|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
|
Airfix's Sheridan depicts the prototype model. Robin Gronovius wanted a production model so he set to work - After all, Rob should know - he has his own Motor Pool at Hanscom AFB, Massachusetts, USA! |
| I built the 1/72 scale
Airfix M551A1 AR/AAV Sheridan for my IPMS group build "If it Floats."
Couple of the plane guys didn't realize it was an amphibious tank. This
is a fairly decent kit that is a little sparse on detail. It kit represents
one of the prototype Sheridans and not a production vehicle. I wanted to
update it to a version that was used during the Vietnam War.
One of the details I did to update the kit was replace the kit gun tube (open breech scavenger system) with a piece of styrene tubing to represent a later closed breech scavenger system tube. I cut down the missile system tracking box and the backside of the searchlight. I added a stretched sprue searchlight cable using photos from the Hunnicutt book as a guide. I drilled out the coaxial machine gun and auxillary sight ports in the mantlet as well. The sides of the
hull were smooth and there was no delineation where the hull ended and
the trim vane and swim barrier cover were. I scribed these using my handy
dandy X-Acto scriber. I used the Hunnicutt Sheridan book and Squadron's
in action book to determine where the hull panel lines needed to be added.
After I scribed a groove into the proper place, I took a thin strand of
stretched sprue and glued it in place. This method worked pretty good
in replicating the panel lines. |
| I added
the hull belly armor using a strip of styrene cut to the proper size. I
then drilled out the five mounting holes and inserted whisker sized pieces
of stretched sprue. An old heated screw driver provided enough heat to make
the end of the sprue mushroom into a rivet. At this scale it is close enough
to bolt head for me.
I added some old
wedding veil mesh to the engine grills and drilled out all the tow hooks
and lifting rings. I drilled a hole in the forward left side of the hull
and added an external fire extinguisher T-handle with stretched sprue. |
 |
 |
The worst
part of the kit were the tracks. Since the Sheridan has unique tracks and
aftermarket items for it are non-existant, I was stuck with them. I started
with the assumption that the tracks would actually fit over the idler wheel,
road wheels and drive sprocket. This was an incorrect assumption. Add to
it the amount of sag the Sheridan has, and the problem is compunded even
further.
The left side track
has a gap that I had to hide under the #3 road wheel. I had to use transparent
thread to join the tracks. I also used transparent thread and CA to tie
down the tracks onto the top of the road wheels. Since I now knew the
tracks would be super tight, I oblonged the grooves in the hubs of the
drive sprocket and idler wheel so they would shift inwards slightly. Were
I to build this kit again, I'd just move the mounting pins for the rear
drive sprockets forward just a tad. |
| All in
all a decent little kit that can be had for under $5.
I have plans to add
the cupola chicken coop gun shields at a later date. I hope to get one
of the ex-Esci Italeri M113 ACAVs and steal its gun shield. I'd also rework
the smoke grenade launchers. I think I could have done more to detail
them. I still have to fill the gap in the front idler wheel hub. |
 |
 |
Thanks to Rob for this article on the Sheridan - if you'd like to see more of his work, and some more shots of this model visit Rob's Motor Pool on Armorama.com |