Dragon Armor 1/72 M4A2(76)W 'Red Army

SUBJECT Dragon Armor 1/72 M4A2(76)W 'Red Army'
MODEL #: 60360
PRICE: About $20.00 MSRP
REVIEWER: Scott Van Aken
NOTES: Pre assembled and painted.

BACKGROUND

To the uninitiated, a Sherman tank is a Sherman tank. They are all the same. Well, not exactly. The Sherman was built in a seemingly bewildering number of variants and to make things worse, as improvements were made they were tacked onto tanks undergoing construction without any model number differentiation to tell them from earlier versions.

Though the Sherman wasn't as heavily armed or armored as German heavy tanks, it was built is considerably more numbers, and was a great deal more reliable. Not to say that Shermans could not do well in tank battles, but it was numbers and not firepower that usually knocked out the other tank. Besides, tank on tank battles were a lot more rare than people realize. Most times tanks on one side or another were destroyed by anti-tank guns; either towed or mobile. Even when it was tank on tank, it was usually an ambush that did in the other guy. Eventually the Sherman did get a gun that was the equal of many German versions with the 76mm variant, though that was usually not until later in the war. Many were used by Allied nations, most especially the British and the Russians, who already had the excellent T-34 and later IS-2 tanks. However, a freebie is a freebie so several brigades were outfitted with the Sherman and used in the later stages of the war. One of these tanks is what is provided in this Dragon Armor presentation.

Like Dragon's other full built offerings, this one has a cast hull with plastic parts attached to it. Basically it is the model kit on a metal hull. However, this one is fully painted and ready to display or use in wargaming or making tank sounds while sliding it along the floor. The painting is really first rate. Not only have they hit the colors and camo just right, but the model has been fully dry-brushed to bring out all the detailing. The overall effect is one of a nicely done model.

CONCLUSIONS

Now I realize that not everyone reading this will find these to be something they'd like, but one never really knows. For one thing, they are reasonably priced when you consider that for about $5 more than the kit, you get a fully assembled and painted product.

March 2008

My thanks to www.dragonmodelsusa.com for the review kit. Get yours today at your local hobby shop or ask them to order it in for you.

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

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