THE BIG EASY M4A3E8 1/16 by Takom/Andy’s Hobby Hqtrs

To me the M4A3E8 “Easy Eight” Sherman is the most iconic Allied tank of WWII. It was the last M4 variant deployed during WWII, with upgraded wide track HVSS, a 76mm M1A2 cannon, improved armor and firepower and wet stowed ammunition. It continued in service after the war and saw action in the Korean War and was still in service in various countries into the late 1950s and early 1960s.

This is a BIG kit which provides benefits as well as drawbacks. No tiny parts lost to the carpet monster. No need for high powered magnifiers. On the other hand, having never built something of this scale before I constantly had to improvise, which made this a challenging (in a fun way) project. My workspace is not designed for such large masses of plastic. Right off the bat, I had to come up with a new way to manage the large and multitudinous sprues – 22 of them along with 4 big pieces for the turret and hull and one PE part. A metal barrel is also included. More than enough stuff to fill its 11x18x10 box.

I also picked up a Value Gear detail kit tailored to this kit. This set with its rich textures and detailing constitutes a fantastic kit in and of itself.

Construction begins with the lower hull, suspension, and tracks.

And then moves on to the upper hull.

The fit and quality of this kit is very good. There were only a couple of places that needed filling.

I used various pigments and oil paints to add some wear and tear. I painted the tracks with basalt gray and coats of Ammo Track and rust washes and rubbed the metallic wear points with a graphite pencil.

Finishing and painting the Value Gear stowage was a nice little project and welcome change of pace. It definitely added some character.

The kit included a fantastic commander figure. As with the Value Gear stowage, this is nice kit unto itself. The 2-part goggles with a clear lens is a great feature. I painted his torso and face with oils and used acrylics for the rest. The figure's versatile pose is suitable for situating him in the commanders hatch, or leaning against the tank's fender, or standing at a bar hoisting a pint.

Unfortunately, if he is posed in the vehicle, much of him is unseen.

The next-to-last challenge was taking glamor shot photos of the finished product. My photo booth rigs couldn't accommodate this beast. Luckily, my good friend and fellow iModeler contributor Scott Nelson let me use his large professional photo box.

The finished product is big and eye-catching. The last challenge is to find a way to display this thing that won't fit in my display cases. I am now working on a base and custom plexiglass cover. This may be a project that never ends.

I really enjoyed stretching my wings with this project and am very happy with the results, even if it took up a large part of my modeling efforts for nearly a year. I wouldn't mind doing another big scale kit again, but not in the immediate future.