Airfix Sherman M4A2 Tank - 1/76 Scale Plastic Model Kit - Build & Review

Named after an American Civil War General, the Sherman tank became the most widely used tank by the western allies, seeing service on most fronts of the second world war.
Join me in this video as I build and review the Airfix 1/76 scale plastic model kit of this popular and well known world war 2 tank. (A01303)
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[@ModelMinutes]

Following the release of this video, Airfix have re-introduced this kit in their Vintage Classics range. Find the kit here: www.airfix.com/uk-en/sherman-m4-mk1-tank.html

[@sparetime2475]

Model Minutes if you can find it I reccomend the air fix Sheridan m551

[@ModelMinutes]

Sparetime 247 I’ll have to see if I can get one 😂

[@9501599]

I have built this kit a long time ago. For wargaming its ideal, a quick build, if you need a squadron, the turret turns and the gun traverses. I like your builds you explain them very well, easy to follow and the hints and tips are always helpful. Cheers

[@ModelMinutes]

Thanks! Glad you like them :D

[@udorechner6846]

Very nice build and review. I build this Tank as a kid and had a lot of fun with it. With the hatches open there are many additional possibilities in dioramas. For the time (1961) this kit is for sure a good one especialy for beginners. 😃

[@ModelMinutes]

Totally agree

[@valborchardt3596]

Thanks Matt. Would love to see this tank in a diorama some day. As always take care

[@ModelMinutes]

Thanks for the suggestion!

[@joramamodellbau3987]

Hey Matt, nice build of a Airfix-Sherman with a good finish!! I remember that I've ever built this Sherman before. Once for me and once for a friend but that was a long time ago. I liked this round turret of the Sherman. Greetings, Joachim

[@ModelMinutes]

Thanks for watching! I'm glad you liked my build :D

[@shaquille.oatmeal6767]

im making this exact model right now and i have the exact same paper towel dish and glue lol nice vids btw

[@ModelMinutes]

Great minds think alike! Thanks :D

[@shaquille.oatmeal6767]

@@ModelMinutes no problem you deserve it!

[@ModelMinutes]

@@shaquille.oatmeal6767 Thanks :D

[@shaquille.oatmeal6767]

@@ModelMinutes hey ever thought about doing a L.C.M Mk.lll?

[@ModelMinutes]

@@shaquille.oatmeal6767 A great suggestion!

[@HO-bndk]

I once built a whole Armoured Regiment of these during my "tabletop wargaming" days. Scenery made out of... anything at all, a three foot ruler and home made dice and rules. Cotton wool balls denoted a brewed up tank. I might just buy one of the new releases out of sheer nostalgia.

[@ModelMinutes]

I'm pretty sure airfix are doing a new tool of this kit at some point

[@lordred4116]

I remember going down to our local Woolworths with my spend in the late 1960s buying airfix kits in their plastic bags.

[@ModelMinutes]

Sounds like something I would have enjoyed!

[@chrissharp5073]

Me too!!

[@jerry2357]

I remember then changing from plastic bags to cardboard-backed blister packs in the early 1970s. IIIRC, a Series 1 model in a blister pack was 25p at the time.

[@douglasw.7864]

Really enjoyed the video. Currently build this kit as part of the Airfix Battlefield Action diorama kit (D-Day), which includes a base, figures and a Tiger tank kit.

[@ModelMinutes]

Very cool!

[@PiperStart]

It is a great little kit for war games. Well built.

[@ModelMinutes]

Thanks!

[@Phil684]

Great work Matt, well narrated as usual :)

[@ModelMinutes]

I'm glad you liked it :)

[@rodrigoanunezrivolta9267]

Just saw your video suggested by KZbin since I was looking for 1/72 Shermans. My compliments, great looking model, quickly built and inexpensively without using fancy equipment.

[@ModelMinutes]

Thanks! If you like this you should check out my Churchill and Cromwell builds 😊

[@rodrigoanunezrivolta9267]

@@ModelMinutes already saw the churchill one, will check the Cromwell one. Hard time with the churchill running gear, their LVT IV Buffalo has similar difficulty.

[@ModelMinutes]

@@rodrigoanunezrivolta9267 I can imagine! I built a Zvezda M3 Stuart in 1/100 once upon a time too

[@ryale7174]

I think I may have four to six of these exact model Shermans from Airfix. In my youth...about the age of 9 to 11 years of age I built dozens of Airfix models...mostly tanks. All were purchased at McCormick's Hobby Shop in London, Ontario, Canada at Oxford and Richmond for $1 each. Good times.

