Hello everyone, I am Top3dd from China, I am very happy to post in this forum. I am also a model-making enthusiast, and I mainly specialize in making models of World War II Axis and Allied tanks.
This post is a project I’m currently working on - 1970s Canadian M4A2E8 Sherman. When I saw this picture of Sherman in the Canadian Reserve before.
I was immediately attracted by this novel camouflage and wanted to make a model of this subject matter. I am a huge Sherman tank fan, familiar with all major Sherman models and features, but have never owned an M4A2E8 model.
It is known that there is no 1/35 model kit based on the M4A2E8 (also known as the M4A2/76(W)HVSS), so unfortunately there has been no opportunity to make a model of this model easily. The difference between the A2 and A3 hulls is very large, with HVSS and VVSS suspension being the minor differences. This makes it difficult to modify the hull. In my opinion, only ASUKA’s Sherman model Kit is the best choice. However, in the first half of 2023, ASUKA finally released the kit of late type of large hatch hull of the M4A2 USMC version (35050) .
although the hull and suspension are still very different, but at least the hull does not need to do too much modification. I was excited to finally have the opportunity to start work on my Canadian M4A2E8 project, so I ordered a box of 35050 for the hull, adding a box of 35024 (JGSDF M4A3E8) for the HVSS suspension and turret to complete my modification plan.
Although this model is also the Sherman model for the movie Fury, I don’t like to do anything fictional, so I didn’t consider making it as Fury.
The whole project planned to modify the hull of the M4A2 to install the HVSS suspension come from the M4A3E8, and then modify the features of the hull and turret to conform to the post-war Canadian M4A2E8, although it seemed relatively simple, in fact, there were many problems, especially the conflict between the hull and the suspension and the tail need special research and careful handling.
First of all, look at the M4A2 body, the Sherman kit recently produced by ASUKA is not as good as the kit of previous years in terms of mold and injection quality, the lack of surface texture and injection shrinkage and other problems need to be dealt with in advance.
This is relatively easy to deal with, only need to be polished and smooth coupled with putty polishing can get a good effect. But the original front armor lacks the very important welded joint, so I have to add it manually. In addition, this 35050 M4A2 hull belongs to the early type, and there are still a few differences between the late type and need to be modified.
Welcome Feng. That is a very interesting and cool version of Sherman tank you are modeling. I did not know Canada used them into the 70s! And that’s a great camo scheme too.
Hello Feng and welcome to Armorama! You have joined a very friendly and knowledgeable brotherhood from around the world. You have picked a very interesting subject to model and I’ll be following.
After my online researched that says these Shermans were a part of the Ontario Regiment (RCAC) based in Oshawa, Ontario. It also noted that the Regiment operated Shermans until 1972.
These three photos were taken on September 11, 1971, when the regiment paraded in honor of R. Samuel McLaughlin’s 100th birthday. McLaughlin was a Canadian industrial titan and honorary Colonel of the Ontario Regiment.
I’m adding the welded joint wire of the front armor, grooving it and filling it with plastic sticks, polishing it and polishing it, and it looks okay. But I’m still not satisfied.
While dealing with the cast feel of the turret and transmission cover, the ASUKA’s original etched texture is not quite like the actual Sherman looks like, its texture is more mechanical and rigid. I chose to use an electric sharpener to remove the original surface texture, and then use Tamiya putty to reshape the cast texture of the armor surface. After the modification, it still seems a little rough, or need to continue to polish and polish.
A lad (Ezra) in here was going to build a vehicle from those images for a Canadian veh group build but did something else in the end, so will be good to see one built up in those colours
From what I’ve read; most of the M4A2E8 Shermans were used mostly by the Soviet Union, under the Lend-lease Program, but the UK took in 5 of them, known as the Sherman IIIAY, many of them ended up in Canada as well, though Canada was not a Lend-Lease partner and have a joint agreement between the US and Canada to manufacture Sherman tanks for both nations. In 1941, the Joint Defense Production Committee with Canada was created so that “each country should provide the other with the defense articles which it is best able to produce” and American Locomotive Company enabled its Canadian subsidiary, the Montreal Locomotive Works, to build M4A1 variants in Canada.
They were used as training vehicle and never see any action outside of Canada.
Centurion became the next training vehicle after the adoption of the C1 Leopard 1 for a short time. Then the Royal Canadian Armoured Corps got down sized a bit in number, and the technology advanced so much that you can’t just use old tank to train soldiers for modern MBT. So, those things are scrapped or became museum pieces.
I’m looking forward to your build. I choose the JGSDF sherman because its tracks is half rubber and half plastic, it’s a good solution that combines appearance and making experience.
