Author Topic: M4A3E8 UCV  (Read 38924 times)

Offline Claymore

  • It's all done with smoke and mirrors!
  • Alt Hist AFV guy with a thing for Bradley turrets
Re: M4A3E8 UCV
« Reply #50 on: May 19, 2015, 04:24:41 AM »
ERA, hydraulic lines for dozer blade and rear stowage added for that tank about town look...

A good undercoat will help bring it all together.

« Last Edit: November 02, 2023, 10:38:05 PM by Claymore »
Pass the razor saw, there is work to be done!

Offline Kerick

  • Reportedly finished with a stripper...
Re: M4A3E8 UCV
« Reply #51 on: May 19, 2015, 09:04:55 AM »
If I can get an "Easy 8" Sherman for a reasonable price I am so going to build one of these!

Offline Old Wombat

  • "We'll see when I've finished whether I'm showing off or simply embarrassing myself."
  • "Define 'interesting'?"
Re: M4A3E8 UCV
« Reply #52 on: May 19, 2015, 11:00:58 PM »
Damn! That's starting to look really good, Claymore! :D
"This is the Captain. We have a little problem with our engine sequence, so we may experience some slight turbulence and, ah, explode."

Offline Volkodav

  • Counts rivits with his abacus...
  • Much older now...but procrastinating about it
Re: M4A3E8 UCV
« Reply #53 on: May 19, 2015, 11:18:02 PM »
This build has got me thinking how cool a post war, Easy 8, Sherman Firefly would look......

Offline Old Wombat

  • "We'll see when I've finished whether I'm showing off or simply embarrassing myself."
  • "Define 'interesting'?"
Re: M4A3E8 UCV
« Reply #54 on: May 19, 2015, 11:21:05 PM »
This build has got me thinking how cool a post war, Easy 8, Sherman Firefly would look......

In Australian Army service in Korea? ??? ;)
"This is the Captain. We have a little problem with our engine sequence, so we may experience some slight turbulence and, ah, explode."

Offline Volkodav

  • Counts rivits with his abacus...
  • Much older now...but procrastinating about it
Re: M4A3E8 UCV
« Reply #55 on: May 20, 2015, 01:22:53 AM »
Or Royal Artillery to replace Archer, Wolverine etc.

Offline Claymore

  • It's all done with smoke and mirrors!
  • Alt Hist AFV guy with a thing for Bradley turrets
Re: M4A3E8 UCV
« Reply #56 on: May 20, 2015, 05:34:40 AM »
Thanks guys.

Hmmm, an Easy 8 Firefly... Korea... One day perhaps...
Pass the razor saw, there is work to be done!

Offline Claymore

  • It's all done with smoke and mirrors!
  • Alt Hist AFV guy with a thing for Bradley turrets
Re: M4A3E8 UCV
« Reply #57 on: May 20, 2015, 09:23:43 PM »
Undercoat applied and coming together nicely... actually starting to look like a complete AFV now rather than just a collection of spare parts.

« Last Edit: November 02, 2023, 10:39:12 PM by Claymore »
Pass the razor saw, there is work to be done!

Offline ChernayaAkula

  • Was left standing in front when everyone else took one step back...
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Re: M4A3E8 UCV
« Reply #58 on: May 21, 2015, 12:36:29 AM »
Looks like a promo shot for some kit!  :)
Cheers,
Moritz

"The appropriate response to reality is to go insane!"

Offline Claymore

  • It's all done with smoke and mirrors!
  • Alt Hist AFV guy with a thing for Bradley turrets
Re: M4A3E8 UCV
« Reply #59 on: May 21, 2015, 07:52:05 AM »
Praise indeed, thank you.  :)
Pass the razor saw, there is work to be done!

Offline Kerick

  • Reportedly finished with a stripper...
Re: M4A3E8 UCV
« Reply #60 on: June 02, 2015, 11:50:53 AM »
This would be quite the head turner at a show! Awesome work!
Now I do have an M-41 Walker Bulldog in the stash, hmmmm............

Offline finsrin

  • The Dr Frankenstein of the modelling world...when not hiding from SBA
  • Finds part glues it on, finds part glues it on....
Re: M4A3E8 UCV
« Reply #61 on: June 02, 2015, 02:21:55 PM »
Ambitious project:)
Appreciate pictures from the start so we we can follow build.

Have been following build pictures.
Top notch in concept and build.  Cool Sherman derivative 8)

Offline Claymore

  • It's all done with smoke and mirrors!
  • Alt Hist AFV guy with a thing for Bradley turrets
Re: M4A3E8 UCV
« Reply #62 on: June 03, 2015, 06:48:25 AM »
Thanks chaps, I'll hopefully have it completed this weekend.
Pass the razor saw, there is work to be done!

