Formations
F094
Formations has
made a name for itself by providing very high quality Sherman products.
Their range is diverse and includes Commonwealth variations. In
many cases, the inclusion of extras such as MV 7 Lights and brass
wire to complete the kit shows their dedication into providing the
best they can in one package.
Over at Missing
Lynx's Constructive Comments forum, I saw the beautiful work of
Fabio Sacchi on an M4 Direct Vision hull. Having a half-built Tamiya
kit and Osprey's Modelling the 75mm Sherman at hand, I was
tempted to try a conversion as detailed in Steve Zaloga's text.
Luckily, Fabio mentioned that his superb work would be released
by Formations and here we are...
In a resealable
bag with a heavy paper header, we find a lot of resin parts stuffed
into the cavity of the upper hull as well as instructions and some
brass wire. See photo one.
The lucky thirteen
sprues are perfectly cast with no blemishes, pits, bubbles, or unintentional
flash. See the lower right corner of photo one for an extreme close-up
of the tow hook butterfly nut rendered in resin.
However, the
subject at hand is the M4 Direct Vision upper hull and here we can
appreciate Fabio's eye for detail. There are numerous casting marks
all around along with subtle welds. If there is anything to nit-pick
it would be the type of welding depicted but the drain holes, locations
of welds, and the appearance are spot on.
The kit is designed
for various lower hulls and I considered my Tasca M4A1 but the riveted
construction would mean modifications were needed.
Construction
is fairly straightforward after building a few of Formations kits
but the reinforcement bar in the large openings could have benefited
from a scribed line to act as a guide and/or snap point. It took
a bit of work to cut through and carefully carve the turret opening.
This was practice for the engine area as the latter is visible and
a wrong cut would mar such a well done hull.
Parts by Fabio
are the visors themselves but most of the other sprues include items
from Formations ready line up. I did find myself scrounging for
a left over Academy M10 hull from which to remove the filler port
labels.
From experience,
I highly recommend dry fitting and chamfering the inside of the
upper hull slowly until the fit to your chosen lower hull is perfect.
While tedious, it is far less time consuming than trying to add
all that wonderful detail, AFTER converting the upper hull, as Fabio
has done. Also, drill the filler caps before adding to the hull
and insert the included brass wire.
Accuracy seems
quite high including the weld lines which angle out. Slots are cut
into the front face of the direct vision ports but extra work awaits
anyone who wishes to add a full interior. The fit of the hatches
in the close position was very good and the instructions correctly
indicate to remove the springs from these.
This is an excellent
release and I am happy to have bought it. The kit is available directly
from Formations.
- Saul Garcia
|