Model Military International – September 2019

54 Model Military International - September 2019

KIT PREVIEW Ryefield Models 1:35 M4A3E8 Sherman “Easy Eight” • Kit No. RM-5028

NEW SHERMAN IN TOWN

W

hen I first started into

large-scale armour

kits in the early 1970s,

I was in awe of a kit

based on the artwork on the box.

This kit was Tamiya’s M4A3E8

with tiger face markings from

(unknown to me) the Korean War.

Sadly this kit never lived up to

the amazing artwork and is better

confined to history.

This started a long time love

of that Allied workhorse, the M4

Sherman.

Surprisingly for the Allies main

tank, it took until the mid 1990s

before we started to see a range of

Sherman kits of any quality in 1:35

scale and since then it seems every

new Sherman release is bemoaned

by many as “not another Sherman

kit!”, usually in disparaging terms.

The quality of the kits has

steadily increased and occasionally

takes a quantum leap as we saw

when the Tasca Sherman’s hit the

market with flawless fit, superior

accuracy and a range of types

previously unkitted.

This new kit from Rye Field

Model is such a kit. It leaps ahead

of what was the gold standard to

many in Sherman kits and sets the

bar a little higher.

RFM’s first Sherman kit was a

complete surprise and is of the last

of the Production Sherman’s – the

M4A3 76mm HVSS commonly

but erroneously referred to as

the M4A3E8 and known to many

as an “Easy Eight”. This has been

kitted by many including Tamiya,

Academy, DML, TASCA/ASUKA but

this one is just that little bit better

than its predecessors (which if you

have built a current ASUKA/TASCA

one or the New Tamiya one) gives

an idea of its quality). It represents

a late production WW2 variant and

the kit unsurprisingly has markings

for two late war US examples.

The box contains ten main

sprues of tan coloured styrene

which four are the individual

track links. An additional sprue of

clear parts is included to provide

periscopes and vison slots for

the commander’s cupola. A small

photo-etched fret rounds out the

sprues. Instructions are typical

for an RFM kit in a good A4 sized

portrait format booklet in colour

with clear black and white exploded

view diagrams that I could actually

read without my glasses - a bonus

to many modellers I am sure. First

examination reveals the quality of

the moulding which includes almost

all of the foundry casting marks on

including such small parts as the

hull glacis lifting rings. Hatches

have detail inside and out with

handles, casting numbers etc and

can be displayed open or closed.

Construction starts with the

turret, which is presented as an

upper and lower shell and I have to

say that despite the uber level of

detail presents little problem other

than getting some of the finer

parts of the sprue.

Periscopes may be installed

raised or lowered and here is

where I found the only real niggle

in the kit. The springs are depicted

on the loader’s hatch not being

attached to the turret top in

any way. They are just sitting

unattached at the rear. This is a

weird oversight on a kit with the

level of detail present.

A note here regarding the

periscope guards which are styrene

• they are excellent.
  Options such as antenna
  bases are called out in coloured
  window leaving you in no doubt.
  A multipart mantlet cover is
  included which has the mounting
  studs moulded to the cover. Two
  mantlets are provided including
  one to use with the cover which
  has the corner tubular mount to
  hold the mantlet but not the studs
  on either the turret or mantlet as
  they are moulded to the cover.
  This makes the option of no cover
  a bit more difficult. The optional

Al Bowie analyses the first in a new

family of 1:35 scale Shermans from

Ryefield Models.

The decals provide options for two vehicles.

The main upper hull moulding. The hull features lovely texture on the rolled armour plate. The upper turret shell.