[@ModelMinutes]

very cool!

[@ryale7174]

That little story goes back to the early to mid 1970s about 50 years ago now...gosh...and I still have them safely packed away. Love to show my future grandchildren....

[@plesmem]

Great job! It looks nice!

[@ModelMinutes]

thanks :D

[@antony8579guau]

Amazing kit as always. I never thought of using heat to join the rubber tracks.

[@ModelMinutes]

It was the technique as recommended in the instructions, but you have to be super careful doing that

[@Jroderton]

Wicked. Thanks for posting this. I’m having the same issue with those holes being a bit too small. Guess I’ll drill them out a bit as well.

[@ModelMinutes]

good idea :D

[@allhaillordtachanka1957]

That looks much cooler than the old tool!

[@ModelMinutes]

:P

[@thearmoredgeorgian2736]

For what this is, the model itself is pretty good, especially with added detail. The suspension is a pain though, but it usually is when it comes to Sherman models. I think this one came out nicely

[@ModelMinutes]

thanks!

[@jamiegray6931]

An excellent job on the kit, especially with it being so inaccurate. When i built it i decided to fill in the huge hole at the back of the turret, add a radio antenna and add some applique armour to the sides to make it slightly more realistic. The inaccuracies of the model include an undersized turret, no detail on the drive sprockets, a hole in the back of the turret, missing guides on the track suspension and the complete wrong rear engine deck.

[@ModelMinutes]

Thanks for the info! I knew someone would be able to tell me the issues with it

[@jamiegray6931]

@@ModelMinutes Your welcome. Since doing the Chruchill kit I've made sure to research the build before I did it, to ensure i can actually do it properly.

[@jerry2357]

I think this is an early M4 (Sherman I) or M4A2 (Sherman III). The narrow gun mantlet was later superseded by a wide mantlet, and later Sherman tanks had extra patches of armour welded on vulnerable parts of the hull and turret, which are obvious in old photos. The first mark of Sherman used by the British was the Sherman II (M4A1), which had a rounded cast hull. Some of these fought at El Alamein. The earliest surviving Sherman is one of these with the name Michael, and can be seen in the Tank Museum, Bovington. It has the earlier design of suspension bogies used on the Lee and Grant tanks, with the return roller mounted on top of the unit, rather than to the rear of it as on most Sherman’s. The British used a lot of M4A4s (known as Sherman V) in north-west Europe, and quite a few of these were converted to Fireflies. When I was a teenager in the 1970s, I was confused about why the hull of the Matchbox model of the Sherman Firefly was quite a bit longer than that of the Airfix Sherman model. I’ve since realised that the Firefly model was based on the Sherman V, which had a longer hull to accommodate the multi-bank engine used in this variant.

[@ModelMinutes]

you're probably right - airfix dont have a track record for being particularly accurate in their earlier days

[@GregsModels]

Great review video Matt!

[@ModelMinutes]

Thanks!

[@wwkdiecastmore5647]

Nice build, nice kit!

[@ModelMinutes]

Thanks for watching!

[@cob8670]

Hi Matt, great vid. I think if you want rotating sprockets you could try melting the end of the spindle behind the hull. I don’t know if it will work for this but I’ve used it for modifying planes that weren’t designed with a spinning propeller and they haven’t fallen out yet

[@ModelMinutes]

Cool, thanks for the idea!

[@jantimmer5558]

Great work matt. I will build this kit soon. I am planning on enlarging the turret with some plastic profiles.

[@ModelMinutes]

Sounds great!

[@jantimmer5558]

@@ModelMinutes update: it went well.

[@ModelMinutes]

Jan Timmer awesome!

[@the23rdradiotower41]

For anyone who’s in the states and looking for one of these I’ve found quite a few at hobby lobby and they usually have them for around 50% off.

[@ModelMinutes]

good to know!

[@bunnyniyori6324]

M4 A2, unsure about that. But I like your videos mainly as they make a fun hobby look approachable. The kit is inexpensive, and doable for a young beginner or an older person wanting to feel young again. It's not on par with the latest and greatest of the hobby. But Airfix does a fine job of keeping fun kits in circulation. These kits can be turned out as awesome creations if the modeler is skilled. And none of my friends can tell a Sherman from a Tiger tank :)

[@ModelMinutes]

Yeah, i think there are a lot of inaccuracies with this kit :)

[@elliottframe236]

Amazingly done . I’ve just started modelling and can’t afford to buy paints seperatly as I’m only 13 so only get starter kits , but my birthday is coming up so can’t wait to go shopping and get the proper paints and models

[@ModelMinutes]

Thanks! Hopefully you can expand your collection!

