Tank Workshop
M36 Interior Update
Tank Workshop Set #TWS0003
Review by Terry Ashley

AFV Club
The Set:
Following on from the M36 Exterior Update Set (set #TWS0002) Tank Workshop have also released this interior update set for the AFV Club M36 ‘Jackson’ GMC (kit #AF35058) made up of 56 parts cast in light grey resin for the lower hull interior parts only, no turret parts are included.

The quality of the resin casting is very good overall without any blemishes evident and just the usual casting blocks to be removed before assembly but care will be needed in cleaning up some of the smaller parts to ensure they are not damaged.

Some of the casting blocks are quite substantial such as on the bottom of the fighting compartment floor and a bit of effort will be needed in removing this but you could get away with just cleaning up the front corners which sit on the locating lugs on the tub sides as the rest of the floor sits above the tub floor and this will make the cleanup job a lot easier. You should give the parts a good wash in warm detergent water to clean off the remaining mould release agent before continuing as this is quite prevalent on the parts.

The new resin parts require you to remove all the raised detail on the kit hull tub sponsons and the lower escape hatch before hand as they mostly go in different places as the original details on the tub are for the earlier M10 kits from AFV Club.

There are a couple of kit interior parts still used such as the front transmission bulkhead and the gearbox but the remainder are replaced with the more detailed resin items.

You get the fighting compartment floor as mentioned which includes the rear compartment bulkhead plus the hull side panels and floor panels for the driver’s and co-driver’s compartment along with new sponson support bulkheads added to the sponsons.

Smaller details include the crew sets with adjustable seat mounting posts plus the driver’s steering levers and gas pedal, the gear level linkages for the transmission and a new radio along with 10 x 90mm round canisters to add to the sponson racks.

Fitting the new resin parts to the AFV Club hull shouldn’t pose any real problems with the only kit alterations being the removal of the raised detail on the hull tub and sponsons.

The instructions are in the form of a series of plan view drawings showing the assembly sequences along with text notes but you will have to study these carefully to determine where some parts go as they are not as clear as three dimensional drawings in some cases.

Resin parts
Tank Workshop
Tank Workshop
Conclusion:
Another nice update set that provides all the details for the lower hull interior and with a minimum of alterations required shouldn’t pose any assembly problems.

While designed for the AFV Club kit the set should also be able to be used with the Academy M36 kit with only minor modifications.

Highly recommended.

References:
M10 and M36 Tank
Destroyers 1942-53

New Vanguard No 57
Osprey Publishing
Osprey
US Tank Detroyers
Walk Around

Squadron Signal Publications #5703
ISBN 0-89747-456-2
Squadron
M10/M36
Wydawnictwo Militaria No.115
ISBN 83-7219-080-1
Wydawnictwo Militaria
Allied & Axis 12
Ampersand Publishing
Soft cover, 96 pages

Allied & Axis
US Tank Detroyers in action
Squadron Signal Publications No.2036
ISBN 0-89747-385-X
Squadron
US Technical Manual
M36B1, M36B2 CD

Easy 1 Productions
Easy 1 Productions
US Tank Destroyers
of WWII photo CD

Enygma Graphics
Enygma Graphics
SHERMAN A History of the
American Medium Tank

R.P.Hunnicutt. Presidio Books ISBN 0-89141-080-5
book
Modeler's Guide to the Sherman
MMIR Special. Ampersand Publishing Company, Inc
book

Thanks to Jay from Tank Workshop for the review set.

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Page created November 21, 2006



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