Needless to say, we bought it on release & enjoyed building it up – such is the finesse of Tamiya’s models.
The only additions were some photo-etch extras like headlamp guards & periscope mounts - always a good move on any Sherman model kit, plus a stowage rack attached to the turret bustle & plenty of accessories like Verlinden resin bedrolls & some of the plastic items, which are included as a bonus in the box. The kit .50 Cal was replaced with a Verlinden aftermarket gun finished off with an etched brass ammo box.
All in all a good fun build & if you are weighing up whether to purchase this kit, it’s still pretty attractive & with a bit of remedial work is worth it – especially if you pick it up at a reduced cost.
Painting was done using enamels & the markings supplied on the decal sheet. A Stencil-It brass number stencil sheet was used to make up the vehicle registration & to apply some of the stars. A drybrushing in enamels & a Tamiya acrylic dust coat in earth tones finished off the tank.
This old-school paint finish seems inadequate given the techniques used today in the modelling world – however, it’s worth posting to show it was done way back in the 1990s!
