Airfix 1:76 Scale Sherman Calliope

In this video I shall assemble a 1:76 scale Airfix Sherman Calliope tank. This is a cheap plastic model kit. Will it turn out good? Who knows!? You will… after watching this… I guess you’d call it a kit review or assembly guide.
If you like what I do please consider supporting me on Patreon: / herberterpaderp
Music:
“Sour Tennessee Red” by John Deley and the 41 players
From the KZbin Audio Library.

[@yereverluvinuncleber]

How can you not know that the Sherman mould is over 54 years old? As such it is amazing that it still makes a reasonable model today. How many other manufacturers have been making moulds as long and still find them reasonably accurate? It is utterly obvious that the Calliope sprue is new in comparison.

[@Mr_Bunk]

Would the fact that the Airfix Sherman kit was first released in 1961 be a satisfying explanation for its flaws? Also, here are some good Airfix tank kits available that you haven't (to my knowledge) got yet; - Panzer IV F/F2 - Tiger II - WW1 Male Tank - WW1 Female Tank (both WW1 tank kits are inaccurate in places, but build well and look the part) - Stug III (Sometimes boxed as '75mm Assault Gun, has a thin gun barrel which can easily be replaced and is otherwise a good kit) - Matilda II (fiddly wheels, but well worth the patience) - 1/32 scale Crusader MK III (much bigger scale than the rest) And here are the kits that you (again, to my knowledge) haven't got that you should avoid; - Panther Tank (DEAR GOD, AVOID THIS ONE ESPECIALLY. AVOID IT LIKE THE PLAGUE. GAAAAAH!) - Churchill Tank (same problems as the Sherman, but with nightmarish bogie and side assemblies) - M3 Lee/Grant (Awkward and difficult assembly, plus the turret for the Grant version is awful, wobbling when put in place)

[@HerbertErpaderp]

Haha that would be a satisfactory answer. The fact that they're still selling it is a bit less satisfying. I actually just got the Tiger II the other day because people said it was good. Disappointed to hear about the Churchill though. I was actually going to get that too, but decided against it. Think next time I'll pick up the Matilda if they've got one in the shop.

[@zirrian]

The Churchill is an older kit too - I built the Tiger and wanted to jump out of the window, and have a Matilda to be assembled - have one I got from a friend assembled and painted too, and it looks solid enough. For the Churchill, get the Esci/Italeri one if you can, or the PSC kit. And for Airfix, the King Tiger and the Cromwell are pretty new kits, and the Cromwell has a one piece running gear and is generally liked. I've yet to get one (or two), as I have one finished Revell and one in box, plus the Armourfast kits are looking nice too.

[@Mr_Bunk]

I'm well aware of that.

[@seandickie6289]

@Harry Robinson I found the grant fit great and was just great

[@andrewnoonan4044]

I would add the Scorpion/Scimitar as a good kit if you can get a release that doesn't have the awful silver plastic tracks. Yes, it is based on the prototypes but it still looks the part and Herbert often says he is not a rivet counter :-). Other good ones include some of the JB reboxes like the M113FSV, Saladin, 105mm light gun and Crusader. I particularly like doing the Crusader. In 1/32 scale the Lee/Grant is also good as is the 17pdr field gun. The 105mm gun they released had metal parts including barrel and recoil springs so that was a bit of a novelty.

[@daltonvickers7977]

Thanks for the review. I have built a lot of Airfix kits and they are usually very good on fit and not much flash. That one sure had a lot of flash though.

[@HerbertErpaderp]

I'm learning that airfix are a bit hit or miss. unfortunately.

[@BasicModelling]

Just bought this kit (on ebay) from the newly issued 'Airfix Vintage Classics' range, but unlike you I have built a lot of Airfix kits (I absolutely love them) and know what to expect from their old range. To me it is pure nostalgia and great fun.. and as for their NEW toolings, most of them are absolutely brilliant. You should try their new tool Sherman Firefly in 1/72. My only gripe with THAT kit is the fact that you can't open the hatches and add crew and a tank commander. At least you can do that with THIS kit.. and I will.. :) Oh, and please don't have both music AND talking.. I am partially deaf and the music in the background is distraction from your otherwise excellent commentary and narrating.. :) That said, it is a great video and most of what you mentioned is perfectly fair.. :)

[@tmultragamer1281]

Just staple the tracks together

[@MattRampton54]

Excellent video thanks, helped a lot. Gotta say you seemed very unlucky with your mould! im putting mine together as I type this and its gone pretty flush so far! Will definitely be watching more of your videos!

[@graemerigg4029]

I think the Calliope was from Esci in the 1980s. The Airfix Matilda will strain your patience trying to line up the road wheels.

[@HerbertErpaderp]

As much as I enjoy Matildas, I don't think my patience needs the test haha :D

[@andrewnoonan4044]

Nah Matilda was easy. The Churchill however is pretty much impossible to line up both sides of the wheels.

[@alessiodecarolis]

I don't know why Airfix didn't remade their older moulds, as they've done with their aircrafts, in this scale there's a lot of competition now, they can't compete with more modern models.

