1:35 M4A3 76W VVSS Sherman Late with Full Interior [Standard Version]

Rye Field Model 1:35 M4A3 76W VVSS Sherman Late with full interior

The kit RM-5135 from the Rye Field Model brand is an unassembled plastic model in 1:35 scale with a fully fitted hull and turret interior. The manufacturer tooled it as a new release for 2024. The version is told apart by the maker's supplementary numbering: RM-5135 is the standard version, RM-5136 is its updated release and RM-5132 is the same Sherman without an interior. Check the number before buying.

The real subject

The M4A3 was the American production subtype of the Sherman with the gasoline eight-cylinder Ford GAA engine, which became the main version of the United States Army in the closing stage of World War II. The suffix 76 means the longer gun of 76 mm caliber in place of the original short 75 mm, the suffix W means wet ammunition stowage, which markedly cut the risk of a fire after a penetration, and VVSS means the original vertical volute spring suspension with narrow tracks. Late production machines carried a one-piece cast final drive housing and enlarged driver hatches.

Building and painting tips

On a model with an interior the order of work decides everything: paint and weather the engine, the transmission, the ammunition stowage and the crew stations before you close the hull, because afterwards you cannot reach them. It pays to dry-assemble the whole hull and check that the internal blocks do not lift the roof. The outside then takes the usual routine for armor: an olive coat, a dark wash into the recesses, dry pigments for mud and dust effects working upward from the running gear.

Who the model is for

• experienced armor modelers who build models with the interior open
• builders of dioramas with a Sherman as the main element
• collectors of American tanks in 1:35
• those who want to show the wet ammunition stowage and the Ford GAA engine

The model is supplied unassembled and unpainted. Glue, paints and accessories are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.