1:72 M4A3E2 Jumbo conversion set

M4A3E2 Jumbo, a resin conversion in 1:72 scale

The castings from the Black Dog brand turn an ordinary Sherman in a small scale into the assault variant M4A3E2 Jumbo. The main parts are the thickened hull and the heavy turret, that is precisely what tells the Jumbo apart from standard Shermans at first glance. The parts replace sections of the plastic kit; on their own they do not make a tank.

What made the Jumbo exceptional

In 1944 the American army needed a machine that would stand up to fire at the head of advancing columns. The answer was a Sherman with a markedly thickened front plate of the hull, a stronger turret front and a massive gun mantlet. The weight grew so much that the vehicle lost its agility, but crews valued it precisely for its toughness. The batch produced remained small and the machines appeared mainly in the fighting on the Western Front from the autumn of 1944 until the end of the war.

Working with resin

First wash the castings in lukewarm water with a drop of dish soap so that the mold release residue disappears from the surface. Cut the casting blocks off with a fine-toothed saw and level the surfaces with abrasive paper; protect your airways when sanding resin. Cyanoacrylate glue holds the joints, and the thicker gel grade will fill wider gaps. Before painting, a primer coat pays off; without it the shade holds less well on a smooth surface.

Who the set suits

• Builders of American vehicles from the end of the Second World War
• Those interested in comparing a Sherman in the standard and in the thickened version
• Dioramas from the fighting in Western Europe
• Modelers who have worked cast parts before