Post by alexb on May 13, 2018 0:19:29 GMT
I was rummaging through some boxes looking for some of the parts from the original Wildcat concept (M18 Turret on a M4a3 Chassis). The more I thought about it, the more normal the concept seemed...afterall a M36B1 is essentially a M36 90mm turret on a M4a3 chassis. It's kind-of/sort-of feasible that a M18 (or more likely a M10) turret could be mounted on a M4a3 chassis. Anyway, I've managed to misplace a few of the parts from the M18 turret. I've been looking for them to keep them all together so when I do get around to doing something I'll know where they are....call it part of my attempts to reorganize the hobby room.
So I come across a box holding an old M4a4 Shermy. It's the older-old Dragon kit and I built it back in the 90s. Not bad bit of styrene but it's outdated by the later Dragon kit....which I've also build. So my mind starts percolating. My first thought is let's up-gun this to a T23 turret with the 76mm gun. I have an older-old Firefly on the shelf. I figured I'd compare bodies and use the worse one to fiddle with. They are about the same.
An idea crossed my mind. The Firefly uses the stock M4 turret. The 17pdr. is a bigger gun than the M1 76mm gun. The initial Shermans with the 76mm gun used the original turrets and were designated as QF (quick fix). They were so cramped the design was canned. The US went with the T23 turret and I got to wondering why the British did not adopt the T23 turret as well. I never understood why the Commonwealth Shermans never had
the T23 turrets. I know they used M10s. The T23 turrets were put on
M4a1s, M4a2s, and M4a3s....even the Soviets got them. Anyway, the idea is to make a what-if Firefly II using the T23 turret. It seems like the basis of a nice what-if build.
Another idea is to go back and do a Sherman TD. I saw some pics of a T53...which looks like Stewie the Slayer's older brother. Instead, I'm thinking of a M4a3 chassis, turret removed, mounting a 90mm gun, and having an enclosed fighting compartment.
It's ugly but...you never know.
So I come across a box holding an old M4a4 Shermy. It's the older-old Dragon kit and I built it back in the 90s. Not bad bit of styrene but it's outdated by the later Dragon kit....which I've also build. So my mind starts percolating. My first thought is let's up-gun this to a T23 turret with the 76mm gun. I have an older-old Firefly on the shelf. I figured I'd compare bodies and use the worse one to fiddle with. They are about the same.
An idea crossed my mind. The Firefly uses the stock M4 turret. The 17pdr. is a bigger gun than the M1 76mm gun. The initial Shermans with the 76mm gun used the original turrets and were designated as QF (quick fix). They were so cramped the design was canned. The US went with the T23 turret and I got to wondering why the British did not adopt the T23 turret as well. I never understood why the Commonwealth Shermans never had
the T23 turrets. I know they used M10s. The T23 turrets were put on
M4a1s, M4a2s, and M4a3s....even the Soviets got them. Anyway, the idea is to make a what-if Firefly II using the T23 turret. It seems like the basis of a nice what-if build.
Another idea is to go back and do a Sherman TD. I saw some pics of a T53...which looks like Stewie the Slayer's older brother. Instead, I'm thinking of a M4a3 chassis, turret removed, mounting a 90mm gun, and having an enclosed fighting compartment.
It's ugly but...you never know.
, but it 