Offline Claymore

  • It's all done with smoke and mirrors!
  • Alt Hist AFV guy with a thing for Bradley turrets
Re: M4A3E8 UCV
« Reply #63 on: June 08, 2015, 06:30:30 AM »
Following the Yom Kippur War, the IDF had introduced a bespoke AFV Escort vehicle in the shape of the Magach 5 Avenger.



 Armed with a 30mm GAU-8 rotary cannon, the Magach 5 had been well liked by its crews and the infantry alike but the cannon had proved to be a little on the brutal side when fighting in built up areas even for the IDF.  However, by the mid-1990s and the height of the South Lebanon Conflict, the IDF and population of northern Israel were growing weary of Hezbollah’s continued rocket attacks.  In Apr 1996, Operation Grapes of Wrath was launched to clear Hezbollah out of Southern Lebanon and the gloves were most definitely off. 

The need for a Magach 5-like urban escort vehicle was understood but nothing was readily available and there was no particular desire to detract from the planned AFV construction schedule.  Fortunately, the IDF’s Technological and Logistics Directorate had some suitable trials vehicles to hand and without further ado they were unceremonially pressed in to service.   The three vehicles carried a GAU-12 in a M2 Bradley turret (purchased for an earlier Heavy APC trial) mounted on a M4A3E8 Sherman hull.  The turrets were the primary goal of the study and the Shermans had been selected for no other reason than they were already available in the research and development facility.  As it turned out, the mating of these two unlikely partners produced a surprisingly simple and efficient offspring.

As no-one had ever envisaged the elderly Shermans actually going into battle, it was decided to give them as much of a sporting chance as possible and therefore, a layer of Blazer Explosive Reactive Armour (ERA) was added. For additional utility, and an extra degree of frontal protection, a dozer blade was added.

As the fighting intensified, the three M4A3E8 Urban Combat Vehicles (UCV) - Raam (Thunder), Barak (Lightning) and Saar (Storm) - proved their worth on numerous occasions and became a firm favourite with the infantry and tankers alike in the resulting destruction of Hezbollah’s South-Lebanon command.

The model depicts Saar (Storm) and is made from parts of an old Tamiya M4A3, a Tamiya M2 Bradly, a AFV Club M4A3E8 HVSS and track set, a Verlinden M113 dozer blade, the ubiquitous white plastic card and some bits and pieces from the spares box. 








« Last Edit: November 02, 2023, 10:40:52 PM by Claymore »
Pass the razor saw, there is work to be done!

Offline GTX_Admin

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Re: M4A3E8 UCV
« Reply #64 on: June 08, 2015, 06:37:40 AM »
Nice work :)
All hail the God of Frustration!!!

You can't outrun Death forever.
But you can make the Bastard work for it.

Offline Logan Hartke

  • High priest in the black arts of profiling...
  • Rivet-counting whiffer
Re: M4A3E8 UCV
« Reply #65 on: June 08, 2015, 07:01:22 AM »
Fantastic job, that really looks great!

Cheers,

Logan

Offline Claymore

  • It's all done with smoke and mirrors!
  • Alt Hist AFV guy with a thing for Bradley turrets
Re: M4A3E8 UCV
« Reply #66 on: June 08, 2015, 07:06:03 AM »
Thank you both.  :)
Pass the razor saw, there is work to be done!

Offline Kerick

  • Reportedly finished with a stripper...
Re: M4A3E8 UCV
« Reply #67 on: June 08, 2015, 10:51:17 AM »
I love the way you took all the ideas and suggestions and hammered it together into an outstanding build. It looks like something that was RW designed to be that way. Or even better. Awesome!

Offline Claymore

  • It's all done with smoke and mirrors!
  • Alt Hist AFV guy with a thing for Bradley turrets
Re: M4A3E8 UCV
« Reply #68 on: June 08, 2015, 02:13:21 PM »
Thank you.  :)
Pass the razor saw, there is work to be done!

Offline Old Wombat

  • "We'll see when I've finished whether I'm showing off or simply embarrassing myself."
  • "Define 'interesting'?"
Re: M4A3E8 UCV
« Reply #69 on: June 08, 2015, 04:28:36 PM »
Wild! 8)

 I love it! :-*
"This is the Captain. We have a little problem with our engine sequence, so we may experience some slight turbulence and, ah, explode."

Offline Claymore

  • It's all done with smoke and mirrors!
  • Alt Hist AFV guy with a thing for Bradley turrets
Re: M4A3E8 UCV
« Reply #70 on: June 09, 2015, 01:00:20 AM »
Much appreciated.  :)
Pass the razor saw, there is work to be done!