[@TUIflyfan_123]

I went to hobbycraft today and I needed humbrol 159 for UK version but they only sold it in enamel and obviously my dad won’t let me use enamel incase I spill it on my bedroom floor but he saw a khaki colour in Revell aqua colour and I’m happy he saw that because it was probably the best paint I have ever used 😀😀😀😀😀🤪🤪🤪🤪

[@ModelMinutes]

Yes, I noticed they only do that in enamel unless you get it in a starter set. Fortunately the Vallejo Russian uniform green is a perfect match so I’m going to use that from now on

[@TUIflyfan_123]

Model Minutes ikr

[@lpjmodels]

Wicked work

[@ModelMinutes]

Thanks!

[@SoymeScaleModels]

1:72 is slightly bigger than 1:76, not slightly bigger. Anyway, great video Matt, I love how its turned out!

[@ModelMinutes]

yes, you're right! Maths was never my strong point!

[@johnkelley9877]

It looks really good Matt! The kit is closer to an M4 with the modeled engine deck. To make it an M4A2 or a Sherman Mk. III requires two doors on the deck with grills. The M4A2 had diesel engines as opposed to the gasoline engine of the M4. There also needs to be 6 gas caps on the deck instead of 2 and a deeper rear plate and different exhaust. I this will help out. I enjoyed this build and I am looking forward to more.

[@ModelMinutes]

Thank you for identifying why it was inaccurate! I had absolutely no idea why it was wrong . . I just knew that it was :)

[@charlesmccool1735]

Great kit as always. Now I can't wait for the sherman firefly and tiger 1 gift set to come out. I know the standard sets are out and I would love to see what you would do with a firefly. The humbrol paints are 110, 155, 33 and 53

[@ModelMinutes]

Perhaps i'll get one in the future

[@charlesmccool1735]

@@ModelMinutes I have the gift set preordered so I might send some pictures in on a subscriber showcase someday. I also have a harrier but I am not allowed to build it until Easter :(

[@charlesmccool1735]

@@ModelMinutes Update: I have built the firefly and tiger. I also think no 86 is a better colour for the firefly as its more British looking. No 155 is a bit more browny so I think a US tank would be better with no 155.

[@TUIflyfan_123]

I got the lcm 3 and Sherman vintage classic and my British Sherman was painted 159 kharki not 86 but sometimes they used the same paint colour in real life

[@ModelMinutes]

Awesome!

[@hevendor958]

cool video

[@ModelMinutes]

thanks!

[@TFFANYEA]

My first ever model kit I built pretty nice kit

[@ModelMinutes]

Great to hear!

[@ShuttleFactoryScaleModels]

Great build & video Matt, its great Airfix are re-releasing their old Armour 1:76 kits (like this kit) under the Vintage Classics line. I cannot wait to get my hands on the Bristol Bulldog. Anyway are you going to make a little diorama for this kit?

[@ModelMinutes]

I've got a project in mind, but yet to make a start on it :P

[@ShuttleFactoryScaleModels]

@@ModelMinutes cannot wait to see what you have in mind

[@dadofamadhouse4194]

I think this is the same (or about the same) tank that comes in a diorama set from airfix (1/76 airfix dday battlefront) Got one for my son for Xmas for us to do together.

[@ModelMinutes]

yes i think it is the same one

[@modelrevew2780]

Im geting one for christmas

[@ModelMinutes]

nice!

[@dennismason3740]

That Sherman is microscopic! I feel like Godzilla...

[@ModelMinutes]

it is pretty small

[@John2E0GTU]

The rubber track can be glued with two part epoxy.

[@ModelMinutes]

Ah! I'll have to get some next time!

[@davegibson9641]

As a WarGamer, I have built dozens of this very model. Turning wheels/treads were wishful thinking. That would never work. Models can’t be used that way. They are way too fragile. I have customized many. It is a great kit to build because it’s easy.

[@ModelMinutes]

I agree, having a working model is unrealistic, the tolerances are too tight and the parts too delicate

[@scalesmodellingmagic5883]

Hey Matt could you try and make a custom Sherman tank in a captured German livery ?

