I begin by assembling the lower hull, and all the parts locate positively and fit well.
Then, I add the suspension bogies, sprockets and idlers on each side. I’m planning to complete and paint the lower hull, tracks and running gear before I add the upper hull. I decide to use the Humbrol actylic paints supplied with the Classic Combat set, just to see how they are. And in general, the Olive Drab is fine and covers well, though perhaps it’s a little dark for a British tank. My only concern is that there really isn’t much paint in each pot – I hope I’ll have enough to finish!
Then I work on the tracks. I begin with the left-hand side. There are just six lengths of track, and these do assemble much more easily than standard link-and-length tracks. However, there is an odd problem – the track lengths are around half a link too long and I have to cut away part of the length that runs from the idler down to the bottom run to make it fit.
Then I do the right-hand side, and this assembles with no problem and no need for trimming – strange!
I rather like this approach to track assembly. It’s fairly easy and the result looks much better than vinyl tracks. Next, I work on the upper hull. Mine came with a small crack on the left-hand mudguard, though this is very small and easily filled.
Then I add the rear hull plate, having cut off the mudflaps and drilled the two locating holes for the rear stowage box.
Next, the lifting rings and headlights, and these too are a little different to usual. Each part is mounted on a small base, and all are installed in the upper hull from below.
When in place, they look fine. But it does seem odd that Airfix have decided not to include any of the turret lifting rings using the same system.
I then join the upper and lower hulls. Fit is good and no filler is required. Overall, hull construction is very straightforward (with the exception of the minor track issue on the left side) and no filler was required anywhere except to fix the cracked front mudguard.
Next, the turret and, with fewer than 10 parts, construction doesn’t take long. I drill out the sides of the muzzle brake and add some lifting rings from the spares box.
The turret sits nicely on the hull. And that, apart from the stowage items and the shovel, is construction done. No problems and fit is really very good – the only place I used any filler at all was on the small crack on the front left mudguard.
Next, painting. Everything gets a coat of the olive drab supplied with this kit. And, despite my concern, there is more than enough paint to do the whole tank.
Then I paint the tools (which is tricky, because they’re tiny and the mouldings lack definition), add the shovel (which is a really strange shape) add the decals to the hull (and some of them just don’t want to come off the backing sheet – I cracked and damaged the “Belvedere” decal on the left side) and some dry-brushed highlights.
I then add a few stowage items and spare track links to the front hull, give everything a coat of varnish and then a light wash in dark grey oil to accentuate the shadows. With a final dusting of artist’s pastels to simulate mud and dirt, this Airfix Sherman Vc is done.
After Action Report
I thoroughly enjoyed this build. Construction was about as simple as it gets. There were no problems, nothing difficult, no tiny parts and fit was very good indeed. I like the method of construction for the tracks provided here. It’s easier than link-and-length tracks and, IMHO, looks better than the one-piece option or most vinyl tracks. Overall, I think this turned-out OK.
This is a pretty good kit that would suit less experienced or beginner kit-builders and you could probably complete it to a reasonable standard using only the paints provided. The main problem here is that this is a crowded market and there are other 1/72 M4 kits out there that are way better than pretty good – the Heller M4A2, for example, is simply outstanding (although it has vinyl tracks that are rather short) and it costs around the same as this new Airfix kit. If you want to spend a little more, the Dragon Sherman Vc has more detail and sharper mouldings.
60 years of armour kit history. 2020 Airfix 1/72 Sherman Vc (left) and 1961 1/76 Sherman I (right).
Perhaps Airfix are going back to their roots here, and providing a pocket-money-priced kit suitable for modellers of all skill levels? If so, they are to be applauded and I certainly hope we’ll be seeing more, new Airfix 1/72 armour kits in future. If, like me, you value a simple build and you’re willing to accept detail that is less than 100% complete – go for this one. If you want absolute fidelity, you may want to look elsewhere.
In 2020 Airfix did something new: they introduced a pair of tank kits not in the company’s usual 1/76 scale but in 1/72! By that time, Airfix had been producing 1/76 tank and vehicle kits for almost 60 years, so this really was a dramatic change. Originally, Airfix seem to have chosen 1/76 to tie in with an existing range of figures produced for model railways in OO gauge. However most other small scale tank and AFV kits are in 1/72 scale, and the difference is noticeable.
