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Modeller Build Logs
Tasca Sherman Firefly Vc |
| By James Wechsler | | Started: | Dec 1, 2006 | | Updated: | Apr 29, 2007 |
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OK, I’ll admit it, when I got the opportunity to do a blog using Tasca’s new Firefly kit I was giddy with excitement. I’ve got Tasca’s Pz. II Luchs, and I’ve built about three of their Sherman suspension sets, and two of their 0.050 cal MG sets. Tasca has yet to disappoint.
Now as a total Shermanaholic, I’ll admit that the thought of building a Sherman model that requires only a little bit of extra work is hard to fathom. I mean what is Sherman modeling without a bucket of aftermarket resin parts, replacement tracks, and a huge photoetch sheet? It’s … like modeling German armor (noooo don’t say it’s true)! There, I’ve said it. 2006 has been an allied modeler’s dream and Tasca’s Firefly is the grand finally of the fireworks show.
But in many ways I’m glad to be doing a blog using a great kit. My last two blogs involved extensive use of resin conversion and scratch built parts to make unusual Shermans. So they were heavily focused on construction tasks. Yet I’ve noticed that most of the comments I receive when I post photos of my models are requests for more information on how I do my painting, weathering, and groundwork. So for this blog I will spend less time on the construction tasks and more time on the painting, finishing and techniques for making simple ground work.
Up Next: The Construction Starts.
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| The Turret | Dec 16, 2006 |
Well I’d planned on having a few chapters on the turret but there’s really no need. This is a great piece of work by Tasca. They’ve done a great job of capturing all of the little details and the parts all fit. Very cool.
One area that’s a real knock out is the commander’s split hatch. This is easily the best representation in plastic I’ve ever seen. It has excellent detail including casting numbers all over the place and real well done pads around the hatch. In addition, this is the only hatch in plastic that correctly represents the prominent locking handle on the hatch. You have to get a resin set to get more detail than this.
Another real pleasant surprise is the casting numbers on the gun mantlet. I believe this is a first in plastic as well. There’s a slight mold line to be scraped off but it’s no big deal. Also, Tasca has molded the British style radio antenna mount in a very delicate part. But the detail is excellent and it’s a super big pain to try to roll one out of photoetch.
The overall fit of the upper and lower hull is good but you’ll need to do a little scraping and retexturing and there’s a slight mold line around the pistol port as well. Like the work I did on the transmission cover, Tentax and a stiff brush did the trick.
Tasca gives you two options for the rear turret radio box and the fit is good. But most of the references I have show a weld line on sides where the box meets the turret so I added it with a 0.015 inch plastic rod softened with Tentax.
I didn’t use the kit’s barrel simply because I had the excellent Loinmarc metal one and I couldn’t pass it up. But the kit barrel is quite well done and requires just a little sanding to clean up the seam.
Finally, Tasca gives you some very small photoetch tie downs for the left side of the turret and there are 6 pairs of indentations for where they go. I must admit that I simply couldn’t figure out how I was to use the photoetch so I substituted tie downs from an Aber set. The instructions I have are in Japanese and it may be that the words help explain what the diagrams do not.
Overall, this turret is a real joy to build with little cleanup and excellent detail.
But….. |
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