[@ModelMinutes]

That's a cool idea! Thanks for the suggestion

[@TUIflyfan_123]

To protect the tracks that you built is a m4a1 version

[@ModelMinutes]

Yeah, I knew this kit had inaccuracies

[@jerry2357]

The M4A1 (Sherman II in British service) had the rounded cast hull, so it can’t be that version.

[@mohanmadrid9736]

Idk why but i want a cake that looks like that and its almost my bday

[@ModelMinutes]

Yum!

[@chrispacer4231]

I have this kit, actually it’s together with a Airfix Lst landing craft. Lets see what happens

[@ModelMinutes]

i'm sure you'll do a great job!

[@jerry2357]

If it’s the old Airfix landing craft, then it’s a LCM. The LST was a much bigger ship that could carry about 18 Shermans. I had both this Sherman and the Airfix LCM when I was a teenager in the 1970s.

[@julianmhall]

Interesting to hear the comments regarding scale.. which makes me wonder why Airfix et al didn't stick to 1:76 for aircraft?

[@ModelMinutes]

perhaps they had already started in 1/72 and that was a more common scale for it

[@sergliver5845]

Здравствуйте! Я подписчик Вашего канала и мне приятно видеть Ваши работы! Только ,я не понимаю английский язык, жаль конечно, но это нам не мешает !! Спасибо за интересные обзоры ! Успеха в развитии Вашего канала !!👍😄

[@ModelMinutes]

Привет! Спасибо за подписку. К сожалению, я не говорю по-русски, поэтому я использовал Google Translate, чтобы перевести это для вас (так что это может не иметь полного смысла). Я рад, что вам нравится мой контент, и я надеюсь, что вы продолжите наслаждаться моими видео! Спасибо :) - Hi! Thanks for subscribing. I don't speak Russion either unfortunately, so i've used Google Translate to translate this for you (so it might not make complete sense). I'm glad you like my content and i hope you continue to enjoy my videos! Thanks :)

[@sergliver5845]

@@ModelMinutes Спасибо за отзыв!! Меня зовут Сергей, я из России, город Самара!

[@ModelMinutes]

Привет сергей! Спасибо за просмотр, и я надеюсь, что вы продолжаете наслаждаться моим каналом!

[@sergliver5845]

@@ModelMinutes Конечно продолжаю!! Тем более, узнаю что-то новое для себя при постройки моделей на будущее, новые методы и приёмы!! Как Вас звать ? От куда Вы сами?

[@MrPeter-sn1yp]

@ModelMinutes This kit is actually a Sherman I or an M4 as evidenced by the rear engine deck. It is NOT the "M4A2" or the Sherman III Diesel Engine variant which AIRFIX has claimed it to be.

[@ModelMinutes]

Yeah I think previous comments mention the inaccurate elements of this kit

[@MrPeter-sn1yp]

@@ModelMinutes AIRFIX's mislabelling fools no one especially scale modellers who has this same model kit in its Vintage packaging that accurately indicated this as the Sherman Mk.I. Moreover for this new re-release there aren't any extra Rear Engine Deck parts supplied to make the M4A2/ Sherman III variant as marketed on the box.

[@ModelMinutes]

@@MrPeter-sn1yp this is quite an old video now, given that they have a new tooling of a Sherman I doubt we will see this vintage model again

[@MrPeter-sn1yp]

@@ModelMinutes Going forward, I hope that their future releases will be for the better in terms of new tooling, details and additional parts to give us the options for a Sherman I, Sherman III or even the Mid-Production Sherman IV variant where these all looked identical at the front, but with different Rear Engine Deck plates.

[@mh53j]

Was this the same kit included with the Airfix LCM III?

[@ModelMinutes]

I believe it is

[@josecesar1639]

Airfix could release a line of good accurate and detaile "Shermans"!

[@ModelMinutes]

I believe they have retooled this one . . . .?

[@jantimmer5558]

They now have a 1:72 firefly. Seems to be a good kit.

[@dadofamadhouse4194]

I broke the locator pin on one of my bogies while test fitting, grarg. It's such a tiny pin that I doubt I can just glue it together but I'm gonna try anyways wish me luck.

[@ModelMinutes]

good luck!

[@piotrekszczepanski5125]

got this for x-mas. I can remember the wheels not fitting in their pins as well, had to use a pin vice. I stretched sprue for the antennae and also used it to replace the coaxial MG. here's a photo: lh3.googleusercontent.com/-lWmf-HMI2zQ/Xgvx51PFKGI/AAAAAAAAACo/gGlSTsfaYpAm7mK9Mws61LiN6b6ppEevgCK8BGAsYHg/s0/2019-12-31.jpg Happy New Year!

