1/18 Scale Firefly

pickelhaube · Post by **pickelhaube** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 6:37 am

I am no way ready to start on this but I need to start planning it.

B-29 came through with the 1/35 as well as Mr. Pierce with scale info and a 21st 1/32 scale model. Support from guys like and many others make these projects that more easier for me and keeps the prices down for the rest.

The best tank to use for this project will be the 21st. The BBI may work but the upper rear deck is wrong unless I copy the deck of the 21st. This may be an option.

I am thinking of doing this projrct 2 ways . A full kit with turret or a short kit with parts and you use your own 21st turret. Feed back is welcome.

The full kit;
Turret fully built ( in parts )
arial cage
gun/mantlet
extra tracks for the front hull
cleaning rods
armor cover for bow gun
traverse lock
Brit fire extingwisher

Short Kit. EVERYTHING EXCEPT THE ACTUAL TURRET SHELL.
Radio box/ counter weight
gun barrle/ mantlet
second crew hatch
arial cage

I may do the tool box on the back of the radio box as an option.

I wanted to do this with the M-10 but it did not work out that way. But they will be close together.

Again feed back is welcome as well as advice

Post by **aferguson** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 8:02 am

you can't use the FOV sherman? It will be the cheapest and easiest to find.

pickelhaube · Post by **pickelhaube** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 8:12 am

aferguson wrote:you can't use the FOV sherman? It will be the cheapest and easiest to find.

Well you can but it has the wrong rear deck and the single cast tranny.

As an option I could make a rear deck and make the bolt together plates and you can glue them on the single tranny cover. Kind of like 2 " U " s bith bolt detail on the.

I am not sure of the solid wheels either.

But maybe I shouldn't worry about this and the modler can do what ever he wants.

Post by **aferguson** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 9:05 am

maybe don't worry about it? I imagine some won't care about things like the rear deck etc. I don't know if it will be possible to make the gun fit all 3 turrets though. With 21c and bbi shermans drying up, it would be nice to be able to use the FOV.

pickelhaube · Post by **pickelhaube** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 9:11 am

aferguson wrote:maybe don't worry about it? I imagine some won't care about things like the rear deck etc. I don't know if it will be possible to make the gun fit all 3 turrets though. With 21c and bbi shermans drying up, it would be nice to be able to use the FOV.

Well I could deff make it fit the FOV w/no problem

It is just the FOV turret is soooooooo rough. I could do an addption ring or something simple , so it could work on all 3 manf tanks .

What about the parts only idea ?

Just take my parts and use them on any turret ?

HardenSteel · Post by **HardenSteel** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 7:54 pm

Hello,

You can use the solid transmission for a Firefly. These mostly happened after D-Day.

Sold wheels are actually the norm, rather than the exception. I rather like the look of the early wheels, though.

I've seen a combination of both wheels in the odd photo or two.

The body style least used was the M4A3 variant, -it was mostly supplied to US forces, although a small number were done.

I've never seen the T23 turret used, however. Seems strange since there was a lot more room. I gather that since it invariably came with the 76mm gun, it was not worth doing the conversion.

HD

grockwood · Post by **grockwood** » Wed Apr 29, 2009 7:18 pm

' What about the parts only idea ? "

I like that idea. Keeps the cost down and less work for you. You could supply a gun barrell and Mantlet, a working? loaders hatch, a bow machine gun plug, a rear turret radio box and a barrel lock for the rear deck. Then people could supply their own 21st or FOV Sherman.

hotrodrock · Post by **hotrodrock** » Wed Apr 29, 2009 8:22 pm

Been trying to compare turrets from photos. Were the base turrrets the same for the firefly and the American Sherman other than gun mantle and box one the rear of the firefly turret?

pickelhaube · Post by **pickelhaube** » Thu Apr 30, 2009 8:30 pm

hotrodrock wrote:Been trying to compare turrets from photos. Were the base turrrets the same for the firefly and the American Sherman other than gun mantle and box one the rear of the firefly turret?

I kind of think the shape was the same.Except for the way they were manuf.

The only problem is the crazy rough texture of the FOV. But with a little sand paper and a lot of elbow grease it should turn out alright.

pickelhaube · Post by **pickelhaube** » Sat Apr 17, 2010 7:12 pm

Time to dust off this post.

It has been over a year

Things have changed and one of the projects I was gearing up to do ran into a major snag. So I WILL GET TO THIS PROJECT .

After the Humvee and Indy sidecar this will be next.

As stated before I will do a short kit for the 21st. I think that I may just blow off the BBI adaption and do the FOV.

I am trying to do some digging on the Firfly with the single piece tranny and the only pics I can find is the hybrid hull. Is this the only version with the single piece tranny ?

If that is the case I need to do an adaption mod to fit the 21st 3 piece hull to the FOV hull. And of course the rear desk. That will have to be the M4A4 rear deck.

Any guys still interested in this long long awaited mod ?

OK here we go.

http://www.tamiya.com/english/products/ ... /index.htm

Looks like all I need to do is make a M-4 rear deck and the FOV will work !!!

Thank goodness for the internet.

grockwood · Post by **grockwood** » Sat Apr 17, 2010 7:53 pm

All the photos I have come across show the IC Firefly which is based on either the standard M4 or the M4 Hybrid with the cast transmission housing. But I wouldn't be surprise if there wasn't a standerd M4 Firefly with the three piece somewhere. So either way would be ok.

By the way since you have done a M4A1 hull, how about doing the Hybrid hull? It does use the larger drivers hatches. though

pickelhaube · Post by **pickelhaube** » Sat Apr 17, 2010 8:18 pm

grockwood wrote:All the photos I have come across show the IC Firefly which is based on either the standard M4 or the M4 Hybrid with the cast transmission housing. But I wouldn't be surprise if there wasn't a standerd M4 Firefly with the three piece somewhere. So either way would be ok.

By the way since you have done a M4A1 hull, how about doing the Hybrid hull? It does use the larger drivers hatches. though

Yeah the ones with the angled hatches. To tell you the truth. The sells on the M4A1 were down. I doubt if I will make the Hybrid.

normandy · Post by **normandy** » Sun Apr 18, 2010 5:39 am

Pickelhaube, I'm not trying to change the topic but you mentioned the Indy sidecar. How is that coming along?

As for the Firefly parts kit...it sounds like a great idea.

pickelhaube · Post by **pickelhaube** » Sun Apr 18, 2010 5:13 pm

normandy wrote:Pickelhaube, I'm not trying to change the topic but you mentioned the Indy sidecar. How is that coming along?

As for the Firefly parts kit...it sounds like a great idea.

I have done a little work on the side car. But not too much. I put that to the side inorder to work on the Humvee project.

normandy · Post by **normandy** » Mon Apr 19, 2010 2:55 am

What's a Humvee?

Ok, I'll just have to wait...............