Good Morning,

Last week I saw that episode of Tank Overhaul and they featured the M-18 Hellcat. What a cool tank and fast too! What are the chances Matorro or HL would make one? I know they'd keep the airsoft feature, they'd have to devise a (plastic) canvass cover of the turret top to make it work.

Or should we push for a Sherman VVSS hull this way they can come out with different upper hulls every couple of months until everyone's got a battalion in their garages!

SHERMAN!!!!

Lol, I agree, it is better if they come out with some famous tank before they consider making 'minor' tanks.
I wonder if it's possible to put the gun elevation mechanism inside a Sherman turret, tho.
It would be great if they designed another kind of gun elevation system, fit for small turrets (T-34/76 too would be a great airsoft model).

One of the SCAT members actually scratchbuilt a Hellcat using Tamiya electronics and PZ IV tracks a while back that apparently was a sight to see.

If you want to see a T34/76 check out my site http://web.mac.com/ethandunsford/iWe...20Project.html.

To do the sherman they would have to use a new design barrel elevation assembly, not even the T23 turret is long enough.

I'll look for that Hellcat, are there pictures on the web?

I thought I read that HL was going to come out with both a Sherman and a King Tiger this year. Might have been on here. I h ad never considered theissue with the turret until it was mentioned here. The Tamiya gun elevates doesn't it?

I haven't heard anyting about a Sherman. The KT will be released by Matorro and WSN/Trumpeter- they'll each have their own it seems.

Much as I'd love to see a Hellcat, it is a shame about the open topped turret! Seen pics of M10s and M36s with improvised armoured turret covers which look OK, but never seen one on an M18. Still make a good RC tank (destroyer!) though!
In regards to a Sherman, I've always been curious as to why Tamiya chose to release the 105mm howitzer version and not a normal "Easy Eight". That would have to be my favourite version of the Sherman. A 1/16 one in Battle of the Bulge winter whitewash would look great!!

HL may better well stay with tanks. The M-18 Hellcat is not a tank, but a tank destroyer. One of Pattons big blunders on anti tank doctrine which held up getting the Pershing into the ETO by a whole year. The M-18 had a maximum of 12 mm or less than 1/2 inch or armor and an open top turret, which got lots of TD men killed. The TD's high speed and maneuverability (M-18 55 mph) was supposed to compensate, which did not. The TDs looked like tanks, but had no coaxial or bow machine gun for anti personnel and unit CO's used them as tanks. When Germans learned there were TD's confronting them, they simply used artillery with VT (air burst) shells and wiped them out. The M-10 on a chassis resembling the Sherman and carrying a 3 inch gun (76.777mm) was in the same boat. The M-36 was on the M-10 chassis but carried a 90mm. The later M-36B1 had the 90mm on an M-4A3 chasis, which gave it a lot better armor but no speed and still the open turret until the M-36B2 was provided with armor plate to cover the turret top. You could not use a TD for head on combat with another tank, which would make them useless in RC combat unless they were in an ambush position.

Bill

I am thinking about trying a M18 .... using a HL M41 lower hull shorted to remove one road wheel and using HL panzer III sprockets and tracks... scratch built turret and upper hull..... still trying to figure that part out.....

Why would you shorten the M-41 hull and remove one road wheel? Both the M-18 and M-41 have 5 sets of road wheels and the M-18 had front sprocket drive and a totally different track than German WW II.

Heng Long M4A3 Sherman!

VVSS, 75mm gun. [sm=thumbs_up.gif]


I really don't like the obscure Tamiya Sherman with 105mm howitzer and HVSS but there they are; two of them on the shelf "in mothballs".

The problem I saw with the Hellcat using Pershing roadwheels is that they are too wide. They'd have to be custom made and I think using only one wheel would make it too narrow.

I have thought of using the Glencoe Bulldog turret as a base and turning down the Pershing wheels to the right size. It uses the same gun as the 76mm Sherman so a barrel would be easy. It used the same engine as the Sherman so you could use the DMD/MFU.

My desire to look into scratchbuilding a Hellcat has returned after I got to play wit a real one yesterday. Here are some pics. Check out my site for more.

http://web.mac.com/ethandunsford/iWe...20HELLCAT.html

I think you're on the right track Ethan, that'll look great! I'm looking at doing something different this fall instead building straight out of the box or conversion kits. First I need to finish up all my projects I've already started.

Haven't made my mind up on a WWII tank or even stay with 1/16th scale.


Jeff