Sherman Composites Hybrids and FireFlys  
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All Forums >> RC Cars, Buggies, Trucks, Tanks and more >> RC Tanks >> War Room >> Sherman Composites Hybrids and FireFlys
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Sherman Composites Hybrids and FireFlys - 5/25/2008 10:48:28 PM   
swathdiver



Posts: 3716
Joined: 3/21/2006
From: Boynton Beach, FL, USA
Status: offline 		So as not to hijack Edoubleaz's Firefly Build I thought I'd move this discussion over here where it belongs.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Alan123

Yeah, any Sherman Firefly not a Firefly VC is a hybrid. The first load of FFs were all Hybrids based on the M4 hulls. On some they slapped on the cast front and on others they lowered the front plate to 35 degrees and welded it back on, but there were cast hybrids and welded hybrids.

Lots of info on the this confusing subject of hybrids here: http://freespace.virgin.net/shermanic.firefly/

It is the website of a bloke that wrote a great big expensive book on the subject.

Also check out the Tamiya 1/48 kit of the Sherman Firefly 1C, it too is a hybrid and has an all welded hull.

The term hybrid applied really to any Sherman that was retrofitted with a 17 pounder. This is opposed to being produced from the word go as a Firefly as the VCs were.


Cheers

Alan.


As I know it, no Shermans were slapped together in theater to make a hybrid, err composite. These were the last M4 model Shermans built by Chrysler starting in 1943. Chrysler also built the long hull M4A4 with the multibank engine and many of these were also converted to FireFlys.

Never heard that all 17pounder equipped tanks were referred to as hybrids, nor does the statement that the front ends were cut off and re-angled back on at 35 degrees make much sense either.

There were 3 Sherman Hulls converted to FireFlys beginning in early 1944:

Sherman M4 = Sherman 1C
Sherman M4 Composite = Sherman 1C Hybrid
Sherman M4A4 = Sherman VC

C = 17pdr gun.

All Composites I've seen both British and American had the late M4 Bogies with upswept return rollers.

I believe that the Hybrid FireFly was the only one equipped with the "big hatches", the M4 and M4A4 utilizing the earlier variations of the Sherman front plate. Correct me if I'm wrong.





_____________________________

James -
You do have spare boards, don't you?
       Post #: 1

RE: Sherman Composites Hybrids and FireFlys - 5/26/2008 1:44:01 AM   
edoubleaz



Posts: 427
Joined: 5/18/2005
From: Phoenix, AZ, USA
Status: offline 		I am using the one piece transmission cover as all the images I mave seen had this feature on the IC and IC Hybrid while the M4A4 models and pictures primarily have the "boltnose" style three piece transmission cover.

_____________________________

check out www.desertarmor.com for all our work.

(in reply to swathdiver)
       Post #: 2

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All Forums >> RC Cars, Buggies, Trucks, Tanks and more >> RC Tanks >> War Room >> Sherman Composites Hybrids and FireFlys
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