[@johnbeck3270]

In defense of plastic model kit manufactures, cutting a new mold is very expensive, these require a lot of special machining which is very time consuming. However, if the kit shows a lot of popularity, they may consider recutting the molds.

[@veikkakarvonen831]

I'm right now finishing this kit. The instruction have a mistake: the forwardmost of the two bars in between the rocket pods should be put on backwards. You made a mistake with the ring in the barrel: it should not be put around the barrel, but sit on top. The stick is a bit too long for this tho... This is my fourth model, first armor one, and I added the back wiring with some fishing line, some wiring between the top's metal bars from streched sprue, an armor texture to the turret from sement-thinned putty, plank armoring to the sides from sticks and random spitfire wheels and sticks for the wheels to simulate random spare parts.

[@yoan_denchev]

I like rubber tracks

[@gruppenfuhrer45]

Never had a "good build" with Airfix models. The tank is cool though. Love your videos Herbert.

[@seandickie6289]

I get the great ones

[@matth4376]

I find with rubber tracks instead of melting them its easier to staple them.

[@ethan5354]

What i like to do with Airfix's crappy rubber band tracks is secure them with super glue while holding them together with metal pliers, and once I know they won't come apart, I melt them at the join. If it matters, I use Krazy Glue brand super glue. Also I think this is just a North America issue but whenever I order a replacement part, they just send me a whole new kit, meaning I now have two of one kit, with one missing an essential part. Strange.

[@yoan_denchev]

I like rubber tracks!

[@HerbertErpaderp]

That's fair. I guess if everyone really, really hated them they wouldn't make them anymore.

[@yoan_denchev]

Yeah!

[@seandickie6289]

I love them to

[@zirrian]

Me! I like rubber tracks! Given, they are not one part running gears with tracks (god bless Trumpeter, PSC and Italeri, and some others too), but I almost smashed a Hetzer for link and length...which ended up in the "trashbox" to be converted into a wrack.

[@DatOneAsianKid]

I have a 1:32 Calliope but the rocket modules don't stay up! They just kepp falling down :/

[@HerbertErpaderp]

That seems annoying. Have you tried glue? You might be able to add pinning rods or something if gluing isn't working.

[@generalhousenka]

Is better rubber tracks or the others that revell uses on their tanks?

[@HerbertErpaderp]

Generally I think rubber band tracks are the worst kind. Especially the kind that were on this kit where they barely have any detail. I prefer the link and length kind you can find in some revell kits. To be fair some rubber band tracks like in tamiya kits can have nice detail and look quite good... They're still a bit of a butt to work with.

[@lennarthoek8392]

i still have nightmares from the airfix 1:76 sherman, it had even more flash then yours, and the tracks went together terrible

[@HerbertErpaderp]

It's definitely one I will avoid!

[@_not_nuno_]

Lennart Hoek I will agree, I had to staple mine

[@PaintsAreOp]

It might be I'm counting rivets, but that Sherman is a really old variant and I don't think one's with that gun mantlet were still in service 1944 when Calliope came into service...

[@andrewnoonan4044]

Their Crab flail was also based on this model and also does not reflect the actual variant used (M4A4).

[@quandam6774]

I think that tank is from Canada

[@seandickie6289]

I think it it actually I'm canadian🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦

[@charleypower6330]

Did you paint it

[@plesmem]

You play war thunder? Epic.

[@amaliagonzalez3640]

My floor was too fat so I had to shave of a lot

[@mildly_miffed_man1414]

Does anyone know any cheap airbrushes?

[@HerbertErpaderp]

I don't know any off the top of my head. I'm not in the market for one so I'm not doing any searching for one. I'd suggest googling... I would also caution against buying the cheapest airbrushes, they're not known for build quality and you'll have a more frustrating time than you need to. Find one you like and then find reviews on it.

[@johnbeck3270]

@@HerbertErpaderp I know Testers marketed one, but I don’t know if they still do. I really don’t know much about it, quality, limitations etc, or even if it is still available. Hope this helps.

[@trekanbelluvitsh]

Not Airfix but Flash-Unfix!

[@codelicious6590]

I recently assembled an Airfix British Matador truck with mobile mortar at 1/76 scale and it was this same older green plastic with alot of flash and terrible fit, in addition there were decals missing and no clear bits for windows included! Awful. Airfix has stepped up their game more recently from what I've heard so if it's a newer-tooled kit one should have a better experience

[@kevinhale9400]

The Sherman is definitely the worst Airfix kit ever produced by anybody. Those drive sprockets are disgusting and always have been. The tracks aren't much better. In fact, the lower hull would actually look much better if you replaced the rubber tracks with and actual RUBBER band. It looks as if the mould was carved from wood and used to save money. Airfix should be ashamed to still keep presenting this kit for sale after all this time, considering it has always been a terrible kit.

[@seandickie6289]

All hail sherman

[@andrewnoonan4044]

I'd rate their Panther and Tiger as worse than the Sherman.

[@Sgt-lott10]

I actually quite liked the Sherman

[@rubeyred6779]

This guy's lazy

[@gruppenfuhrer45]

I hate air fox models.