M51 Super Sherman Israeli Main Battle Tank Tamiya 1/35

Tamiya’s Super Sherman, the color of an Israeli tank, is difficult. I made it in April 2014.

It’s an excellent opportunity because I have been interested in a similar vehicle of Dragon Models. I wanted a kit that was not so difficult to assemble, and I have begun to make an Israeli Super Sherman spasmodically. This box art is cool, too.

It’s a rare case for Tamiya, a box composing type.

You should handle these pin marks if you feel uneasy. But why are they outside? Possibly can you not see even leaving behind the caterpillar? Is it unavoidable in the process of manufacturing?

It is easy to take the HVSS suspension at minimum parts. Good work of Tamiya’s high quality.

Typically, I suppose the grab handle is usually separated parts, and the modelers themselves have adhered to them. I suppose these parts should have been reappearing properly without omitting the process. But the mold of this kit is like a photo, a thin plastic plate and beyond saving level, not like a real one.

This is another place, but the handrail is remade in a brass line. Has Tamiya’s development charge picked up the other companies’ kit? If they understand the quality of this kit, I have no choice. It is the difference between making concepts. But Tamiya has superb technology like the kit of Zero fighters; I would like Tamiya to have the same quality and craftwork for the AFV kit again.

I made a gun turret and a figure. Two figures of good artistry are attached. Each of the two expressions of the face, which is the most critical point, has a sense of oppression and is very good. A gun barrel is long and seems to be very strong.

The pointing place is very near when making the figure pose as instructed. I revise some arms upward slightly.

Because a gun barrel is long, and the effective range seems to belong, the one where the figure skating at a distance is fantastic position and atmosphere may appear.
(05-April-2014)

These are very thick when the front and rear guards are used; I sharpened them and thinned them. The impression changes considerably, just only to half the thickness.

I wound up a belt caterpillar. This is five seconds of work to be over, and the mold is sharp. No need to have an antipathy to a belt caterpillar very much.

AFV Club releases the T80 movable track link for Sherman tanks. I happen to have it, assemble it for trial.

I began to assemble it and thought the simplicity of the belt was a considerably good point. As for the caterpillar of the AFV Club is movable; it is easy to move smoothly when I glue one of the two for each pin of side elliptic pins as in the lower photograph. If not, use glue and try to wind up the whole caterpillar; it falls apart. It is not simply assembled as the Magic Truck of Dragon Models.

Seeing from beside, it’s almost the same as the belt one. The cut surface of the side pin gate whitens, but because it is smooth, I only care for the surface a little, and it becomes no problem. I suppose there’s a difference for the only person interested in Sherman Tracks.

It is worth choosing this caterpillar because it is not ideally round along a sprocket wheel. And we can make many kits without workable tracks! It just occurred to me to use AFV parts only, along with the sprocket wheels and cutting and pasting the Tamiya belt caterpillar for other areas. It took a lot of time, but the conclusion is satisfactory.
Ummm… I do not need to become stingy when I think I cannot make only a vehicle of the HVSS suspension a lot.
(09-April-2014)

Because I could not move a gun barrel up and down when I attached a mantlet cover, I fixed it at the best angle the look. I think the best angle is slightly up than a horizontal position. In old age, the cover made of cloth making was advised in the Walker Bulldog M41; “Let’s make it with a plastic bag!” I remember it’s considerably tricky work.

Many parts were omitted from the front armor in this kit. I referred to the box art and added some parts with a plastic board.

The Tamiya kit has not had a clamp for the tools; I added them using a brass line.

I made the chain of the smoke discharger caps. I bundled thin copper wire and adhered it in super glue.

The gun turret rear stretched for balancing a long gun barrel and security of the inner space.

The mesh of the engine vent has used the wrapper of the candy I got from my friend. Quality is largely up to inexpensive materials.

Very high body tank, and it seems easy to find on the battlefield.

The original hatch grab rail was removed and re-attached made of brass wire.

