M18 HELLCAT WALKAROUND

Despite its turn of speed, the M18 hellcat also had its drawbacks. It was lightly armoured & offered the crew no overhead protection. This meant they were exposed to sniper fire, grenades & shrapnel.

Another problem was the tank destroyer’s torsion bar suspension & large road wheels, which could lead to the vehicle being mistaken for the German Panther tank.

However, the tank destroyer came into its own when it combined its speed with the new HVAP (High Velocity Armour Piercing) round for its 76mm gun. This type of munition enabled it to take on the front armour of tanks like the Tiger or Panther.

We’ve always liked the racy appearance of the Hellcat. It is an AFV that looked modern for its time plus, an American tank with torsion bar suspension always looks original when compared to the myriad of Shermans on the market.

For some time, the M18 was left alone by manufacturers & we remember the day two came along at once in 1:35th scale. The Academy version (ref: 1375) & the AFV Club edition (ref: 35015) were released within months of each other. They are both excellent kits & if you possess one of these models, we thought you’d appreciate some photos of the real thing to help detail the plastic parts of what was the fastest tank of World War Two.

Enjoy.