Asuka Model 1/35 M4A3 E8 76mm / In depth Review

[@b4bbf4rrell]

Welcome back Shane... I've been waiting for your return 🤓👍☘️

[@longlance67]

thanks mate really appreciate it! it great to back with the community again :)

[@schweinhund227]

Well.... your hard work paid off... all those extras makes this 👌 perfect!

[@longlance67]

Thank you Norm! I hope you are keeping well mate!

[@ModelNerd]

I love the care and attention to detail you put into this. Each addition might seem "small" but they're all worthwhile and the final result is more than the sum of the parts. This really takes realism to the next level 👍

[@longlance67]

thanks mate! It was great fun to add all those little details and add my own mark to this E8, glad you like it mate!

[@The_last_prime]

when the world needed him the most, he came back

[@longlance67]

thanks mate! your comment made my day :)

[@lesthiele4921]

Looking great Shane, I look forward to the paint isode for the Sherman, I hope you and your family are safe and welll, best regards from a Kiwi living in Australia.

[@longlance67]

Thanks mate! I'm looking forward to painting this one up. We are all keeping well over here, hope you and yours are all well too mate

[@13bravo72]

Very nice attention to detail! I think you covered all the bases...😁The Asuka kits have awesome detail and practically fall together during assembly! You really made yours pop with the additional features. The antennae detail is well done. That Panzer Art storage fits perfectly on the back and is incredibly sharp!!! Well done sir!!👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@longlance67]

Thanks mate! The PanzerArt set really was the icing on the cake for me. Would totally recommend their sets as they are awesome. thanks mate

[@johnstimitz2629]

Beautiful work! Very well done! Looking forward to the painting and weathering videos!

[@longlance67]

Thank you very much John! I'm hoping to get this bad boy into the paint station this weekend!

[@lmmodellismomilitare]

So nice and interesting video! Thank you for sharing

[@longlance67]

thanks mate, glad you enjoyed it!

[@foreverplastickits138]

*Such a nice build, i hope you'll start the paint very soon!*

[@longlance67]

Planning to get his under way next week, so it shouldn't be too long till we get a video :)

[@brucethemodelnoob]

What a great build Shane! I love the attention to detail… it takes an already-nice kit and really brings it to a whole other level.

[@longlance67]

Thank Bruce! Really glad you liked it mate. How is your Pz.IV L70 build going ?

[@brucethemodelnoob]

@@longlance67 not much progress on the IV L/70(A)… I got sidetracked by a Ma.K kit 😃 Plan to get back to it in a week or two.

[@georgewilson5303]

You did a beautiful job. It looks just like the real thing. I love the Sharman. My uncle fought in the arden. One of the first tanks in. He drove the m4. There tank was hit. From what he told me it was about 3 weeks after they got there. He thinks it was a tiger. He lost a big part pof his leg. The all made it out of the tank. The first build I did was his tank the m4.

[@longlance67]

That is some wonderful family history. And thank you for sharing your uncles service with us! And what a wonderful tribute to him and comrades to model his tank

[@liamgray9805]

Nice one Shane - look forward to seeing the paint job, cheers.

[@longlance67]

Coming soon! I am excited to see how it turns out

[@ArmourEmpire]

Good to see a video Shane. Hope you are well mate

[@longlance67]

thanks Mark! All well mate, just finished college so happy to be done with it. How are you keeping?

[@ArmourEmpire]

@@longlance67 good mate. Messed up couple of years but getting back to a sort of normal

[@billmoore3779]

Great looking Start !!!

[@longlance67]

Thanks!

[@donfrandsen7778]

Beautiful constructuon Shane Wow!!!! Bravo!!!

[@longlance67]

thanks Don!

[@jonfoisy1237]

Off to a solid start Shane

[@longlance67]

thanks mate!

[@tylerleversage1933]

Looks great Shane! Working on a Sherman VC right now.

[@longlance67]

Thanks mate! Oh nice, you can never have too many Fireflys!

[@tylerleversage1933]

@@longlance67 No, you can’t! Have two more in my modest stash.

[@FacuninoWar1]

Great work! I hope see in a diorama soon

[@longlance67]

I have a lovely little Tamiya German staff car that would make a lovely little vignette

[@FacuninoWar1]

@@longlance67 sounds good!

[@AbstractArmorHLF]

Dang Sir. Looks fantastic.

[@longlance67]

thanks mate

[@basicminiaturepainting]

Looks really nice,I'm currently shopping for a tamiya m18 hellcat 1\35 scale

[@longlance67]

Good choice! I have one in the stash its a lovely kit! Hoping to get it done along with a M26 Pershing over the summer

[@LightsNcrafts]

Really nice work! It's going to look amazing!

[@longlance67]

Thank you! Cheers! I can't wait to see how this one paints up!

[@Ryker06]

Great work! Could you list the aftermarket items you included in the build? Thanks.

