Product Recommendations
Article
by Doug Chaltry; last updated 3 March 2008.
<<image courtesy
of Andrew Smith>>
This article is aimed at
producers and manufacturers of 1/72nd scale Sherman tank
models and their accessories. By maintaining this
website, reading modeling forums and corresponding with
other modelers, I have identified many holes in the lists
of available Sherman kits and accessories. This page will
serve as basically a wish a list of recommendations or
suggestions for future products in this scale.
Sherman
Kits
Due to the large
catalogue of kits being produced by Dragon, I think it is
highly unlikely for any other manufacturer to enter the
market with a series of new Sherman kits. That being
said, however, the Dragon kits are not perfect and
competition is always a good thing for the marketplace.
If some enterprising producer of plastic models would
choose to compete against Dragon, you would have to
identify the weaknesses of the Dragon kits and eliminate
them in your own product. I'll help you out by listing
areas where I think the Dragon kits can improve:
- scale accuracy -
for the most part, the Dragon kits are very
accurate for 1/72 scale, but there are exceptions
(M4A1 76); this is something you have to match,
if not beat; if your kits are not scale accurate,
don't bother even trying
- hard plastic,
link-and-length tracks
- all tools molded as
separate items
- wheels molded
separate from the bogies
- a variety of wheel
styles
- perhaps a modular
kit, allowing one of several Sherman variants to
be built from one box - like UM, but only better.
Dragon is a difficult
act to follow, but it can be done if someone chooses to
throw money at the challenge.
As for kits missing from
the Dragon catalogue, here are a few:
- composite hull
tanks (M4 composite, Sherman IC hybrid, M4A6)
- hulls with direct
vision slots
- tank destroyers
(competition with Extratech)
- early 56°-hull M4
- early 56°-hull
M4A3
- late, big-hatch M4
(105) (competition with UM)
- M7B1 (also M7)
Priest
- Kangaroo APCs
- M32 Recovery
Vehicles
- Israeli M50 and M51
- M36 turret to
convert M4A3 into M36B1
- high-bustle 105mm
turret, with and without cupola (for use with UM
and Extratech kits)
Sherman
Accessories
Ammunition
CMK makes gorgeous 75mm rounds in turned brass; Extratech
makes an equally nice set of 76mm rounds in resin. We
need more. Additional choices for 75mm and 76mm rounds
would be wonderful (especially 76mm HVAP), but more
importantly, we need 17-pdr, 3-inch, and 105mm rounds.
Especially 17-pdr shells so we can put them in our
Achilles turrets.
Photoetch
We need generic Sherman detail sets for use with all
Shermans, sort of like Extratech's set #72003, but with much more. I'm
thinking of something along the lines of one of PART's
sets, but without the fenders, hatches and other other
pieces that would tie the set to a specific Sherman
version or manufacturer.
Items that SHOULD be
included on this set:
- brush guards for
the head and tail lights, and for the periscopes
- track return skids
- tool mounting
brackets
- turret details (gun
sights, machinegun details)
Items that SHOULD NOT be
included on the set
- pioneer tools
- anything that would
tie the set to a specific Sherman kit or a
specific manufacturer
Engine
Compartments and Interiors
Like Profikit/CMK has done for the Tiger and Panther,
someone should do for all versions of the Sherman.
Wheels
Calibre72 has produced two gorgeous sets of replacement
wheels. We need more. Especially the solid dish style.
(Please include one or two extra wheels in the sets to
use as stowage on the vehicles.)
Tracks
Although I am not advocating piracy, what we really need
are Dragon's tracks produced in resin or white metal (or
link-and-length plastic). OK, let me phrase it this way:
we need Dragon-quality tracks produced in resin
or white metal (or link-and-length plastic). MR Models
produces four styles, but their quality can actually be
improved upon (as can their price). I really like their
choice of including white metal sprockets in their sets,
which is something else we could also use more variety
of.
We are in special need
of replacement HVSS tracks.
Hull
Surface Details
Think of the MR Models set of German Tank Accessories
(#72020) but for the Sherman instead. Pioneer tools are a
must, plus replacement fluid filler caps, head and tail
lights, gun barrel travel lock, tow cables, etc. Resin or
white metal, no matter.
Decals
So many choices.....
Non-Sherman
Accessories
For this category, I am
referring to items that are not specific to Sherman
tanks, but to American armor in general.
Machineguns
Think of Extratech's mchinegun sets (#72009 and 72021),
but with vehicle mounts, and without the bazookas.
Figures
The best figure set I've seen is from Calibre72. We need
more like those. Some in action, some working or lounging
on or around the tanks.
gas cans, bags, packs
and stowage - one can never have enough of this stuff
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