Takom- M1 Super Sherman

For the First Look review of this kit, check out this link:  https://www.amps-armor.org/SiteReviews/ShowReview.aspx?id=25445

Construction

We begin with the assembly of the lower hull- with gluing the transmission cover front and sides to the lower hull tub. Next up is adding the rear side with its doors and the hubs for the return rollers and final drive assembly.

Step 3 involves putting together the six HVSS bogie assemblies which is tricky as you are supposed to leave some parts unglued to allow for some movement. A third hand would be extremely handy, no pun intended. After this, the sprockets (of which there are three different choices for the outer sides) and idlers are attached as well as the six HVSS bits to the hull. My friend Chris Johnson was building this kit as well so I was able to pick up some tips on some tricky bits- the rear idler arm is too long and needs trimming down, which significantly reduces the stability when you go to add the wheel- this was a bit of an issue for me as it is supposed to be loose to adjust the tensioning but it proved to be quite a handful.

Step 6 is all about the tracks-- there are jigs included which helps, but until you get a rhythm going, assembling the links can be time consuming. I did it over the course of a few nights. Once you get the hang of it, it goes smoothly and you have workable tracks. After two sets of 77 links were completed, they were added to the lower hull, as well as the rear air cleaners and sponsons.

We then switch to the top hull in step 9- adding the hull machine gun, periscopes, lights, grab handles, and gas caps. There are jigs to bend the PE for the light guards in step 10 and the engine cover in 11 is assembled. After adding the pioneering tools, PE rear grills and such in step 12, I then noted one of the styrene periscope guards was split in two- but I glued it back on the hatch afterwards in step 13. Before all this, I had primed the hull with Vallejo IDF Gray ahead of time and as you can see- the cast texture on the hull shows up well under paint.

After the rear stowage rack was assembled in 14, it was added with more tools and the whole top hull was attached to the lower. Fenders, mudguards, a phone box, and spare track links were attached in step 17, as well as the barrel travel lock and stretcher and tow cable in 18. We then move on to the top turret half in steps 19-22- adding hatches, periscopes, antenna mounts, small light, and lifting hooks to it.

Step 23 adds the mantlet and gun breech assembly to the turret- and the top half is added to the bottom. In Step 24, you have the option of assembling the topside machine gun complete with ammo can, or you can use the vinyl canvas-covered gun. While the machine gun barrel was slide molded and would have been easy to use, in mine the barrel was twisted and the hand grip part was shattered, so I went with the canvas-covered bit instead. You also add the smoke grenade launchers, large searchlight, and canvas mantlet covers at this step.

The kit supplies a metal or styrene gun barrel- I went with the metal and added the muzzle brake to it, as well as the stowage included in the kit. I used Tamiya tape painted khaki for the straps for the packs. Assembly overall went quite smoothly...I used the decals for the 29th Tank Battalion in Jerusalem in 1967.

Painting and Weathering

As mentioned above, the kit was primed in Vallejo IDF Gray primer overall and I really liked that shade so continued to use it on the rest of the tank. I then used AMMO Oilbrushers as my means for applying dot filtering- adding a custom mix of desert pigments to the tracks, wheels, and hull. I used Citadel Nuln Oil as a wash for all the canvas parts and stowage. The tow cable was left inside the baggie of pigment to get the full dirt treatment and I was done.

Conclusion

Takom has really made an impression on me with this unique Sherman variant that helped stem the tide in the Sinai Campaign and beyond until better, more capable armor could replace them. The fit was great overall, but certain assemblies including the sets of HVSS bogies and track assemblies were challenging- which is why I recommend this for Intermediate builders and beyond- it may prove too frustrating for those just starting out. The inclusion of the excellent stowage and metal barrel really makes this one stand out- and ought to make for a great addition to show tables in the future.

Highly Recommended for Intermediate to Advanced builders.

Thanks goes out to Takom for this review kit.

Reviewed by Michael Reeves, AMPS Albany

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