M36 Interior Update
Tank Workshop Set #TWS0003
Review by Terry Ashley
The quality of the resin casting is very good overall without any blemishes evident and just the usual casting blocks to be removed before assembly but care will be needed in cleaning up some of the smaller parts to ensure they are not damaged.
Some of the casting blocks are quite substantial such as on the bottom of the fighting compartment floor and a bit of effort will be needed in removing this but you could get away with just cleaning up the front corners which sit on the locating lugs on the tub sides as the rest of the floor sits above the tub floor and this will make the cleanup job a lot easier. You should give the parts a good wash in warm detergent water to clean off the remaining mould release agent before continuing as this is quite prevalent on the parts.
The new resin parts require you to remove all the raised detail on the kit hull tub sponsons and the lower escape hatch before hand as they mostly go in different places as the original details on the tub are for the earlier M10 kits from AFV Club.
There are a couple of kit interior parts still used such as the front transmission bulkhead and the gearbox but the remainder are replaced with the more detailed resin items.
You get the fighting compartment floor as mentioned which includes the rear compartment bulkhead plus the hull side panels and floor panels for the driver’s and co-driver’s compartment along with new sponson support bulkheads added to the sponsons.
Smaller details include the crew sets with adjustable seat mounting posts plus the driver’s steering levers and gas pedal, the gear level linkages for the transmission and a new radio along with 10 x 90mm round canisters to add to the sponson racks.
Fitting the new resin parts to the AFV Club hull shouldn’t pose any real problems with the only kit alterations being the removal of the raised detail on the hull tub and sponsons.
The instructions are in the form of a series of plan view drawings showing the assembly sequences along with text notes but you will have to study these carefully to determine where some parts go as they are not as clear as three dimensional drawings in some cases.
While designed for the AFV Club kit the set should also be able to be used with the Academy M36 kit with only minor modifications.
Highly recommended.
M10 and M36 Tank Destroyers 1942-53 New Vanguard No 57 Osprey Publishing |
US Tank Detroyers Walk Around Squadron Signal Publications #5703 ISBN 0-89747-456-2 |
M10/M36 Wydawnictwo Militaria No.115 ISBN 83-7219-080-1 |
Allied & Axis 12 Ampersand Publishing Soft cover, 96 pages |
US Tank Detroyers in action Squadron Signal Publications No.2036 ISBN 0-89747-385-X |
US Technical Manual M36B1, M36B2 CD Easy 1 Productions |
US Tank Destroyers of WWII photo CD Enygma Graphics |
SHERMAN A History of the American Medium Tank R.P.Hunnicutt. Presidio Books ISBN 0-89141-080-5 |
Modeler's Guide to the Sherman MMIR Special. Ampersand Publishing Company, Inc |
Thanks to Jay from Tank Workshop for the review set.
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