Academy 1: 35 - Super Sherman Israeli Re-Release Various

The M51 Super Sherman. The final update of the WWII era Sherman tank. The Israeli's managed to fit a whopping 105mm gun into it and in this form it successfully soldiered on well into the 1980's. Academy gives you a good depiction of that tank. The Tamiya kit will be easier to build no doubt, but the academy has simply very good casting textures, nice details, tons of "stuff" to hang from it and a couple of figures at a lower pricetag.You can build either an early and a late vehicle, although only one is mentioned in the instructions paint&decal section. So either a six day war or a Yom Kippoer war vehicle, take your pick. Suspension looks good, tracks are the one piece vinyl ones with good detail and sag is not an issue with these Shermans anyway. No need for after market replacement in my book.The gun mantlet dust cover has been described as fiddly, I haven't arrived at that bit yet, but it seems the only challenge and nothing one couldn't handle after a kit or two under the belt.Tip on painting, the box is wrong, it is painted in overall Sinai Grey. Which is a greenish tint that has nothing to do with the overall sand seen on the box.It is real close to “RLM 2” a Luftwaffe colour (Humbrol 240). Don't bother with that mix recipe in the instructions.Just use that color from any brand, it will be ready available and you'll be alright.Conclusion, it looks very nice, academy makes good kits although being a bit of a hit or miss sometimes, this one is a hit and will result in a nice model of this freakish looking Sherman.You have a lot of goodies to load her with and a couple of decent looking figures to stick on top.