I will try to make this Asuka’s Sherman Easy Eight this time. This time, I will try to make an Easy Eight Asuka Sherman. It is the last type of Sherman tank that appeared at the end of World War II. The width of the track is wide, and the body is long, so it looks stable. I don’t think it is an expendable character, but it is an excellent tank.
The box assembly of the tank body is not so complex because of the high accuracy of the parts, and I know the general point because I have built several plastic models of Tasca and Asuka in the past. The horizontal suspension assembly is fine. Since there are many parts, a movable can be bonded without using a little adhesive.
I’ve almost finished assembling the body part. Etched parts are easy to break, so I think I should go further. By the way, Asuka’s manual says that OVMs were painted with the color of the tank body. It has been said for a long time in various tanks, but is it more realistic not to paint with metal color or wood color?
I thought all of Tasca’s Sherman’s track was belt type, but this kit was fully connected assembly type. I was surprised because I wasn’t aware of it. There were as many as six runners on the track.
Assembly itself is simple. It seems that it can be connected and moved if it is assembled well. I feel the strength is insufficient if I attach the adhesive little by little and make it movable.
I was going to put on a movable track, and when I put it on the vehicle, I panicked because many parts didn’t move properly. It doesn’t take much time because there are few parts, and the length can be made quickly, but it is challenging to work when winding it around a wheel. Ultimately, the ease of work depends on how dry the adhesive is, which is no longer the same as assembling a connected, non-movable track.
The rear part of the left side fender was missing. It was quite a large part, so I was shocked. It is the most troublesome that I don’t know if it doesn’t exist or if it is in my room when I look for it. In the past, my cat carried my canopy in his mouth on a plastic model airplane, so I have no idea what the truth is. Well, this plane was the US Avenger… After all, I couldn’t find it after looking for it for a while, so I made my own by working with plastic plates. It is irresistible if it is found after the work is completed. This fender can be battle damage, even if it comes off. If I attach a spare caterpillar to the self-made fender part, the strength of the parts will be improved.
The rough assembly is finished. After all, replacing the attached light guard etched parts improves the precision. The processing is easy, and the delicate curve of the light guard can be shaped. It was easy to work if I used a round sticker on a big eraser.
The round hatches and periscopes of the turret had two types, clear parts and ordinary plastic. I used clear parts for this occasion.
The tank, this time, had four hatches, so I made it possible to open and close it with metal wires. I added an antenna with a fine metal line of about 4 cm. I think I’ll load some more stuff.
I took the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine yesterday in town. My left arm feels a little tired, but it’s good that I don’t have much damage so far. My wife came back from the second vaccination on the same day by coincidence, and she seemed to be in pain both in the evening and the next day. She’s in bed with strong malaise, fever, nausea, and myalgia. It seems that many people have strong side effects the second time. I’d like to believe that all the rumors in Japan are conspiracy theories. I wouldn’t say I like that we’re skipping so many processes until the vaccine’s introduction that it’s impossible to imagine.
(2021/07/29)
I didn’t want to hide the decal so much, so I piled up mainly the back of the decal with jelly cans, sleeping bags, helmets, miscellaneous bags, and wooden boxes. It is unbalanced that nothing is put on the front armor part of the tank, so I think I will put some baggage on this part after putting a big nationality mark with a star in the circle.
When I made a rack on the front armor, I had to cut this round decal. I chose the marking of the 8th armored division.
The M4A3E8 Sherman Easy Eight is complete. The shape of the tank body and the turret is probably accurate because Tasca, now Asuka, made the kit initially.
Marking this time is the 8th Armored Division, deployed in Kirchhellen, Germany, in March 1945. I wanted to mark the front with a star inside the circle this time, so I chose this marking in this kit.
Three logs are tied to the side of the tank for when the tank gets stuck. This looks like it is protected but will have a little role as additional armor.
This M4A3E8 Easy Eight is the last type of Sherman tank. It is equipped with a powerful gasoline engine on the body with improved protection. The most distinctive features, I think, are the horizontal suspension (HVSS) and the wide track. Approximately 2,600 vehicles were produced between August 1944 and April 1945. It’s quite the final phase. It seems to have been used in various countries after the war.
There was no mold in particular for the OVM fixing belt, so I added a little.
I made a rack on the front, but I didn’t want to hide the decal, so I put on an extra track and other things.
I built a figure. It is hard to draw a triangular unit mark with a brush.
Even if I say Sherman tank, the silhouette and performance are quite different between the early stage and Easy Eight. Each tank is attractive, so I would like to make another Sherman tank if I have a chance. Come to think of it, when will the Academy’s Panzerkampfwagen II arrive? I want to see the contents of the box as soon as possible.
(2021/08/16)