It’s smoothly assembling completion except for the caterpillar. Having a sense of reality is very much and cool.
(17-April-2014)

I usually blow the surfacer before basic painting as much as possible. I use lacquer paint as Mr. Color released by GSI Creos in Japan; the surface of the paint is firm fastness to the plastic. Mr. Color is required a well-ventilated condition to avoid suctioning harmful substances.
(18-April-2014)

I am blowing dark colors on the shadow area. In my case, I mixed ivory and tire black; 50% and 50%, in case I have some remained paint, adding it to the primary mixed color.

By the way, the painting of the Sinai Gray on the Israeli tank is the main point of this modeling. Sinai Gray was compounded Medium Gray of XF-20 and a Buff of XF-57 Tamiya Color, with one-to-one according to a manual of Tamiya; it’s the primary body color for AFV in the Yom Kippur War. Several kinds of colors are released from Modelkasten. This time, I toned it by Mr. Color of Creos. After mixing Neutral Gray and Sale Color with approximately one to one, I mix yellow ocher while modifying the color taste. I thought about whether warmth was insufficient and added Yellow little by little.
(26-April-2014)

Basic painting and pasted decals. I suppose the shield cover was made of canvas; it’s better to change the color later. After I have weathered the paint a little, it will be completed.
(26-April-2014)

It is the completion of the M51 Super Sherman. It’s a tank of the Israeli Defense Forces with plenty of a military career after the World War II era. This tank was remodeled from the American Sherman and changed armament for a 105mm anti-tank gun and became able to fight against T-54/55 and JS3 of the Arab countries based on equal firepower.

I explained the toning recipe on my working page of M51. The vehicle color was Sinai Grey, used in Israel Defense Forces AFV. The marking is in the Yom Kippur War, during the 1973 Arab-Israeli War.

I changed the caterpillar to the AFV Club’s movable connection tracks. At least I think the roundness of each part track close against drive sprockets and return rollers looks good. I wonder if it’s effective or not.

As I commented in my working report, there are many injection pin marks on the chassis. But there is no problem because all marks are hiding.

The decal of the car number on the right and left were indicated to attach to the angle. I suppose I attached them parallel to the ground for a better looking.

M51’s muzzle brake has a peculiar form and is distinct.

I drew scarring with tipping by brush and a small cut sponge. This time I worked moderately, not hard weathering.

I drew the pattern of the OVM wood parts with the washing in red-brown, buff, and dark yellow, and after that, I had dry brushing.

It’s a good accent for the canvas cover of the mantelet if you change color compared to Sinai Grey. I think the feel of the canvas material improved when I mixed some pigments with paint because it became rougher.

I painted periscopes in the turquoise green of Mr. Crystal’s color of CREOS. Ummmm… it is slightly artificial; I should have painted deep, clear green. I bought three crystal colors, and there is not much use. All may be usable to periscopes if I mix them with dark colors.

He is a loader. He has a severe expression. The headgear is similar to the form of US tankers during World War II.

The commander and loader combination is as in this photo. Is it the situation that discovered an unidentified vehicle or target in the distance?

Both of them look good from this angle.

I washed lightly and attached pigment dust in the lower body around the HVSS suspensions.

I made the color of the Israeli military uniform, which I mixed dark yellow and olive drab with one-to-one. The uniform of the Israel Defense Forces is a unique color if it is said that khaki is a similar color.

The size of the kit is around 25cm.

This kit has an explanatory brochure, and we can understand precisely M51 Super Sherman. It is beneficial for keeping motivation until completion.

Israeli Merkava tank is also becoming popular, SF-like shape is attractive. It is a good point of Sherman M51 remodeling the out-of-date old vehicle to the first-class fighter in the front line.

I think the net of the exhaust vent is for grenades thrown in by the enemy.

Because there were no clear headlight parts in this kit, I used transparent epoxy adhesive.

Tamiya’s kit is easy to make, and the quality is comfortable. I was able to complete excellent Super Sherman with relatively easy work. Nice view of a long gun barrel and rear gun turret ledge.
(30-April-2014)