Airfix released a 1/76 Sherman back in 1961, and though it’s still available, it is (unsurprisingly given its age) pretty poor by modern standards (you’ll find a link to a review at the end of this post). I’m keen to give this one a go, mainly because I want to compare it to that original Airfix Sherman. After a wait of almost 60 years, you’d certainly hope it would be better…
This kit seems to be available in three forms: as a basic kit, as a starter set including paints and glue and a Classic Conflict double boxing, the armour equivalent of the old Dogfight Double aircraft kit sets. I received the Classic Conflict set (that also includes the new 1/72 Tiger I) as a Christmas present from my son (thanks Dan!). All three versions seem to include the same basic kit, though with different (and more limited) decal options provided in the Classic Conflict set. The most disappointing thing, to date, is that Airfix haven’t followed-up these new 1/72 armour kits with any more in the same scale. Though I do note that the sprues for this kit include a hull machine gun – that was never used on the Firefly, so I wonder if Airfix plan to use these parts as the basis for other variants of the Sherman?
History
The American M4 tank was first used in combat by British forces in North Africa, and it was they who gave it the name by which it would become generally known: the Sherman (all US tanks in British use were given the names of Civil War Generals). Britain received all models from the original M4 (known as the Sherman I in British service) up to the M4A4 (Sherman V).
An early production M4A4. This has applique armour panels on the hull sides, to protect the ammunition stowage bins inside. On later models, “wet” stowage beneath the hull floor was introduced, so these panels were deleted.
The M4A4 was the last major variant of the M4, though it was used relatively little by US forces. It was powered by an odd Chrysler A57 multibank petrol engine that required a slightly lengthened hull, with wider spacing between the suspension bogies. Like most versions, this was armed with a 75mm main gun that fired a highly effective HE shell, but had relatively poor anti-armour capability.
A typical British tank troop in Normandy in 1944 – a Sherman Vc leads the way with three Shermans armed with the 75mm gun behind.
In an effort to provide a Sherman with greater firepower, Britain began to investigate the possibility of mounting the then-new OQF 17-pounder anti-tank gun in a Sherman. The 17-pounder was certainly powerful, with more armour penetration ability than the 88mm main gun fitted to the German Tiger I. However, fitting this weapon into the Sherman turret was a challenge.
A Firefly of B Squadron, the Staffordshire Yeomanry in June 1944 prior to the beginning of Operation Goodwood. Decals for this tank, T212680 “Belvedere”, are provided in the Airfix Classic Combat set.
The recoil system had to be redesigned, the gun was rotated through 90˚ so that it could be loaded from the side and a new and thicker mantlet was produced. The turret was redesigned, moving the radio to an armoured bustle in the rear and adding a new access hatch for the loader on the left side of the turret. The ammunition for the new gun was larger, and to provide adequate space for stowage the bow-gunner’s position was deleted.
A Sherman Vc at the Tank Museum, Bovington. I wonder if this was the original vehicle used by Airfix when producing this kit? It certainly looks very similar and Airfix have used tanks in Bovington for previous kits…
A few examples of the Sherman I (M4) were converted, but most 17-pounders were fitted in examples of the Sherman V. Officially, this was designated as the Sherman Vc, but it quickly became known as the Firefly due to massive muzzle-flash from the main gun. These tanks were provided to the British Army before the Normandy landings – most British Army tank troops after the landings comprised one Firefly plus three Shermans armed with the standard 75mm main gun. In combat, the Vc proved lethally effective against enemy armour, even against the German Panther and Tiger I though it wouldn’t be until almost the end of the war that an effective HE round for the 17-pounder was introduced.
What’s in the Box?
Parts are provided on four sprues moulded in mid-green plastic. There are a few light ejector marks, but no obvious flash.
The last sprue shown above, mainly provides external stowage items including spare track links, spare roadwheels, ammo boxes and fuel cans. Surface detail generally isn’t bad.
