Tiger Model Design
353020

The loader's oval turret hatch was a later improvement to the Sherman turret, as well as to Tamiya's renditions of the Sherman. In the first M4A3 kit, the hatch was molded closed. One of Verlinden Productions' earliest update sets (and still a good one) included parts to create an open hatch--for those modelers brave enough to take a sharp knife to the Tamiya turret.

When Tamiya released the M4A3 "Frontline Breakthrough" and 105mm Shermans, the turret was reworked with an open loader's hatch. TMD saw an opportunity to improve upon the hatch detailing, hence this inexpensive little set. Curiously, you get two hatches, but only enough springs and other fittings on a separate sprue to trick out just one of them.

A fresh blade in the hobby knife is essential for removing these microscopic parts. Care is required when removing the hatch from its carrier as well, so you don't break or cut off the locking tab.

As it happens, the hatch is just a shade undersized for the opening in the Tamiya turrets. Not that you'd want to hide the nice detailing on the underside of the hatch by closing it, but if you did, you'd have a problem. With the hatch open, however, the size discrepancy is not apparent. Just out of curiosity, I tested it on an old Tamiya turret with the Verlinden resin insert and it is similarly too small in that instance too. The opening is too big on DML turrets, and the hinge is larger on Italeri turrets. So this set truly is just for Tamiya Shermans.

As simple as this set is, and even after taking cues from the plastic hatch, there is still one part that I couldn't determine a home for without consulting Squadron's M4 Sherman Walk Around. As with TMD's other turret detailing sets, this one could benefit from a simple little slip of paper that would remove the guesswork for the modeler.

-tss-