Dragon 1/35 Sherman M4 DV

The M4 Sherman, formally Medium Tank, M4, was the primary tank used by the United States during World War II. It was also distributed to the Allies via lend lease. Evolved from previous medium and light tanks, it was the first American medium tank with a fully traversing turret for the main gun.

Production of the M4 medium tank exceeded 50,000 units and its chassis served as the basis for numerous other armored vehicles such as tank destroyers, tank retrievers, and self-propelled artillery. Only the Soviet T-34 was produced in larger numbers. 

The M4 DV was an early-production variant of the Sherman, with DV standing for “Direct Vision”. This refers to the armored visors for the driver and co-driver at the front of the hull. On later vehicles these were deleted from the glacis plate in the interests of armor integrity.

This "Smart Kit" release builds into a 75mm-gunned version of the Sherman with direct-vision slits in the front of the hull for the driver and radio operator. Featuring a newly-tooled front glacis, a newly-tooled one-piece upper hull, a one-piece slide-molded main gun barrel with hollow muzzle, one-piece flexible Dragon Styrene T41 tracks, and many other finely detailed and highly accurate parts. Also includes photo-etched metal detail parts, wire cable, and decals for two vehicles that served in Italy.

Among the 330 parts in this kit (making it a bit of a 'lightweight' in terms of parts count) are these features:

- Newly tooled frontal glacis w/direct vision hoods accurately reproduced
- Newly tooled one-piece upper hull
- Upper hull rear in 90 degree accurately represented
- Direct vision covers can be molded open/closed
- Detail tooled antenna mount at the rear
- Commander's hatch w/periscope assembled open/closed
- Bolted connecting plate for gun shield attachment rendered in fine detail
- Realistic MG port and radio bracket molded w/cast detail
- Finely detailed 3-piece transmission cover made from multiple slide-molded parts
- Engine rear doors w/great detail
- Detailed engine-deck w/splash guard and air-intake cover
- One-piece chassis w/bolt details
- Suspension system realistically produced
- OVM w/clasps detail
- Detailed headlight and horn guards
- Fully detailed T41 DS Tracks

Markings are very basic and provide decals for two tanks that operated in Italy. Both are in Olive Drab. One nice thing about the decals for this is that you get a series of numbers and letters so you can make up your own serial number if you have a reference for a specific tank.  

Dragon's Sherman tank series is probably one of the most popular that they do. Combine this with the high quality one has come to expect from Dragon and you have a very desirable tank.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherman_tank

My thanks to www.dragonmodelsusa.com for the preview kit. Get yours at your local store or on-line retailer.

If you would like your product reviewed fairly and fairly quickly, please contact the editor or see other details in the Note to Contributors.

Back to the Main Page

Back to the Review Index Page

Back to the Previews Index Page