe? )
My Tamiya 1/14 M4 1c comes without any sort of bar, whether towing pintel, or otherwise. I guess, with the large engine access doors, there would not have been much room to fit a tow-bar, in any case on the grown-up version.

[Herr Dr. Professor]

I have been watching your build all along, 43rdRecceReg. Your Firefly is a lot like the real ones: a real improvement on the Sherman. Responding to Painless, you noted, "I must see whether black plastic 'elbow' joint are available in the same style as those atop the smoker itself. That way, smoke-throttling kinks could be avoided entirely." What a great idea! If you find a supply, let us know.

[43rdRecceReg]

I have been watching your build all along, 43rdRecceReg. Your Firefly is a lot like the real ones: a real improvement on the Sherman. Responding to Painless, you noted, "I must see whether black plastic 'elbow' joint are available in the same style as those atop the smoker itself. That way, smoke-throttling kinks could be avoided entirely." What a great idea! If you find a supply, let us know.

Hi, Prof- well after a bit of sleuthing, I think that aquarium tubing and connectors might have the bits needed.

These, and other types I've seen would appear suitable for the PVC tubing used on HL smokers.
More investigation needed,
I found these by searching for 4-8mm clear PVC aquarium tubing on Ebay