M-36 Jackson
Detail Set
1:35 Set #2111
Review by Terry Ashley

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The quality of the resin parts is very good overall with clean crisp castings that only require the usual casting blocks to be removed before use. Some of these will require care due to the fine parts and casting backing film used on some parts, especially the engine fans and fan belts. A couple of the larger parts had minor warping but this is easily rectified and there was two large air holes in the breech block which I only mention as air holes are very rare in Verlinden resin.

The set consists mainly of the engine and engine bay with some minor parts for the turret interior and hull exterior. Due to the way Academy supplied the engine deck and engine deck doors as separate parts it makes it easy to show off the engine bay

As with some previous Verlinden update sets the etched parts are simply not up to today’s standards and these parts are no exception. The etching quality is very basic with no real definition and some of the bend lines are not formed completely giving you a job to bend in the correct place. The front fender hinges are just raised squares and again lack any definition and overall are just not up to the standards now set by the likes of Aber, Eduard, Lion Roar and Voyager or those in Royal Models detail sets for that matter.

As mentioned the main parts make up the Ford GAA eight cylinder engine with the main V block being the upper three quarters without the lower oil pan, the clutch housing or the magnetos mounted on the end of the block although these probably wouldn’t be visible once the engine is fitted into the hull.

Separate parts include the upper air intake manifold and piping, the carburettors and exhaust manifolds with additional smaller fittings plus other you are instructed to make from plastic rod (not included).

When viewed thought the open engine bay doors the engine will look very busy but you won’t be able to display this outside of the vehicle with the lower components missing.

The twin radiators mounted at the rear have separate fans which are quite delicate and add nice detail to the assembly although the Y piping running from the radiators over the engine is missing so you will have to add this yourself. The fan housings are cast with the fan recesses on one side and the intake grills on the other although the part in my set was warped a little but shouldn’t be that noticeable once fitted in place.

Some of the engine bays accessories are supplied but others are missing and using the excellent shots of the engine in and out of the vehicle in the Squadron Signal #5703 US Tank Detroyers Walk Around should provide most details to complete the engine and bay.

The engine bulkhead is basically a straight reproduction of the Academy kit bulkhead (part C34) on one side with no additional detail or improvement on the kit detail but on the engine side is added the wall details with nicely detailed air cleaners and some piping that will again look good when looking into the bay.

You also get four fire extinguisher nozzles to add around the compartment with two more included on the bulkhead casting and you can as much extra plumbing and detail as you wish to dress up the engine and bay further.

You are supplied with three separate fuel filler caps and inner filler nozzles that require you to drill a hole in the hull and insert the nozzle from underneath to show the detail if the cap is displayed open. But I’m not sure if someone at Verlinden can’t count as there are four fuel filler caps on the rear deck but you only get three in the set, so don’t go crazy drilling holes.

On the turret interior you get the replacement breech with separate breech block which is a straight replacement for the kit parts as are the round fold up crew seats and main sight although none of these parts are shown in the instruction drawings but are easy enough to locate.

The etched parts provide the head light guards, periscope bush guards and front fenders but the detail on these parts is very basic and one dimensional lacking any definition at all. The hinges on the front fenders are just square chunks of etched relief and the hull side grouser racks are again very plain with some of the bending lines not fully formed making bending the parts a lot harder as the metal is quite thick.

The tool straps are provided but the tool brackets aren’t while the foul weather hood bracket is made up of a couple of etched parts but no indication is given where to bend the shape into the top bar and you will have to take care here.

Also included are quite a few items of personal equipment, three jerry cans with separate handles and a selection of .30cal and .50cal ammo boxes to use as required.

The nicely detailed .50cal machine gun from previous Verlinden sets is included and this is still a nice rendition of the gun as is the pedestal mounted ammo box.

Instructions:
Unfortunately the instructions are typical Verlinden, quite vague with some parts (resin and etched) not even getting a mention. The engine and engine bay are a series of exploded view drawings but they don’t give clear indications where some parts go especially when fitting them into the rear hull space.

A number of resin parts simply replace the plastic kit parts and the text lists these but there are no drawings showing the exact location but I guess it’s easy enough to work it out such as the gun breech.  Some parts are again not listed such as the turret crew seats (parts P17, P19) which are replaced with resin parts 38 and the main sight (part P25) with resin part 32 but again I suppose it’s easy to work this out.

The etched part numbers on the fret simply do not match those in the instructions and some parts are not mentioned which does make life interesting and so careful study and additional references will be needed.

With the AFV Club M36 just released the question will be asked, will this set fit that kit? It will but you will need to modify some parts especially the engine compartment firewall as this is treated very differently in the AFV Club than in the Academy kit and of course you don’t get the upper fuel tank parts with the AFV Club kit as you do in the Academy. The hulls are also different widths so some allowance and mods will be needed to take this into account and the final thing is the AFV Club kit has the wrong engine deck for the petrol engined M36 as we have been over before so you will have to correct this before thinking of including this engine.

Conclusion:
Overall a nicely cast update with the engine having good details but can only be mounted inside the vehicle as all the lower engine details are not included and the detail on the engine side of the firewall will look very good through the open bay doors.

Once again the quality of the etched parts leaves a lot to be desired as do the instructions but we should be used to that by now with the set providing the basis for a nicely detailed engine compartment.

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

Verlinden is distributed in Australia by J.B.Wholesalers.

Page created December 12, 2004