M4A3(76)W Sherman VVSS

By: Paolo Capitanio

Manufacturer(s): DRAGON

Description: This is a Sherman during the Italian campaign and is OOTB. I used parts photoetched included inside the kit. Figures are from Calibre 72 range and I added some baggages on the rear side.

Judge 1
This looks like a real nice Sherman, The paint job is very even & the OD is made interesting with browner shades although the paint job has maybe too many coats or a too heavy coat & lost quite abit of detail, mainly the bolt strip between the main parts of the front hull & the ammo port edges, a stronger drybrush would have helped bring some more detail back. the joins on the suspension are quite obvious & the mud although heavy is to even & the tracks seem to have melted into the base? Most decals are nicely done, bar the name on one side the outside clear square edge is noticable. I like the well paint tools & Figures & stowage with abit of colour works well & the MG has been nicely drybrushed.
Judge 2
Overall quite well built with just a few minor things to point out, such as the shell ejection port on the turret side, visible joins on the bogies and the join between the transmission & upper hull. The paint work shows some subtle variation and the tone is good but it has been applied too thickly clogging the smaller details. A darker pin wash around the smaller details would also add some more depth to the finish. The tools, figures, decals and MG are well done and I like the extra stowage you’ve added, it gives the model some life. The weathering seems to be in 2 different halves with no overlap; mud at the bottom dust on the top. I feel the mud is not as believable as it could be and for a front line tank there are no visible signs of general wear and tear, chips, scratches, etc. Beware of small hairs in your photos.
Judge 3
Generally good build, although there is a gap between the transmission housing and glacis plate. The colours look good and there is a nice metallic sheen to the model. The upper hull would benefit from more weathering - perhaps a little more dried mud / dust - considering how muddy the lower part of the model is.