No slide moulding is used here, but the muzzle brake of the main gun is provided in two halves, so you won’t need to drill it out. Though you will still want to drill out the side apertures in the muzzle brake…
Detail overall looks OK, though most of the tools and all the hatches are integrated in the main mouldings rather than being separate parts, but it seems to me that perhaps the mouldings aren’t quite as sharp as some other current offerings? Take a look at the outer halves of the suspension bogies below – they’re OK, but I feel that the detail looks a little “soft”.
The rear hull plate incorporates mudflaps. However, these are much too thick and I haven’t found a single wartime image of a Vc fitted with mudflaps, so I’ll probably cut these off before assembly.
The tracks here are interesting because, uniquely as far as I know in a 1/72 armour kit, you get two completely different options for building the tracks and running gear. One option is provided by complete assemblies that include the tracks, bogies and running gear as one part for each side. These aren’t bad in terms of detail, though the internal track guide horns extend across the full width of the tracks, probably a moulding limitation.
The other option involves lengths of track with separate bogies and running gear. I’ll probably use this second option because it provides better detail (though these parts still aren’t particularly well detailed) and it provides British chevron type steel tracks. Most wartime images show the Firefly equipped with this type of track, while the single assembly option portrays rubber block style tracks. It good to have options, and the simpler approach might appeal to someone who doesn’t have much experience in building small scale armour.
These are a little different to the usual link-and-length tracks. There are several track lengths, which look adequately detailed, but there are no individual links here. Instead, the outer parts of the track plates are moulded in place on both halves of the sprocket and idler, with a semi-circular insert for the central part of the track at front and back. It certainly looks nice and simple, but I wonder how it will look once it’s done?
In the Classic Conflict set, decals are provided for a single tank, “Belvedere” of B Squadron, the Staffordshire Yeomanry, 27th Armoured Brigade in June 1944 during Operation Goodwood.
The colour scheme suggested is overall Olive Drab, though it may be worth noting that on British tanks this wasn’t quite the same as US Olive Drab, generally being a little lighter.
The Classic Conflict set also includes six small pots of Humbrol acrylic paint, a couple of brushes and some glue.
Would You Want One?
Probably. This kit is available at a reasonable price, and in the box, it doesn’t look too bad. OK, so maybe detail isn’t as great as you might wish (there are no turret lifting rings, no outer handles on the hatches, no tow cables, no towing shackles, most of the tools are moulded in place and there is a general absence of several small details like, for example, rear lights) but what’s here looks reasonably accurate.
I still have a nostalgic feeling for Airfix kits, and I really wanted to love this new armour kit. Instead, I think it’s just OK. For me, the main disappointment here was that this new-tool kit doesn’t seem to have the detail nor the sharpness of mouldings seen on, for example, some of the recent new-tool AIrfix 1/72 aircraft kits. It certainly isn’t terrible, and of course it’s better than the 1961 1/76 Airfix Sherman I, but I can’t help but feel that this might have been better still. This feels like a great kit for someone new to small-scale armour, or for wargamers, but maybe not so satisfying if you’re looking to build an accurate small-scale Firefly?
If you don’t fancy this one, there are a few alternative kits of the Sherman Vc in 1/72. The Dragon Vc Firefly was released in 2006, and it’s accurate and features DS tracks and PE parts and it has notably sharper detail on things like the suspension bogies and running gear than the Airfix Firefly. Dragon also do a 1/72 version of the Sherman Ic Firefly. The Firefly was also released in 1/72 by Ukrainian company UM in 2008 and this kit features link-and-length tracks and some PE parts. It’s nicely detailed but it’s said to be a fiddly build and fit isn’t the best in places…
If you want a less challenging build, British companies Armourfast and Plastic Soldier Company also offer the Sherman Vc in 1/72. These are simplified kits aimed more at wargamers, but they both build into a pretty reasonable representation of this AFV. And you could always go for the old Matchbox 1/76 Firefly, first released in 1974 and now offered by Revell. It really isn’t a bad old kit and it comes with a nice diorama base though it has rather thick vinyl tracks.
Model Kit World 