[@longlance67]

thanks mate so the basic upgrades I used: MJ Miniatures Sherman Upgrade Set Aber Metal Barrel (76mm) Tiger Model Design Resin Brush Guards PanzerArt Stowage T-Rex antenna bases hope this helps mate

[@Ryker06]

@@longlance67 Thanks. Helpful.

[@ManuelDeFire]

model with all its details, perfect, just as it is unpainted it is wonderful

[@longlance67]

its one of my favorite stages of a build too, all detailed up and ready for primer. Always get a kick at this part :)

[@jerryvolpini7987]

I don't mind covering all that detail. After all, isn't the goal to blend everything so that no one knows which parts are stock and which are not? Those 'in the know' will recognize all the work you put into it (it does look amazing unpainted, though 👍)

[@gman3215]

Beautiful work. 👍

[@longlance67]

Thank you very much!

[@davegiles2344]

Nice build 👌

[@longlance67]

I'm glad you like it

[@Bembem69]

Great to hear your voice again,Shane! The build looks great… is the barrel kit-provided or aftermarket?

[@longlance67]

Thanks mate! Its good to be back! The barrel is from Aber, the kit supplied 76mm is a two piece assembly

[@brendanwhitty8911]

🤢 ugh… Two-piece barrel…🤮

[@schmidtmpa]

Looks great! I think the Asuka kit won't work as one of the first M4A3E8s to show up in December of 44. It kind of represents a 1945 produced Chrysler. For a 44 E8 the front hull lift rings would be directly behind the lights rather on the edge of the glacis. Also, the 44 produced Chryslers did not have front cable guide installed. So the kit kind of mixes features. You could move the lift rings inward and omit the front cable guide you added and have a 44 tank. Also the transmission tow cable clamp wasn't on these early E8s. That came with the 45 production. At least of all this is what I could glean from Son Of Sherman when researching my own E8 build. Regardless, it looks great and is inspiring me to keep going with my build!

[@longlance67]

Thanks Witchfinder for the great information. I was aware about the lift rings, but I must admit I must have misinterpreted the references I had. Which I am little gutted about it a little bit. But you live and learn, least I have a 45 E8 now I guess lol I do really do need to get my hands on the coveted Son of the Sherman book without paying the fortune for it lol Thanks again for your great input I shall try to incorporate them into the build to get it

[@schmidtmpa]

@@longlance67 No worries! The M4A3 hulls are quite confusing. Regardless, the model looks fantastic.

[@TheModelGuy]

Looking at doing an M4A3 (non HVSS) and wanted to know what brand was most accurate? Meng/Asuka/Rye Field Models Thanks!

[@longlance67]

I can't speak for the RFM kit (though I suspect it is accurate) but the Meng/Asuka kits are very close, both are accurate but I think the Meng may have the edge though

[@TheModelGuy]

@@longlance67 thanks for your reply! I’ve been dipping into tracked things and there is a lot I don’t know.

[@jerryvolpini7987]

Great attention to detail, well done! 👍 (not sure about how I feel about all that stowage, though? 🤔 )

[@longlance67]

So stowage is one of those subjects I find people tend love or hate on allied vehicles. I'm in the stowage camp personally as I feel it gives the model a lot character. It's really down to taste in the end

[@jerryvolpini7987]

@@longlance67 For sure and I do like stowage. I just find that too much detracts from the subject. Looks cool though and lots of fun to paint and weather. Your model, your choice 🙂

[@rickmoreno6858]

Damn it cousin Shane now I'm going to have to buy this kit. Shhh don't tell my wide she says 350+ assortment of kits is enough.

[@longlance67]

your secret is safe mate ;)

[@claytonmcclain182]

Looks fantastic Shane. I did the same. upgraded a dragon E8 the thunderbolt with applicate armor on the front. Which was WAY to thick. So I remade it to match the Sherman on the autobahn photo with all prisoners. Still not sure of the little mistakes that dragon had made since they had built the most accurate Sherman tank. Weep holes and very off tilt parts love Asuka have one in mid build. We moved and most of my kit parts are in storage. 🤬

[@longlance67]

Oh nice work! I am not sure as to overall accuracy of the Dragon tooling as its so long since I built one of their M4's but I imagine they should be pretty close. Hopefully you will be able to get your hobby space back up and running again soon mate!

[@the-primered-thumb]

Really nice mate 😉👍

[@longlance67]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@mauserkk98]

Looks nice .Are you using a new mic set up ? ,or just recording in a new location sound is a bit clearer than before ??.

[@longlance67]

thanks mate! Ya I got a new mic in the last few months, has really made all the difference

[@alexchan898]

thank you for sharing.from China.

[@longlance67]

Thanks for watching!

[@kovalenych1889]

lets paint!

[@longlance67]

soon :)

[@MojoDevirus]

Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuhhhhhhhhhhhhh wow !!!

[@longlance67]

thanks dude