OK... Wanting a new SHERMAN in something different than the stock Tamiya M4... I asked a few of my great friends in the TEXAS ARMOR ASSOCIATION R/C TANK CLUB for some ideas... Next thing I knew "MOONSHADOW" Volunteered to whip me up a highly detailed and rare M4A3E8 named "FLAT FOOT FLOOGIE".

THIS THREAD is dedicated to the "FLAT FOOT FLOOGIE" build and thanks to " MOONSHADOW" and "TXTANKER" for doing this project!

HISTORY:

M4A3E8 Thunderbolt--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
by: Pat McGrath
Initially known by the awkward title of M4A3 (76mm gun) with 23 inch tracks the M4A3E8 began production in August 1944 with the first combat deployment in Late December of the same year with the 3rd Army during the Battle of the Bulge around Bastogne.

While the newly fitted HVSS suspension overcame some of the Shermans poor cross country performance during bad weather, nothing had been done to improve its armour which was vulnerable frontally to the guns of the Panther and Panzer IV at up to 1000 yards and against the Panzerfaust and Panzerschreck at much closer range.

Almost since its first deployment Sherman crews had been piling sandbags on the glacis front to improve their chances but the ordnance officers of the 3rd Army convinced Patton that this practice was of little use and in fact decreased the tank’s mobility. Instead they came up with the idea of fitting armour recovered from knocked out Shermans and Panthers to the glacis and turret of the M4A3E8.

The armour was fitted to tanks of the 4th, 6th and 11th Armoured Divisions in the 3rd Army from February 1945 onwards. The project was soon deemed a success and other units also began to fit their Shermans out with the add on armour.

Flat Foot Floogie was in the 41st tank battalion of the 11th Armored Division, Germany 1945. This JUMBO had white stars for the hull with red stripes painted on one of the stars points, and Flat Foot Floogie in white paint for the hull side. The red stripes were tactical markings in the 11th Armored and indicated which battalion the tank belonged to.

There has always been some confusion about the name of this tank whether it was Floogie or Floosie. It’s named after a song; Flat Foot Floogie which was a Swing standard at the time. Floogie is pronounced with a soft G and online dictionaries give it the same meaning as Floozie (You look it up!) and in the photos it looks like a g and not an s.

Music Link:
Slim Gaillord - Flatfoot Floogie

http://youtube.com/watch?v=NPUKumHoxic

ENJOY the SNEAK PEEK PHOTO!

-TOMAS
http://www.vqwarbirds.com/aircraft.html
www.bomberfieldusa.com
www.texasarmor.com

COOL!!! I'm looking forward to this, Tomas. [sm=thumbs_up.gif] You've got some good modelers working on it, so I'm sure that you made the right decision by contracting out on this build.

PARTS USED FOR THIS " M4A3E8 "FLAT FOOT FLOOGIE" *TEXAS ARMOR* PROJECT:

* TAMIYA FULL FUNCTION M4 SHERMAN KIT
* TAMIYA BATTLE SYSTEM
* FUTABA SKYSPORT 4 CHANNEL RADIO with custom installed spring loaded left stick lever (TXTANKER)
* 3300 Mah NiMh Battery Pack
* IMPACT T66 TRACKS and SPROCKET SET (customrcmodels.com)
* Nick Aguilar (firenick) T34 Turret/Barrel
* MoonShadow Custom E8 rear deck/exhaust grill
* Daryl Turner metal elevation arm, Motor/gear box Brace
* Daryl Turner Adjustable Rear Sherman idler (beautiful piece of hardware)
* Schumo Sherman Support Rollers Upgrade Kit. Resin with rubber wheel rings
* Schumo Brass final drive shaft support bearings
* Schumo Periscope Covers
* Custom Added Armor
* "MOONSHADOW" custom paint and graphics

-NEMESIS4U
http://www.vqwarbirds.com/aircraft.html
www.bomberfieldusa.com
www.texasarmor.com

ENJOY another SNEAK PEEK PHOTO!

give us more pics...

More photos coming soon....

Be Patient YOUNG GRASSHOPPER!

I was only emailed a few photos of it... I receive it SUNDAY at our March 9th BATTLEDAY!!!!!!!!

Can't wait!

-TOMAS

p.s. HERE ARE A FEW MORE SHOTS THEY EMAILED ME! (love to tease me don't they!)

Cool! Using the T26E3 cupola, nice.

Great to see another EZ8 being built and pictures too!

Don't see any floy floys on the parts list[X(]

What are "floy floys"? []

awesome...cant wait to see the finish tank...

Never mind.

