I didn’t see this mentioned anywhere and I also didn’t realize that this kit is already available from Sprue Bros…they also have the less expensive version without the high detail extras…
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Warmly welcome and very eager to put hands on it!
Hope RFM has the will and nuts to bring a L33 Ro’Em…
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I’m not a fan of the old DML M-50 offering and that’s pretty much all we had for the last 30 plus years. I was never able to find one of the MP Models kits and I don’t like to work with resin. I guess it was lucky that we even had the DML. It does surprise me that no one else had kitted an M-50 in the last 30 years. I thought for sure Tamiya would make one back when they released their gorgeous M-51, but it never happened.
Another thing that surprises me is that this release doesn’t seem to be generating that much buzz. Maybe most of the old timers that would’ve loved this release have since passed on? I don’t know, I’ve searched here, on track-link, and on missing-lynx. Hardly anything was written about this release or the two new Takom Shermans. I did notice that you started a thread about it on Missing-lynx:). So yeah, the lack of buzz on these new Shermans surprises me a lot. I know that they are selling because the two Takoms that released last July are all on back order…
Both Takom and RFM have the lower suspension needed to make one of those L33s, it’s such a cool looking beast, but being a bit biased as a Sherman fanatic anything based on that tank is going to be something that I will enjoy;)
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Another thing that surprises me is that this release doesn’t seem to be generating that much buzz
I feel like the Sherman hype has really died down. How many “new” shermans have we seen over the last year?
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They are selling them otherwise they wouldn’t keep making new kits. of the Sherman kits that have dropped in the last 5-6 years or however long it’s been since Meng and RFM got into making Shermans, most of the on line stores that I buy on have them listed as back order…Even the recent Takom releases are not available on some stores.
I think the Son of Sherman books really opened up the subject to whole new batch of modelers and many of them might not even be modelers from North America.
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Over the last year - 12 new Sherman kits! That’s huge. No slow down here.
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Are you counting the RFM variant releases as separate releases?
They released 3 options of the same kit with different levels of detail for different price ranges. Plus they already had the interior and the rest of the tank all they did on M4A3 VVSS release was combine the suspension with their previous M4A3E8 release. It’s probably just me but barely consider that a new release let alone 3.
Even on the M-50 release they just added their previous M4A4 release with their E8 suspension, pretty much all they had to do was mold the Israeli stowage, the turret, and the engine deck…I count the VVSS M4A3 and the M-50 as two releases but I guess technically they are 5?
Three from Border and four from Takom but again a lot of reuse of sprues…
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I thought the Israeli M1 HVSS release from Takom was huge because it had never been done in plastic before, the M4A1E8 was less significant to me because of its limited applications. That could’ve just been one release IMO, nothing wrong with Takom getting the most out of the molds.
The Border Models releases are so bad that I could honestly say we’d probably be better off without ever having seen them. BM intended to release 3 Sherman’s with the same small hatch hull and then had to scramble to make a large hatch hull for their 76mm. Their solution was to slap large hatches on the 56* small hatch hull which is absolute garbage. I know because I built one.
The RFM M-50 release while it uses sprues from previous kits it’s still super welcome and long overdue. I’m very happy that we’ll finally have a very well done kit of this type in plastic.
The M4A3 VVSS we probably could’ve done without. We already had so many options to build that particular type of Sherman. I’m glad it’s out there and I plan to get the one that comes with interior but probably didn’t need another in the market. We already had the Italeri, DML, Meng, Tasca/Asuka, and it was easy enough to cobble one together using all Tamiya parts too. For people that don’t have a Sherman stash and love to build RFM it was a very nice addition.
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I don’t understand your ideas about not “needing” a certain kit. Other companies kits don’t make money for another company. I imagine it makes business sense to get as many molds out of a kit as possible. Competition is good in my book.
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I’m just jazzed that a “long” HVSS M-50 is out, in plastic, done with modern tooling.
Now what am I gonna do with all the AM and parts kits I’ve gathered over the last few years to build one?
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Absolutely and I have no issues with all the Sherman releases or the companies maximizing their molds.
I’m always going to buy the Shermans and support the companies for producing kits of my favorite modeling subject. I won’t buy all three versions of M4A3 VVSS but I do plan to get one of the three.
I guess what I was trying to express and failed to say was that while technically yes we got 12 releases in a calendar year. I feel like we really only got 2 maybe 3 new and unique Sherman’s which is kind of a drop in the bucket considering all the different versions that have yet to be kitted in plastic. So what I failed and wanted to express is that we still need more Shermans despite the imposing 12 number of releases in the last year;)
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I should be getting mine by the end of the week or early next week. I don’t know how long sprue bros has had them but I ordered mine this past Saturday. They have both the extra detail one and the regular release $84 and $57 respectively.
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Ordered one this weekend too. I think they just arrived early last week. Also the Takom M51. Got one of those too. But been wanting a new M50 for awhile and glad someone decided to do one. Good on RFM for this.
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Yes, these are very welcome releases:)
as much as I love the IDF Shermans, I really wish someone would take on the Indian and Pakistani versions…the original turrets with the 76mm and E9 suspension, they’re interesting looking Shermans, still surprised nobody has done an E9 suspension in plastic…
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So how does turbans and helmets go together?
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Here in the UK Sikhs and others can ride motorcycles without a crash helmet because the turban gets in the way. Apparently they offer a surprising amount of impact protection, absorbing energy! But I’m not convinced they have any ballistic value…
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Wow! THat’s a lot of PE.
I was going to build an ex IDF/SLA M50 “Blue Sherman”, using the Dragon kit as a base, but thank the modeling Gods for this one.
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Why is it blue?
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