RE: IDF Sherman 1/16 Tamiya FO M51
Karel, The turret is really good on the Tammy...only the chassis has to be corrected. Move the spare tracks off the turret, remove the travel lock brackets, make a cover for the horn, a travel lock for the rear and best would be to modify the engine deck for the Cummins diesel. Make ID plates for front and sides. The turret is way too modified to be remade back into a T-23. If you don't have Gannon's book, I'd be happy to email you some photos of these areas. All the hard work has been done..,,.that turret is a real bugger to build and the chassis work is not all that bad. M-51 is a mean looking tank with a great reputation as a tank killer.. Looks like you got a good deal so good luck on the mods. On the plates, the IDF number begins with צ = tsadi ( on the right) but you can make this easy using an N or K.
On your photo from Latrun...what you are looking at is an M-50.....not M-51....you'd have to change the gun and mantlet and you have a good M-51 turret on the Tammy tank. All you need is some chassis modification. The M-50's 75mm muzzle brake is LOTS easier to make than that huge 105mm but if you want to make an M-50, I'd buy the 105 gun from you for my next one.