1:35 U.S. M4A3E8 Sherman Medium Tank

The real subject

The Sherman was built in many configurations, and the M4A3E8 is among the last wartime ones. Its identifying marks are the suspension with horizontal volute springs and wide tracks, thanks to which the machine got better grip in mud and held its line more easily, and the 76 mm gun. Among the crews the nickname Easy Eight took hold for this version. For the modeler it is the Sherman on which the suspension and its surroundings are most visible, so it pays to give attention to the fenders and to everything that is held on them.

What photo-etched parts change on the model

A plastic part always has some smallest sensible thickness below which it cannot be produced in a mold. Photo-etched sheet pushes that limit lower, and that is why exactly the fenders, the covers, the grilles, the lifting eyes and the tool brackets are converted into metal. The change is visible mainly from the side and from above, that is from the viewpoints from which a model in a display case is looked at most often. The manufacturer's instructions state exactly what the package holds and which kit the set is designed for.

Building and painting tips

Cut the parts off the fret with a sharp blade on a hard surface, work over a tray with a rim and use tweezers. Make the fold along the marked score line over a metal edge and make it in one movement. Try a part dry before gluing, because the shape of the fenders differs between individual Sherman kits. Make the joint with the tiniest drop of cyanoacrylate. Degrease the sheet before painting and spray it with a base coat for metal; only then comes the covering shade, and finally dusting from the bottom upwards.

Supply

The package holds photo-etched parts. The kit of the tank, the paints and the glue are supplied separately, unless stated otherwise.