TAMIYA35346 1/35 US Medium Tank M4A3E8 Sherman Plastic Model Kit

This was a fun model to build. The details are really great. Another modeler had written a review about how they were disappointed that Tamiya stamped a model number on the turret (7054366) and they removed it but I researched it and the numbers on the exterior of the tank model look to be legitimate for the actual tank. Coming from recently building the Tamiya Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf. G model, this one was much easier. The one thing I didn’t do was use the rubber T66 tracks that came with the kit They didn’t look good. I bought “1/35 Workable Metal HVSS T80 Track Links: M4 M4A3E8 Sherman M50 M51 Super Sherman Tank Model Kit”. They are metal and look much better. I used an X-acto knife on both the .30 cal machinegun and the .50 cal machinegun to create a tiny hole in the end of the barrel to make it look a little more accurate. Overall, a great model kit that was pretty fun to build and I'm happy with the end result.

This wasn’t a rebrand or parts left over .. this is a top quality replica with amazing attention to detail.. true craftsmanship…

Alot of tiny parts but my husband thought it enjoyable to put together. Looks very nice

I bought this for my 14 year old son and this is his review:Even though I have very little experience with modeling (3rd model overall, 2nd tank), I have so much to say!This model was super fun to put together and with a little bit of prior practice with a similar model should prep you for this. It was a lot less challenging than I thought—so beginners like me, don’t be intimidated!I’d say the hardest part is probably applying the turret and frontal decals; they get very finicky and I had to weather them more than I would’ve wanted to. And speaking of weathering, it’s actually quite easy and you’ll get it quick. This is a super-detailed model for how beginner-friendly I found it to be, with all the small parts (be careful, I nearly lost several parts!)Some other advice and side notes: if you’re using Tamiya paints and/or super-thin cement like those depicted in the picture, WEAR A MASK. Or have a fan or whatnot, because that stuff is stinky! I also suggest having each and every thing in the picture w/ all the tools for the best result, but is not necessary. The 2-inch Lego figure is for clarity of the size of the model. Nothing in the picture containing my paints and tools is included. The paint job I did was actually quite different from the company’s original; I did a weathered desert while they wanted an urban-ish olive drab. Without breaks from other things, it should take a solid few days, but that depends. All in all, great model and I can’t wait for any other models from Tamiya that I can come across.I hope this review was helpful!

This is the 3rd model tank I've ever put together. 1st was the M41 Walker Bulldog (Tamiya 35055) 2nd Panther A (Tamiya 35065) I'd suggest doing one of those before trying to put together this Sherman if you've never put together one of these models before. Its just easier to learn on those. This Sherman has a lot more assembly than the others. You have to put together the entire bottom of this model where as the others its just a single mold all put together.At the moment I'm only using Tamiya extra thin cement, no paint or anything. I'm proud that the model even looks nice to begin with when its done, and I don't want to buy an airbrush kit for $100 plus paint.Be careful cutting the small pieces out of the mold. Had one small piece just eject itself off the mold on the final cut and I never found it. Really my fault because I wasn't expecting that to happen. Every single small piece you see on the pictures here you have to glue on there.The tracks on my model were very tight, actually bent one of the double bogeys putting it on there. The double bogeys are only glued to the main frame in one place so that wasn't too hard to bend, that is this is plastic. Also the wheels that go onto the double bogeys are supposed to snap together so they'd stay on there. Only two of the 12 wheels did so for me. The plastic shaft was too small so a very tiny amount of glue/cement was used to hold them together so they'd still turn.This model isn't too hard to put together, just a lot of stuff. All 6 double bogeys are the same so you can just cut everything out and put them all together at once real quick. Directions are straight forward pretty easy to follow. Everything fits nicely

Arrivced on time and as discribed

The usual high quality and level of detail you can expect from Tamiya. With Tamiya you can always expect easily build a very good representation of the subject while having room for some simple improvements. This kit is suitable for the beginner, intermediate and advanced modeler. A fantastic value for the money, well designed and a joy to build.

Kit was relatively easy to build. I added some weathering (rust) after it was built. I then ordered some US tank accessories and added them which improved the image of it. One picture shows many of the tanks I have built. Not shown is a German Panzer and King Tiger tank.