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Tiger Model Designs continue their comeback with this entry specifically designed for your Dragon M4A2 Sherman kit. Like most of the others, they are simple updates and replace kit parts directly.
In photo one; you see the package of the subject of this review. In a ©ZipLoc bag, backed with a card header, we find five parts attached to carrier sprues. They are in TMD’s gray resin with the reproduction one has come to expect in that there are no bubbles, blobs, or pinholes on the parts. See photo 2.
Assembly follows the kit directions and this set is suitable for any of Dragon’s M4A2 or Mk III kits. The idler base is already added to the rear hull plate, the tow eyes have pilot holes which need to be drill through, but I noticed the idler base plate has one less bolt that the plastic parts. This is correct as shown in the photos in my collection.
These parts represent the rear plate, idler arms (2 pieces), muffler assembly, and a dust shield. The last item is respectably thin. See photo three.
The resin was true and there was no need to dip it in hot water to regain the proper shape. The gray resin is a bit tougher than others so take the time with a saw and resist the urge to snap off the part. I did cut down the mounting tabs on the muffler assembly to half the height and care was needed to remove the casting sprue flash. After snapping on the mufflers, I slid the thin pins of the idler arms into the idler housing and assembly was complete. See photo four.
The idler base includes the side mounts molded integrally so it was necessary to check the fit to the plastic hull tub. There was no shrinkage but I did remove the ridge on the left side to improve fit and close a gap. I will use a thin bead of ©Apoxie Sculpt to fill it. This works well as both a filler and adhesive. See photo five.
The muffler received a lot of bolt detail that was missing on the original plastic parts. See photo six. The exhaust pipes are hollowed out deeply and the bolted plates on either muffler as well as to the rear hull plate are now present. Last, the idler arms are free to swing allowing track tension adjustment. See photo 7. The resin used is quite strong and survived my handling.
At the price, it is a time saver in dealing with individual tracks as well as increasing the detail on the kit without dealing with sheet styrene and cutting bolts. The dust shield is nicely cast but insctructions are not included. Otherwise, another half star would be garnered.
My thanks go to TMD for the review sample.
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