Hi Guys.Thought id start a kit before getting bogged down in festering festive frivolity.This 1.35th Tamiya "Early" is a mishmash of early and late and not what is says on the tin so to speak.The kit is more like an M4A4 or Sherman V in British service.But it has the radial Sherman rear hull plate and engine deck.So im caught in 2 minds really.I can titivate it to make either a british Sherman 1 welded hull or the Firefly version on same hull.We were supplied with Sherman m4s or Sherman 1s as British army called them,They were made by ALCO or American locomotive company.We also had a few direct vision ones supplied by Baldwin and used as Fireflies as well.So basically im reshaping the drivers hoods as they are m4a4 and ALCO ones were rounded.So ive shimmed them with plasticard and putty and reshaping the little beggars.The aerial pot is also m4a4 so orffff with that.I cut it carefully away with razor saw and files.The replacement pot was copied by making a small mould in Gedeo quick silicone putty.I pushed it over a Dragon kits pot and used Milliput to make correct ones.The glacis plate is m4a4 and all welds need filling up with putty,Tamiya has left the sponsons underneath blank so i filled in with plasticard.Im torn between doing a Sherman 1 or Firefly 1C which i have a few spare bits to make.The Tamiya welds are trenches instead of raised beads so i shall have to make them from Greenstuff epoxy.Hoping to do a bit more next week.
Cheers from Richard
