use for a trackless sherman?

[aferguson]

i'm making a british sherman firefly out of an FOV sherman and kinda want to use the tracks from another fov sherman to cut into strips and apply them all over the sides and turret of my firefly as was often done....looks very british and i think it's cool.

The problem is i will then have a trackless fov sherman. Suggestions as to what would be a good use for it? The obvious one is to put it on a tank transporter like a customized chap mei dragon wagon but i don't have one and can't really be bothered to make one if i did. Any other ideas?

[flyboy_fx]

Light on fire... xD

Just don't use ALL the tracks. Stay tuned for my Tut on how to make destroyed vehicles. I think your going to like it.

[Threetoughtrucks]

Put the tank up on blocks and do a dio of the tank in a bad neighborhood.

You can even put graphiti on the sides....

TTT

[aferguson]

hey that's actually a funny joke, TTT.

[aferguson]

flyboy: destroyed tanks still had tracks. The only time they didn't is when they were removed for recovering the vehicle or for use on another vehicle.

[flyboy_fx]

Yea. Dont remove ALL the tracks. Leave some behind.

[kimtheredxd]

Diorama of a Sherman in REALLY DEEP mud?

[flyboy_fx]

Diorama of a Sherman in REALLY DEEP mud?

lol Stuck in a lake. xD

[B17Fortress]

A diorama of a Sherman that sank at Omaha beach.

[pickelhaube]

There is another option.

You could cast tracks of the Sherman and cut those up.

I do have a mould of a panzer IV track. The Brits used enemy tracks all of the time to supplement their armor.

Cutting up good tracks should be your last option.

[normandy]

Pickel's idea sound like your best bet and you'll have 2 Shermans to work with.

[aferguson]

the cost of molding and casting new tracks will probably be not much less than the cost of the fov sherman. Plus the huge hassle involved. yuk.

[normandy]

Maybe you could make a deal.....ya know...a deal deal........your the Toy Leader and Pickel is the Toy Maker.
Could happen....and it wouldn't be the first time Canada and America worked together as allies.
A Sherman with Panzer IV tracks on it might look cool.

[flyboy_fx]

Hope ya like.

[YT]

Sure you won't reconsider a Dragon Wagon?

[pickelhaube]

Sure you won't reconsider a Dragon Wagon?

That Drag Wag is an instant diorama.

I enjoyed the step by step you posted in the construction of it.


It is one cool beasty

[aferguson]

were there two lengths of trailers for the Dragon Wagon? I've seen pics where a sherman fills most of the trailer and other pics where there is plenty of room behind the sherman. Looks like one trailer was about 10 feet longer but of same design and appearance?

TTT?

[grunt1]

Go the casting route. I just took the plunge for backpacks, ammo boxes and other tiny items. It's actually quite fun, easier than I thought and somewhat addictive in that every time I walk by the molds, I can't resist pouring some resin in to make just one more!

That drag-wag rocks...

[Threetoughtrucks]

The Dragon Wagons used three drop neck trailers. All three were basically the same except for length and carrying capacity.

The M-15 had a 80,000 lb carrying capacity.
The M-15A1 had a 90,000 lb carrying capacity.
The M-15A2 had a 100,000 lb carrying capacity.

The DW could also use a straight line trailer the M-9 which could be used with a heavy duty trailer dolly and had a 90,000 lb carrying capacity.

Movies of the supply convoys from Normandy to front line troops had some pics of DW's and these straight line trailers and drop neck trailers loaded to the "gils" with ammo and gasoline. They were primarily used to recover tanks but could used for anything.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIGYQTCY-5w

TTT

[aferguson]

thanks TTT...i knew you'd know.

[TankAce]

you can use the commanders hatch for a custom retro panzer tank hatch or use it for making a hatch for German tank destroyers such as Ferdinand or Jagdpanther.

[aferguson]

how the heck did they get wide tanks onto the back of the Dragon wagon's M15 trailer? The outer wheels on the trailer aren't wide enough apart. A sherman could just barely squeeze by them, but a panther or pershing couldn't. The only thing i can think of is that they had to remove the outer 4 wheels on the trailer, load the tank and the put the wheels back on....the trailer being supported by some kind of large jack during the process.

http://www.ww2armor.jexiste.fr/Files/Al ... _11.ab.jpg

you can clearly see in the above pic that a pershing was far too wide to squeeze passed the outer trailer wheels.

[pickelhaube]

I know the Germans had mobile boomed cranes that did the heavy lifting.

Maybe the Allies used the same type of contraption.

Or they could have just driven over the tires. With the tank suspension all the weight would not have been on the rear tires at the same time.

[aferguson]

but the tank treads would cut and rip up the tires....plus the lumpyness of the tires may make it impossible for the winches to haul the tank on board the trailer. My best guess still is that they would have had to remove the outer 4 tires.