[@ModelMinutes]

Very Nice!

[@scalesmodellingmagic5883]

If anyone is having a hard time finding Humbrol 159 tamyia xf-81 is a good substitute

[@ModelMinutes]

Top tip!

[@matth4376]

I find its easier to staple the tracks rather than melt them

[@ModelMinutes]

I hadn't thought of that!

[@jerry2357]

@@ModelMinutes I used to staple the tracks when I was a teenager in the 1970s, but you could see the staples, so it wasn’t an ideal solution.

[@j453]

Well, I subscribed. Great vid. Do you think this model would be sturdy enough for wargaming? I like the price on these airfix kits and was thinking of trying my hand at making a "ww2 era" homebrew game.

[@ModelMinutes]

Thanks! I don't see why you couldn't use these for wargaming. Normally you use 1/100 vehicles as far as I know, but if you're making your own game I don't see a problem with these

[@j453]

@@ModelMinutes airfix has 1/72 soldiers too so I figured the 1/76 tank could do, even if its a bit off. I'm still looking around but the price on those airfix are pretty nice too. I think amazon has them for like 8$

[@ModelMinutes]

J yeah, they’re not too expensive. Zvezda does 1/72 figures with wargaming bases already included

[@emanuelavila3512]

Hi matt i like the Sherman tank i

[@ModelMinutes]

awesome!

[@emanuelavila3512]

I think this build was cool

[@ModelMinutes]

@@emanuelavila3512 thanks 😊

[@emanuelavila3512]

Can you thinner down the matt 49 enamel varnish

[@ModelMinutes]

@@emanuelavila3512 yeah, I usually use white spirit, but special thinners are available

[@TUIflyfan_123]

The m4 a2 has track skirts

[@ModelMinutes]

Nice!

[@donoteventry4298]

Not necesseraly, they often fell down or simply removed

[@TUIflyfan_123]

DoNotEvenTry thank for info

[@MarcP47]

Smol tonk.

[@ModelMinutes]

i've got an even smaller one on the channel somewhere . . .

[@whybother7632]

how long did it take?

[@ModelMinutes]

can't remember now - it was a while ago. Probably about 6 hours or so

[@whybother7632]

@@ModelMinutes ah thank you

[@allhaillordtachanka1957]

If there was an old tool...

[@ModelMinutes]

I think this is it :P

[@allhaillordtachanka1957]

@@ModelMinutes but it is from the 70's or so

[@ModelMinutes]

1961, Airfix have updated parts over the years but it's the same kit in essence

[@kevinhale9400]

TRAVERSE left to right. ELEVATE up and down.

[@ModelMinutes]

Ok ?

[@jacqueline6475]

I'll never understand Airfix with their 1/76 scale :P

[@SoymeScaleModels]

its to fit in with model railways which are also in 1:76

[@jacqueline6475]

@@SoymeScaleModels I suppose so, but most people probably don't add in Tanks with their Model Railways.

[@ModelMinutes]

maybe not now, but when this was designed there was a bit of a "play" value for it

[@jacqueline6475]

@@ModelMinutes Ah, I see

[@astronaut9571]

I am the only guy that plays with models like little kid?

[@ModelMinutes]

probably not

[@eddiegremlin]

Seems a little out of focus for much of the video...

[@ModelMinutes]

Edward Millership thanks for the comment! Although I do make as much effort as possible to correctly focus my work during filming, sometimes I don’t always get it “just right”. Also, I’ve found that if you view the video on lower settings on YT it can appear blurry. I do film in full hd, 1080p setting would be the best to watch it in. That being said, I’ll take onboard your criticism and see if I can improve next time ☺️

[@eddiegremlin]

Model Minutes Well as I mostly watch on a 4K display resolution isn’t a problem. The auto focus of your camera was fine but focused on the bottle extra thin cement lower right of screen. It’s difficult to obtain good focus with shallow depth of field. Maybe try f/5.6 - f/8 as the aperture as the field of focus will be much deeper... Regards..

[@ModelMinutes]

Edward Millership thanks for the tips! I’ll try and take them on board ☺️

[@arandomyoutuber6634]

Making the wheels of tanks is always the most annoying part. I hate it so much.

[@ModelMinutes]

Yeah, it can be dull and repetitive