Hi All,
What would be requied to fix the accuracy of dragons old M4a2 76mm in russian service?
Cheers
Mike
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If you are talking about kit #6188 a lot was written about that kit. I built a couple of these when they first came out. The first one OOTB and then I learned about all the omissions and errors and tried to build my “ultimate” version which I later learned still has a lot of issues too, LOL. You’ll need to fill in recessed welds, you’ll need sprockets, spare track brackets, a proper gun barrel, the included plastic and metal barrels are undersized and the muzzle brake is shaped incorrectly too, the final drive side covers where the sprockets mount to the armored differential housing are too small pushing the sprocket back into improper position, the decals are not good, on and on and on…read about it…
https://archive.armorama.com/features/497/index.htm#google_vignette
here’s another article with some more insight on things needed to accurize the kit.
IMO there might be better routes to take to building an Emcha 76mm. I don’t recall if Asuka ever released a M4A2 76mm, but I vaguely remember someone on these forums using their M4A3 76mm as a starting point to building one of these. Granted if you already have the kit and enjoy the challenge of correcting inaccurate older kits then you can have a lot of fun with this and it will build into a nice Emcha once you “fix and add” everything wrong or missing.
I will say this about #6188…at the time that it came out I considered it superior to both the Academy and the Italeri versions of the 76mm Emcha. The academy one does include some things that the DML does not like correct sprockets, better options of road wheels, and the tiny mounting brackets for the turret/mantlet dust cover. Neither has good decals or raised weld beads, the academy turret is terrible IMO, the overall shape is just not good. I would say that the Academy kit with a better turret might be the way I would go now although the DML tracks were easier to use. The Italeri kit I never even bought one as it included the old turret from the M4A1 kit that has a step on the barrel and the terrible recessed ejection port on the side of the turret. I don’t know how good the decals on the Italeri kit are and again you will be probably be dealing with recessed welds.
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To make the most “accurate” M4A2 76 from the Dragon kit, you need to kitbash. This is the turret from the kit placed on the hull from the M4A2 Late PTO. I am having computer issues this morning so I’ll check back in this afternoon.
Jeff
4 Likes
Your photo proves that you can make a really nice looking Emcha 76mm using DML kits. Nowadays I would go a different route even if I had all the bits to correct a DML.
For some reason DML messed up the geometry on the armored differential in the front lower hull on their second generation of large hatch tanks. The crazy thing is that they had the correct dimensions in older large hatch kits that were based on the Italeri M4A1. When they moved away from the Italeri “influence” they messed it up.
There is one DML kit that I think they fixed all the issues and ironically it’s the “Beaute Panzer” M4A2 that was released on their Cyber Hobby label. I think it’s a really rare kit and it came with a better upgraded version of the T49 tracks too in the newer DS materials. That kit also features choices on road wheels too but I don’t think they’re easy to find. You’d still need the later turret.
1 Like
Here is a shot from the other side. My problem became Son of Sherman. It was no longer just building a sherman. One thing that needs adding is an exhaust deflector. Shapeways used to have a good one I used for this. I’m fuzzy, but if I recall, the DML “Red Army” kit has the earlier 47 degree hull and there weren’t many of those as 76mm. I will try and remember just what I did to get to this point.
Jeff
3 Likes
That looks really nice. The thing that gets me about the Emcha releases of the mid 2000s is that none of them were accurate, Italeri, DML, and Academy. I never purchased the Italeri version but I remember reading negative things about it. For whatever reason all of them wanted a “Red Army” version in their catalog but none of them bothered to do it justice.
I was eagerly anticipating the announced Zvezda release because I figured that they would finally release an accurate version and as far as I know it never made it to the U.S. I remember calling scale hobbyist and they said that the war in Ukraine had messed everything up and that no guarantee it would make it out here, I don’t even know if it got released, I did get the 75mm Emcha version and the M4A3 so I wonder if combining the two would make a proper 76mm Emcha?
https://www.scalemates.com/kits/zvezda-3645-m4a2-76-w-sherman--1391762
I wonder if they released it elsewhere?
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Hey Mike. I went back and read your original post and have a question. Do you want to know how accurate the base kit is dimensionally or how accurate, vehicle wise, you can make an Emcha from the Dragon kit?
Jeff
2 Likes
Not sure if I mentioned it on this forum before or not, but that kit is quite good in some areas and quite crap in others. See here:—
I haven’t built, or even bought, their M4A3 so I can’t say anything about that, but I suspect you would be much better off with an Asuka big-hatch M4A2 and a 76 mm turret of your choice.
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I just read your entire article on missing-lynx Jakko and it’s outstanding. Your attention to detail is excellent.
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Thanks 
And I maintain they’re easy corrections, even if some people disagreed
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Doesn’t look very difficult at all I’d say. The loaders hatch looks tricky but you showed it can be done without much trouble.
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The main thing it needs is spare parts that anyone who’s built a few Asuka Shermans should have in abundance. For those who haven’t, it may be a bit more tricky. The loader’s hatch took some thought, but once I decided I didn’t care to have it open, it became relatively easy.
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