Nic A Sherman Jumbo Conversion

[Vintage Racer]

Always wanted to do this in 1/16. This is on a Torro chassis, and is going well. On a bit of a break from flying to take on the project, and am really enjoying it.

VR

[RichJohnson]

I built my jumbo on a mato chassis early on and then scrapped the chassis and moved the build over to a taigen (Torro)

if your using Nicks kit, the nose he supplies does not fit the taigen chassis.
I built up the Tiagen nose with Bondo to shape it correctly. I have. A build thread posted on RCuniverse

https://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/rc-tanks-369/11622441-assult-sherman-jumbo-build.html

[Vintage Racer]

I haven't tried to fit the transmission cover, but I also was just going to build up the thickness of the original metal one. This is interesting, found this on a JUMBO specific page...transmission armor cover, S/N 256. Nic's is also S/N 256. This cover is an extra as only 254 Jumbos were supposedly built.

I am going to use Quik Steel to build up the surface. This stuff is tap-able. It is durable, and has a nice texture.

VR

[RichJohnson]

That may be too dense to work wish, autobody bondo is what I prefer with final texturing and finish with spot putty but good luck.
I have some good photos on my thread of real jumbo close up.

yes there were 254 jumbos built with 4 being used for destructive testing stateside. Something like 60 were lost in combat and many were scrapped. Some are now monument tanks or gate guards here and there.
100 or so were rearmed in theater with the 76mm gun from knocked out tanks. Some of those did not have muzzle breaks some did. Just an FYI.

[Vintage Racer]

Fitted the Torro IR 75mm gun and barrel recoil system, and completed the modification to the original Torro transmission cover. Pleased with the results. Also moved the hull machine gun, just have to complete the wiring.

This has all been possible with a recent acquisition of the Torro M4A3 75 Sherman I found on eBay that was broken and needed some work.

I used the plastic base of the metal turret fitted to the resin turret, as the resin had nothing to support rotation as it was more of a static model. It's been very straightforward so far.

I also will need to fab a spacer so the turret has less movement due to the hole size in Nic's hull vs the Torro. Also have to mount the turret rotation gearbox.

I love the way this model presents already. It's very believable, a great representation of the stop gap Sherman variant.

VR

[Vintage Racer]

I was working in Riverside for the last couple of weeks, these came while I was there. Came from a shop in Germany.

Love the way they add realism with just a small addition. Makes it even more believable. Many Sherman's had this set up. I have to drill the transmission cover, as these clevis actually have pins and chains as well.

VR

[Vintage Racer]

Here is the other set, put them on my Torro M4A3 76W, and they look equally realistic here. This model is also a work in progress, just not to the level of the Jumbo conversion, which goes without saying.

VR

[Vintage Racer]

Had a couple requests for the info. They have some great parts, took about a month to get, but consider the times...

Shackles

https://mk-modellbau.de/main_bigware_34.php?pName=sherman-shackle-kit&cName=america-ww2-sherman

Sherman specific

https://mk-modellbau.de/main_bigware_29.php?cName=america-ww2-sherman

VR

[Vintage Racer]

Had time today to do a little work on the Jumbo. I robbed all the parts of the wrecked Sherman that I bought off eBay to move into the resin hull from Nick's conversion kit for the turret rotation mechanism. I also added the section of the upper hole where the turret rotates as the resin conversion is really more designed to be a static model than it is to be a functioning radio control model. This will just make the model run with proven parts.

VR

[Vintage Racer]

Here is the modified base of the metal 75 mm turret from the Torro model. I will wait to complete transferring all of the parts before I permanently attached the upper resin portion of the Jumbo conversion turret to the rotating base. This was an IR model with recoil gun and it should be no problem to make everything work as it did originally. That's the plan anyway.

VR

[RichJohnson]

Coming along nicely. I wish I would have used this techinque on my jumbo build. I have done it on several subsequently but the Jumbo build I mocked up a tab and spacer bracket to use the HL rotation and have hated it since I built it. That is when I came up with this technique. Ive even done this to two tamiya M51 super shermans by cutting out the bottom of the tamiya turret and installed the bottom of the HL sherman turret and installing the HL ring on the Nick A1 cast hull. Any way, great work cant wait to see it finished.

[Vintage Racer]

Thanks very much. This method made the most sense to me, and wasn't to tough. I made the supports from plastic tube for the turret rotation gearbox.

My Great Uncle was killed in a Sherman in March 1945, B Co, 2nd Platoon of the 745th Tank Battalion, attached to the Big Red One. I have always had an interest in the M4 since I was a little kid. He landed on Omaha with B Co, and made it almost to the end. His best friend served with him, but in C Co. He told our family that he burned alive, which was common with the Sherman. It was said there was nothing left to bury. Pretty awful.

I read the 745th was issued 15 Jumbos, and the unit history has a photo of one Jumbo in the photos. Building it in his memory.

The photo seen in the link was robbed from his Find a Grave page, which I put on the net a few years back. Date of death is a grey area, which doesn't seem to coinside with combat reports. Harz Mountains region of Germany.


https://www.uswarmemorials.org/html/...?PeopleID=4013

[Vintage Racer]

Here is a quick video of the motion, it operates very nice. Turret is still loose at this time.

https://youtu.be/jfmbn4EeG0A

[Vintage Racer]

I really like the cupola from Nick's resin conversion but this made mounting the gun recoil/elevation unit much easier. I simply cut the cupola out of the metal turret to fit the resin turret, plus this way I can still Mount the IR sensor if I ever want to use it.

[RichJohnson]

Interesting method. I love a good scratch and bash. Makes your brain work to mesh it all together

[Vintage Racer]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qL_LdhywStc

Here it is in action...needs a little final tweaking....

It has become a bit of a BASH!!