Academy USMC M4A2

[lquah]

I was going through my unfinished kits and I picked this kit out for my next build.



I want to build a PTO Sherman and plan to build either "Caesar" or "Goldbrick Jr" as they are both M4A2's. The rest of the decals in the kit are for M4A3's.

Before I start, I have a lot of questions. I would appreciate if anyone can help me as I do not have a single reference book on PTO Shermans.

Here is what I plan to do.
1. Add cheek armor to front right side of turret
2. The commander's hatch should be split hatch type
3. The hull weld beads need to be raised
4. The differential housing and area around driver & RO need to be textured
5. Bolts are missing on the upper rear hull plate
6. Grab handles on the engine doors and deck need replacing
7. Hull side applique armor is needed
8. Tracks need to be replaced - should be T54E1s (RHPS)
9. Suspension return roller arm is the upswept type (Tasca)
10. Selective PE from Aber and Eduard and Formations tools

Am I correct with these changes and is there anything that I missed?

Here is what I am not sure about
1. Which type of roadwheels and idler wheels were used? The plain dish, open spoke or stamped? There are some really nice photos at this thread but I can't work out the road wheel type. "Goldbrick Jr" looks to have stamped idler wheel and open spoke roadwheels.
2. Were there foundry numbers on the mantlet?

Lawrence

[MikkoH]

Hi Lawrence!

About roadwheels, I checked my concords Pacific battle book and anything goes. If you can't find good ref pic of specific sherman you are making then improvise! Seems that there were open spoked and stamped wheels on same tank and so on.

Cheers Mikko

[MartinD]

Lawrence,

Your lists looks quite good. I can't find any faults in them. You might want to the get a DML kit for the suspension though. Some mixing and mathcing will do, although the Tasca bits are just plain 'jummie' :lol:

If you are going to work around the hull hatches, and are not afarid of some serious surgery, the Academy bits are quite flat. Contours should be more rounded. Just compare them to photos. Perhaps you could swap a Tamiya hull if you have that big a spares box?

Well, good luck with the project. Do pick a specific tank, as it makes it easier to help. If needed, you can contact me offline martin dot dogger at gmx dot net.

Cheers, M

[lquah]

Thanks Mikko

I think I will go the stamped wheels.

Martin
The Dragon suspension is easier to work with but I have two spare Tasca sets and I will use them.

I only have three shermans, the M4A2 marines, DML's M4A3 76mm and Tamiya's M4A3 75mm. I have planned what to build with them and unfortunately no spare hull.

The area around the hatches is quite noticeable but I think I will skip it as I want a quick build.

In regards to vehicle, I have narrowed down to Caeser and Goldbrick Jr.

Lawrence

[marcb]

Hi Lawrence,

Go to the Hardcorps models site for some interesting pics. They also sell dry transfers for this version of the M4A2.


No affiliation, just impressed with their line of products.

[lquah]

Thanks Marc

I have seen the site and decals look very nice. They have decals for Iwo Jima and Peleliu. I think I will give them a miss as I don't have any reference photos of Shermans there.

Lawrence

[lquah]

I saw this on ML and has some nice photos



Lawrence

[lquah]

It's been a slow week but finally manage to complete the suspension for the M4A2. I did the weld beads using miliput (the Lee Lloyd method) but am not too happy with the result. I will have to scrape them off and re-do them again

Here are some progress photos. I used the Tasca suspension which is very nice. The roadwheels are very detailed and you are meant to add 12 teeny weeny rivets on the rim of each roadwheel. To preserve whatever eyesight I have left I replaced the roadwheels with a spare set of Formations roadwheels that include the rivets.

I textured the differential housing and area between the driver and RO hatches with Mr Surfacer 500. I used a Formations turret as I was too lazy to build the extra cheek armor on the turret.

Sorry for the poor photos. The damn camera just didn't want to focus. :angry:





Lawrence

[MartinD]

Looks good Lawrence. I'd redo the weld beads. They are too big here. Same happened to me when I added some Evergreen rod to a Sherman V hull ... But maybe that's a method you could consider as well. It's easier than stretched sprue imho.

good luck with the rest of the build.

[Larry Bates]

Lawrence,

If you redo the welds, try masking them off with masking tape, then apply the putty, add texture then peel off the tape before it dries. Much neater that way. BTW I got that method from Steve Zaloga.

Larry