The kit shares several sprues with the earlier M4A3(76). These can be seen in my preview of that kit. However, Tasca made some subtle changes to the upper hull as seen in the photos below:
The turret is the later T23 type with the oval loader's hatch. A foundry logo is cast above the pistol port. The logo is not present on the earlier kit.
Other changes when compared to the earlier kit are shown in the photo below:
The suspension parts are shown below. I haven't done any test fitting yet so I won't make any comments about that.
Another new set of sprues include the fenders while the sprue with the lower hull includes the muzzle brake.
Based on the sprues alone, the kit looks like another winner from Tasca! I haven't started either kit yet as I need to practice a bit first. Time to pull an old Tamiya M3 Lee out for some painting practice.
Chris, since you have a better chance than I to measure the loader's hatch, I think the Tasca kit has it too large. My reference mention a 20 inch hatch for the 75mm armed turrets and a 24 inch hatch for the larger 76mm armed turrets. The kit one is larger than 24 inches.
ReplyDeleteRegards,