Just wanted to see what others thoughts on a completely new tooled Israeli M50 Super Sherman in 1/35th. Personally, I would love to see this subject done. I do realize that DML produced one back in the early 90’s and it was a terrible kit. With the technology that is available one could certainly be produced. Not sure how the main players (Meng, Takom, Tamiya, RFM, Border Models) determine (R&D) what subject matter to produce. The one thing Tamiya has is they already have the suspension and lower hull from their M51.
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Biggest issue for any company that decides to do a M50 is the version. VVSS, HVSS, engine deck, turret, cupola, suspension cover, hull, so many details that need to be shortened out and pieced together. It is no easy task, unless someone just takes sprues from lots of sherman variants, throw them in a box, inlcude lots of photos of the real thing and just write in the intructions: Detail parts for all variants included, assemble at own risk. 
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Maybe? I don’t know. That’s why I said that Tamiya already has the lower suspension. The same suspension is the same on both the M50 & M51. But, as you stated (as well as myself) a new upper hull and turret would have to be made. The bottom line is this, does a company want to invest in the R&D to produce it and is there enough interest to recoop their money? I can’t answer that. A prime example of this. Takom Russian T-14 Armata. This kit was a complete new tooled kit. There’s nothing from other Takom kits could be used. Russia only built fourteen (14) of these Tanks. So, why would Takom produce a kit like the T-14? I dabble a little in modern Russian modern armor, but I would never purchase a T-14 kit. Again, I believe that there would be more interest in a Israeli M50 Sherman than a modern T-14.
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Hi,
why is the M50 of DML/Dragon a so terrible kit? I have one in my stash and I would know this before building it.
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First, it’s closer to 1/32 scale than the advertised 1/35th. Secondly, the individual track links are trash. Every single track (at least on the one I had) has the injector pin marks that you have to sand or fill with filler and sand. This new era of Model producing (technology) a total new kit can be tooled and produced. As I’ve said, can or will model companies elect to go this route? I don’t know. I’d like to know how the model companies decided on what to produce.
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How they decide. That’s the million $ question. The obvious answer is how much cost to make it and how many do we have to sell. On the one hand it’s now easier to design a new tooled kit with CAD etc. On the other it is now more expensive to produce a quality kit. Molds laser cut or at least milled to very fine tolerances. Can some of the molds be used to make other variants? Probably many more variables come into play that we can only guess at. Personally, I don’t really dwell on why this kit and not that. Just happy there are an abundance kits and manufacturers to choose from, many of which are of very high quality and a good value. Your mileage may vary.
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So does Asuka, and theirs is better-detailed than Tamiya’s version. Of course, Asuka has so far only produced two post-war Sherman, and those were a Korean War and a JGSDF one, so I don’t see them branching out into Israeli ones any time soon — but never say never, I guess.
Mostly milled and spark-eroded, AFAIK 
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There are not an available chassi for the M4A4 based versions. The closest would be for RFM to mix their M4A4 kit, with their HVSS suspension and add a new engine deck and turret.
Even though there where M50’s with the same chassi as the Tamiya M51 (M4A1 with HVSS and new engine deck), I believe the M4A4 ones where more common.
But I would love a new M50. There’s a lot of variants and schemes. IDF, SLA (and other Lebanese users) and Chile. Lots of fun!
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An Israeli M50 would make a fine addition to the model museum.
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Or do the same with Asuka parts. Though fitting HVSS to an M4A4 hull will be a good amount of work.
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I kitbashed a M50 using tamiyas M51 sherman and and the turret of dragons M50
there were both long hull M50s (M4A4 hull) andf there were short hull M50s (M4A1 and M4A3 hulls)
I used the the dragon M50 as a source of parts for my kitbashed short hull M50 using tamia’s M51
everythine matched up fine i dont see where its was 1 32
Maybe there was confusion with the ancient Tamiya M4A3 HVSS kit, which was 1:32 scale (approximately anyway), and which a good number of people adapted to 1:35 scale kits (see here if you read Dutch) because it was the only way of having HVSS on a model?
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Welcome to the forum! Yes, an all new M50 would be nice. My pet choice would Ryefield-Model to deliver a fun to build kit. The tracks would still be annoying however in all likelihood.
Please consider
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Dragon didn’t goofed up and do M50 Sherman in 1/32. It shares too much wirh their other Sherman’s. The kit isn’t perfect but it isn’t that horrible.
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Kit individual link tracks of that era are notorious for punch marks. A lot today’s individual link tracks have the same issue to a lesser degree.
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The track issue is simple enough to fix, buy a set of quality aftermarket tracks. Fruilmodel, Quick Track, etc various other sources can help with punch mark free tracks.
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Don’t forget the MP Models M-50. A little roughly molded and engineered but with patience a great kit can be built. If I remember correctly, the MP series had the raised weld marks joining the major hull pieces on the upper hull when weld trenches were the typical.
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The MP kit was actually pretty good, given the time it was tooled. They turret is probably the most accurate M50 turret done to date.
It seems to me that like any other Sherman kit, if the boxed kit isn’t exactly what you want to build, mix and match with other kits, no matter what company does the original kit, but a good kit on a long hull with HVSS would be perfect.
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Don’t disagree with your assessment of the MP Models M-50. I really liked the M4A4 hull. Built at least 2 more to make British Shermans in 1990’s. Great detail and casting marks. You just had to be careful and take your time when assembling the big pieces, which really falls under basic modelling skills.
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MP Models kits were outstanding gems. They’re Grail kits now, very hard to find.
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I better treat the one I have with a little more care… until I use it. I have everything I need to build a more up-to-date M50 now, and that kit is my starting point. I think I still have a couple of the M4 hull tops as well, somewhere. And yeah, the -A4 hulls are pretty good for their time. I used one to do the briefly used M50 VVSS w/ the diesel engine, pictured in the centerfold of Tom Gannon’s original IDF Sherman book.
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