FOV 1/16 M4A3 Sherman Review

Yoxford · Post by **Yoxford** » Fri Sep 19, 2008 11:54 am

Couldn’t resist setting up a little dio in the yard.

If you zoom in on the top view pic into the loaders hatch you can see the tips of the scale AP rounds at the ready to load and fire on the 1/16 Tiger 1 in the hedge row…(only to watch it bounce of the German armor and ricochet into the air harmlessly)

Tracks are metal, as well is the turret, barrel, and hull. The suspension works well, and all running gear is ABS plastic.

I have a very good reference book called “The Sherman at War” and from the interior photos of the real thing, this one is spot on. Good detail on the radio set in the turret, and all the driver’s pedals and levers are there. The .30 cal. In the turret moves with the barrel and is very well detailed (as well as the assistant driver’s .30 cal.) inside and out.

FOV really did a great job. If you can justify the money, buy it.

Panzer · Post by **Panzer** » Fri Sep 19, 2008 12:01 pm

Very cool, I am glad I pre ordered one.

VMF115 · Post by **VMF115** » Fri Sep 19, 2008 12:33 pm

Looks good, I can't wait to get one..but cash is short.....just paid off my car loan today!!

So maybe few months.

Foxhole Toys · Post by **Foxhole Toys** » Fri Sep 19, 2008 1:19 pm

Great photos Yoxford!!

dragon53 · Post by **dragon53** » Fri Sep 19, 2008 4:02 pm

YOXFORD:

Thanks for the photos and review. I'm looking forward to mine arriving even more.

Question: Is it possible to determine if the FOV Sherman is actually a real tank from a real unit on D-Day?...(i.e. like FOV's Tiger I is Michael Wittman's tank).

Sabrefan · Post by **Sabrefan** » Fri Sep 19, 2008 4:23 pm

Awesome looking model, do you have an idea how much the model weighs?

grockwood · Post by **grockwood** » Sat Sep 20, 2008 9:35 am

After seeing your pictures Yoxford, I might reconsider if I can find a good price. It is nice looking.

dragon53 · Post by **dragon53** » Sat Sep 20, 2008 10:33 am

GROCKWOOD:

I ordered mine from Trinketstotreasures.com--$375

VMF115 · Post by **VMF115** » Sat Sep 20, 2008 10:37 am

How much diecast is in it??????????????

MG-42 · Post by **MG-42** » Sat Sep 20, 2008 10:46 am

dragon53 wrote:
YOXFORD:

Question: Is it possible to determine if the FOV Sherman is actually a real tank from a real unit on D-Day?...(i.e. like FOV's Tiger I is Michael Wittman's tank).

>>> Huh ? ... Why not just put your own decals or paint a specific unit marking for a D-Day tank then ,.. if they had one , on it ? ? ? ... What difference does it make ? ? ?

* Now I'm convinced ! *

... But ,.. I'm still undecided about it however.

=

............... nice pics and review "btw" .

Mitch v MG

dragon53 · Post by **dragon53** » Sat Sep 20, 2008 11:08 am

MG-42:

For $375, it makes a difference to me.

GooglyDoogly · Post by **GooglyDoogly** » Sat Sep 20, 2008 11:14 am

Great review, and very nice pics.

As for the markings, seeing that there's no unit markings whatsoever, that Sherman is basically a generic tank, so you can display it with Wittmann's tank. Heck, you can even pretend it's a British tank, considering The Brits also put white stars on their Shermies.

Just remove the American tank commander.

MG-42 · Post by **MG-42** » Sat Sep 20, 2008 11:30 am

As for the markings, seeing that there's no unit markings whatsoever, that Sherman is basically a generic tank

>>> That's what I thought ! ! ! *

Mitch v MG

demonclaw · Post by **demonclaw** » Sat Sep 20, 2008 11:43 am

350-75$ +90 for shipping isn't that much in Sweden and I could buy one next month if I wanted but its kind of hard to justify spending all that money on one diecast model . I also don't have any other 1:16 models so it would be one odd piece in my collection

uksubs · Post by **uksubs** » Sat Sep 20, 2008 1:33 pm

GooglyDoogly wrote:Great review, and very nice pics.

As for the markings, seeing that there's no unit markings whatsoever, that Sherman is basically a generic tank, so you can display it with Wittmann's tank. Heck, you can even pretend it's a British tank, considering The Brits also put white stars on their Shermies.

Just remove the American tank commander.

Its the wrong colour to be a British tank
Are wait till they bring out a Sherman Firefly & the one that got Wittmann would be so cool

Post by **aferguson** » Sat Sep 20, 2008 2:24 pm

aside from the colour it also doesnt have the rear turret stowage box that virtually all british shermans had, although i guess you could make one. It should also have different stowage and different stowage racks. Small points but if you're spending this kind of money i figure you'd want it to be right.

It can certainly be used as a US D-Day/normandy sherman. Many of them had no markings at all, other than stars.

uksubs · Post by **uksubs** » Sat Sep 20, 2008 2:29 pm

aferguson wrote:aside from the colour it also doesnt have the rear turret stowage box that virtually all british shermans had, although i guess you could make one. It should also have different stowage and different stowage racks. Small points but if you're spending this kind of money i figure you'd want it to be right.

It can certainly be used as a US D-Day/normandy sherman. Many of them had no markings at all, other than stars.

The rear stowage box was only on the Sherman firefly & was used to store the radio , as there was no room with the 17 ponder gun in the turret

Post by **aferguson** » Sat Sep 20, 2008 2:48 pm

nope think it was on all of them. Look at the illustrations here and you'll see it.

http://www.concord-publications.com/7062/7062.htm

Post by **aferguson** » Sat Sep 20, 2008 2:51 pm

here's something interesting. A fireflly with a couple of typhoon 60 pound rockets on it. How common were they?

http://missing-lynx.com/gallery/britain ... iraku.html

MG-42 · Post by **MG-42** » Sat Sep 20, 2008 2:56 pm

* They (The British) also liked to sport [fender guards] on all their tanks too , for some reason.

* These do look cool though , however.

Mitch v MG

GooglyDoogly · Post by **GooglyDoogly** » Sat Sep 20, 2008 3:25 pm

uksubs wrote: Its the wrong colour to be a British tank
Are wait till they bring out a Sherman Firefly & the one that got Wittmann would be so cool

Actually, the British SSC No. 15 Olive Drab is very similar to the US olive drab, only a tad greener.

And considering that the US wartime Olive drab is more brown than green, then FOV's Sherman is very close to the British olive drab.

And I would think that the British didn't spend valuable time repainting Sherman tanks they got from the US, when the difference was so miniscule.

Maybe they repainted the Shermans they had modified, like the Firefly, but to repaint a perfectly good olive drab to make it a shade greener?

Yoxford · Post by **Yoxford** » Sun Sep 21, 2008 7:43 am

VMF 115, the upper hull (a first for FOV 1/16), tracks, turret, & barrel are all Die-cast.

Saberfan, the M4 weighs in at 7.5 lbs (using a bathroom scale)

dragon53 · Post by **dragon53** » Sun Sep 21, 2008 8:04 am

YOXFORD:

Does the literature with the 1/16 Sherman state it belonged to a particular unit or division?...or is it just a generic Sherman?

dragon53 · Post by **dragon53** » Sun Sep 21, 2008 8:36 am

Here are lots of good photos of the 1/16 Sherman:

http://www.minicarshop.jp/item/unimax/

and a sample photo:

Panther F · Post by **Panther F** » Sun Sep 21, 2008 10:42 am

So the sprockets are metal for sure?

Thanks for all the answers Yoxford! Nice tank!

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