Subject:
M51
ISherman
Dragon - 1/35

Review & model by:
Ian Dow
Pictures: R. Forys




[This is the Dragon Premium M51 Kit in 1/35 scale.]



This is the Dragon Premium Kit in 1/35 scale.   It has an aluminum barrel, metal springs and a large sheet of photo-etch that includes the front and side fenders.   The photo-etch pieces are all optional as they also give you the styrene part for the kit, if you want to skip the photo-etch all together.   From opening the box, you can see that this is going to be quite a kit to complete.   There are multiple assemblies and a lot of very fine detail in the parts.   I will admit that this is my very first 1/35 scale Dragon kit.   I have built quite a few of the 1/72 Dragon kits and the last 1/35 armor kit I did build was from Tamiya.   I have heard and read both good and bad reviews concerning some of the Dragon offerings.   I can say that this will be no different.   There are some really nice aspects of this kit, and there are also some very frustrating points about this kit as well.



[The bogies look simple enough to put together but are very tenuous.]



The bogies are the first step of the kit, and they look simple enough to put together.   They are actually comprised of small springs, that when installed should allow for the suspension to move up and down.   Which they do... sort of.   The springs are very finicky and do not want to sit inside the suspension without flying off in all directions.   So the trick is to squeeze a couple of these in, and then seal it up before everything pops out again.   Also not an easy task.   Then when it is time to put everything together, you have all this tension that you are basically gluing together and hoping that it stays.   In the end, the suspension only kind of works, and it took forever to get there.   Was it worth it, I don't know.   Maybe I just made more work out of it than was necessary.   When it was done though the bogeys and wheels do look very nice.   They have good detail and nice casting marks on them.



The Sherman M-50 and M-51 were hybrid versions of the M4 Sherman tank that served with the Israel Defense Forces from the mid-1950s to early 1980s.   The M-50 was known abroad as the Super Sherman and the M-51 as the Isherman, however, these names were never used by the Israel Defense Forces.   They were a French-Israeli collaboration developed by combining the US Sherman tank and a long 105 mm gun.   Initially in 1953, an Israeli delegation visited France to evaluate the new AMX 13 light tank for use, and while the gun was deemed satisfactory, the armor of the French tank was considered too light.   Eventually it was decided to graft the powerful French gun onto the available, familiar and better-armored hull of the American M4 Sherman.


The project started in 1954, and in 1955 a prototype turret was sent from France to Israel.   In March 1956, the Israeli Ordnance Corps facilities started to convert their tanks using guns received from France.   The gun was known in Israel as the M-50 and as a result the upgunned Sherman was designated Sherman M-50.   It was similar to the Sherman Firefly in that it had the original turret of the 75 mm Shermans fitted with a large counterweight at the rear end.   The first 50 units were based on VVSS suspension M4A4 hulls using Continental R-975 gasoline engines, however the increased weight of the vehicle put too much strain on the engine, resulting in frequent mechanical failures.   Therefore, the remaining conversions adoped the 460 hp Cummins V-8 diesel engine and the HVSS suspension.


In the 1960s, a new version was developed using the more powerful French 105 mm gun.   In Israel the gun was designated M-51 and the tank the Sherman M-51.   The conversion used M4A1 hulls with Cummins diesel engines and HVSS suspension, and made its public debut during the Independence Day ceremony in 1965.   In combat against the Arab armies, the M-51 proved itself capable of fighting newer, heavier tanks like the Soviet-built T-54/55.   The M-51 served well during its time, and is regarded as an excellent example of how an obsolete tank like the Sherman could be upgraded beyond the limits of its original capabilities.






The tracks were really nice.   They were the Dragon styrene tracks with little guide horns that went into each track.   That was time consuming, but when they were done they were solid, heavy looking, and fit great, the way they were intended.   This was a very nice detail that gave the vehicle a solid appearance.   They really looked like tank tracks.


[The Dragon styrene tracks were really nice.]




[The hull features many fine details like the small photo-etch chains that attached to the gas caps.] [The on vehicle tools look great.]



The next assembly was the hull.   This had many fine features such as small photo-etch chains that attached to the gas caps, PE light and vent guards, and chains for the caps on the smoke dispensers.   All are very nice features that greatly enhanced the overall look of the model.   Also included were the PE fenders and the Gerry can holders.   Both of which made me consider ever buying a Dragon kit again.   Not that there was anything wrong with the photo-etch, there was just something wrong with how it all went together and fit on the hull.




[The small photo-etch fender supports interfered with the mounting of the side cargo boxes.]



The fenders did not line up to the hull from front to back, and after they were attached, there were small photo-etch supports that fit to some parts of the hull, but not other parts.   Also, some of these supports interfered with the mounting of the side cargo boxes, making them ride too high and not fit on the hull.   This was discovered after putting all the supports on.   After taking some of the supports off and then re-engineering their length, I was able to get everything to sit properly and look as if it all belonged.




[The photo-etch Gerry can holders were a several step photo-etch process that included straps and buckles.] [The PE Gerry can holders were very nice but they did not actually fit to the hull of the tank.]



The same was true with the Gerry can holders on the vehicle.   They were a several step photo-etch process that included straps and buckles.   Very nice when completed, but the only problem was, when they were done they did not actually attach to the hull of the tank.   They would only sit on the fenders.   It appeared that they were missing something.   One of our club members loaned me a reference book on the Isherman, and I discovered that in fact there were rods that stuck out from the hull that these Gerry can racks fit onto.   All of the assembled racks were then modified to have some styrene rod attached to them, and small bolt detail added so that the racks all fit onto the hull correctly.   This was not a huge issue, but it becomes a big deal when there is no mention of it, and you basically have to stumble around and guess your way through the process.   This might be acceptable on a $15 kit, but not a $45 kit.   That's my opinion.




[Note the small photo-etch chains for the caps on the smoke dispensers.] [I added clips and snaps from strip and rod styrene to the gun mantle tarp, and some cabling for the searchlight.]



The mantle on the gun had the tarp on it, and to this I added clips and snaps from strip and rod styrene to make it look like a tarp that was actually mounted on the mantle and not just draped over it.   I also added various size and shape Grant Line bolts to the gas filler caps, the chains that hold the gas caps on, turret hatch detail and various other locations that needed small rivets or bolts.   Lastly, I added some cabling from the searchlight to the turret to simulate the wiring on the original.





[I like to use oils for my washes and dry brushing because it stays wet longer, and gives a little more control.]

Paint & Finish:   The entire model was painted in Floquil Roof Brown, and then Model Master Israeli Sand was sprayed over that, varying shades to give contrast and depth to the color.   Since this is a sand, green color, I mixed varying shades of browns and greens into the color to give another dimension of depth to some areas.   After this was completed I took a very thin mix of the original color and sprayed that over the whole model to give it a uniform look.   It was then sealed, decaled, flat coated and weathered.   I like to use oils for my washes and dry brushing because it stays wet longer, and gives a little more control over shading areas.   I also used a very light dusting of pigments to simulate a sand look, but did not want to go very extreme.





[It took some work and some modeling skills to get it where I wanted it, but overall it was a nice kit.]



After all is said, the model turned out very well, and it did build up into a nice piece.   It took some work and some modeling skills to get it where I wanted it, but overall it was a nice kit.




[This Dragon kit has an aluminum barrel, metal springs and a large sheet of photo-etch that includes the front and side fenders.]