Thanks for the great piece of historic info...not many are aware of this. I've heard of it "off the cuff" but have never seen anything factual on it. Are there any photos of any of the up armored Shermans? I'd like to do one.
Roger all the way on the sandbag issue. On ther super thin skin Stuarts it may have initially been a help but use of sandbags did little to slow down HV 75 or 88 AP rounds and it really put a bad strain on the overworked Sheman engines and cut the maneuverability down severely. That's the reason we didn't use them in Korea, even though some M-24 crews wanted more protection against the T-34's 85mm, it was totally forbidden. They were told "your speed is you're protection " [:-]Try and outrun an 85mm AP[:@][]. Very fortunately, the Chinese gunners were very poorly trained and we had F-86 Sabers.

Please advise on avail photos. and thanks for the post.
Bill

Get the book by Concord, "The M4 Sherman at War" (2) for all the pictures and info on the uparmored M4s including the M4A3E8 Thunderbolt.

The first line of that particular number is "Flat foot floogie with a floy floy"

angusx ,

Yes.... "plenty of floy floys" [sm=bananahead.gif][sm=spinnyeyes.gif][sm=shades_smile.gif][sm=tongue_smile.gif]

I am excited cannot wait... I love anything that has a "story" behind it.... Fun to chat about the CREWS and MACHINES that made a difference! THANKS to all you VETS who SERVED and all you who are ACTIVE MILITARY ! [sm=thumbup.gif]


More photos with a full "walk around" this SUNDAY EVENING .... but for now.... another
"SNEAK PEEK"


-TOMAS
TEXAS ARMOR ASSOCIATION
www.bomberfieldusa.com
http://www.vqwarbirds.com/aircraft.html

wow...

Reading a book called Roosevelt's Tanks I ran across this pic of Flat Foot Floogie

Yeah, great picture! Like I said before, get both of the "The M4 Sherman at War" books if you are any kind of Sherman freak. [:-]

ArmChairGeneral , et al.,

THAT PHOTO POSTED ABOVE is the exact photo used by master modeler (MOONSHADOW) when he built my "FLAT FOOT FLOOGIE"!

CHECK OUT THE FINAL PRODUCT!!!

-CHEERS!

NEMESIS4U
TEXAS ARMOR ASSOCIATION

I really want to extend a HUGE THANK YOU to txtanker and especially MOONSHADOW on the assembly , painting and weathering of my
new Tamiya FLAT FOOT FLOOGIE!!!! Photos do not do it justice... SHE'S A LOOKER!! The chain on the .50 cal is working, you can unchain the .50 cal and move it for stowage !!! that is just the start... THERE IS REAL GLASS for windows on the periscope hatch!!!!!!!!!
THE REAR DECK is totally scratch built from brass!!!!!!!!!!

MOONSHADOW.. you are truly amazing!!

and now the "FLAT FOOT FLOOGIE" photo walkaround....


I HOPE to see MANY of you in SEPTEMBER at our "2nd ANNUAL EPIC TANK BATTLE WEEKEND" hosted here in TEXAS by TEXAS ARMOR ASSOCIATION in conjunction with BOMBER FIELDs 20th ANNUAL B-17 GATHERING!
For more information on our event check here:

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_6925704/tm.htm

and also email us at:
[email protected]

CHEERS!

NEMESIS4U
TEXAS ARMOR ASSOCIATION
www.texasarmor.com
www.bomberfieldusa.com
www.vqwarbirds.com

Well, that tank looks fantastic! [X(] Amazing details, right down to the damaged fender supports. [sm=thumbs_up.gif] I can't wait to see it in person.

You may have to change the sprockets though, since those in the original picture look more like the stock Tamiya sprockets. [sm=47_47.gif] Please have that taken care of by the time I arrive in Houston, this summer.

Very nice. He even got rid of the grouser covers like the real thing! [sm=thumbs_up.gif]

Yeah, the IMPACT sprockets are the earlier version for the HVSS.

ICECREAMSLICK

we missed you... No worries on the drive sprockets...
and Panther F,
that was just a test for slick!.... "good eyes"


MOONSHADOW,

Please feel free to comment on the many wonderous mods and exacting details that are found on this here "FLAT FOOT FLOOGIE"

THANKS AGAIN [sm=thumbup.gif]!

-NEMESIS4U
TEXAS ARMOR ASSOCIATION
www.texasarmor.com
www.bomberfieldusa.com
www.vqwarbirds.com

beautiful tank...i love it...damn i should have went...

we need to bring this back to the top.....i love this sherman.....>!!!!

WOW!! that is awsome detail. Looks like you took and acual tank and shrunk it down. I feel soo noobish right now that i just want to hang it up (not really) I hope i have the patence to get to that level of detail. course if I ever do, I would not run it out of fear of breaking somthing. I would be devestated. again awsome job