Sherman Firefly Turrets...........
 

'Afternoon All,

Besides working on 1 to 1 scale Ferrets at our Museum, I'm also an avid, long-time model builder, and I'm currently working on a major conversion of Tamiya's 1/16th Sherman M4A3 Sherman with 105 mm Howitzer and HVSS, into a Canadian Sherman Firefly Mk Ic (Hybrid/Composite Hull).

For a Firefly turret, were "low-bustle" or high bustle turrets used in the conversion? I'm aware of the modified M34A1 gun mount to accommodate the 17 Pdr Gun, and the Armoured Box fitted to the turret rear for the No 19 set.

Any advice?

Cheers,

Chris Preston,
Victoria, BC

Low bustle. The M34A1 mounting wasn't really modified, only the shield was used. The cradle and mantlet were all new build.

Fireflies were hugely modified... loads of things were changed.

To the man in the street, the obvious changes are the gun and the radio box... maybe for the keen observer also the loader's hatch.

As Adrian says, whilst the original gun Shield was used, the Firefly had its own gun cradle, recoil, breech ring, block, firing mechanism, elevation mechanism, mantlet, gun telescope and mount.

Whereas the 17pdr AT gun has a vertical sliding breech block, the 17pdr Tank gun is horizontal... and from what I can tell, most 17pdr Tank had a different breech ring to accommodate a different recoil assembly...the only commonality being the breech block and firing mechanism.

The gunner's foot pedals are the same to operate the 17pdr manually and electrically, and the 30 cal coax electrically, though the gunner also had a firing switch on the traverse handle.

The turret basket is also not as deep - to accommodate the 17pdr ammo boxes underneath.

There are a load of other changes... too many to list here.

Tim

Chris, so basically all you are going to reuse is the lower hull, and fit it with a new composite upper hull, VVSS and alter the turret to a low bustle one? Quite a major conversion, indeed!

See http://the.shadock.free.fr//sherman_...ank/index.html for some detail photos of Firefly turrets.

HTH,
Hanno

Sherman Firefly turrets.............
 

Hi Hanno,

Chris, so basically all you are going to reuse is the lower hull, and fit it with a new composite upper hull, VVSS and alter the turret to a low bustle one? Quite a major conversion, indeed!

For this build, I'm using as many kit components as possible, and modifying them as necessary.

The lower hull has had all the holes for HVSS and the kit Idler brackets filled, and VVSS units and Idlers from Mato purchased and modified to fit the Tamiya hull.

The Upper hull has been converted to a Sherman Mk Ic (Hybrid) hull by removing the forward portion of the kit hull (from just behind the Driver/Co-Driver hatches) and replacing it with the forward portion of an M4A1 cast hull (after-market), and the rear plate for an M4/Sherman Mk I has been cut away. The hull is now complete, with final clean-up in progress.

For the turret, I have the option of using and modifying the kit turret into a low-bustle turret, but need either photos or a diagram of the right side of the turret to get the angles correct. The other option is to purchase an after-market cast resin low-bustle Firefly turret, with all the mods done.

As you said - it's a major conversion !!! Any help you may be able to provide be greatly appreciated. I've already seen the links you and others have posted - Many Thanks for that.

Cheers,

Chris Preston,
Victoria, BC

Chris.

If you should want to move up from modeling to owning the real thing my partners and I are thinking of selling an Sherman Easy Eight turret.

It is uncut.


Dan

Sherman Firefly turrets........
 

Hi Dan,

Hhmmm! I cam just imagine what my wife would say to that. BUT..........I'd be interested in a full size Sherman Firefly Mk Ic (Hybrid) - if one became available (and I had the funds).

:cheers:

Chris

Chris,
You could live in it after the wife threw you out....

David