Greetings. I’m approaching the finish line on my RFM Panther Ausf G with full interior. A very challenging project to be sure. My adult son keeps asking me to build a Sherman. He’s seen “Fury” several times and would like to get a feel for the inside of an American tank from WWII. As best I can determine there are only two possible routes to take, the RFM M4A3 with full interior or a mash-up of the Tamiya M4 with two CMK resin kits for the fighting compartment and turret and a Verlinden kit for the radial engine and its compartment. I’ve had a look at some the reviews and build logs and I’m having a hard time committing to either. The RMF kit appears to be more challenging than the Panther build I’m just finishing. Which is saying something. And I get the sense that the RFM kit doesn’t represent a commonly used version of the Sherman. There also seems to be some missing ammunition storage in that kit that I can’t put my finger on. On the other hand, I’ve never done any work with resin kits and the only impression I have of them is that they are fragile/brittle and lack detail.
So, I’m looking for some advice and guidance on my next move. And maybe some reassurance that one or the other of these options is the right choice.
Richard, do yourself a big favor and get the RFM M4A3E8. It is a spectacular kit with excellent engineering and if you have conquered the Panther kit , the Sherman project will present you with no problems. The RFM kit IS a common late war Sherman, but you might want to replace the tracks, as the ones that come with it (T80) were rare for WWII. You would want to get T66 tracks, I’d recommend R-Model metal tracks with metal pins, I have them and they are outstanding.
Going the resin route is problematic in many regards. The CMK stuff is old and hard to find, and has fit issues. The Verlinden stuff is worse. You can fit the engine OR the engine bay in the Tamiya hull, but not both at the same time. The Tamiya kit needs lots of updating on it’s own.
While time consuming, I don’t think you’ll have any problems with the RFM kit and you’ll be very pleased with the result.
Thanks to you all for your timely and useful responses. Thanks to Dan for the great link to the Sherman Minutia website. Thanks SSG Toms for the guidance regarding resin alternatives and the T66 tracks recommendation. I wasn’t looking forward to putting the kit-supplied tracks together. And, thanks to SSG Toms and sponga77 for the encouraging words regarding my ability to take on the RFM kit. I think I now know my course of action. If your ears start burning in the next few months it could be related to second thoughts I might be having about this decision.
One last request, if I may. My reference material for Shermans, and particularly their interior, is nearly non-existent. I would appreciate any recommendations of how best to add to my reference collection.
Sorry, I can’t help you too much in the way of books, but the Squadron M4 Walk Around is pretty good. Also, the Sherman Minutia website is a great help. Most importantly, is to spend many many hours watching “Kelley’s Heroes” and “Fury.”
Ken