Of course this is the Academy offering from 1997, in an Airfix box.
It's not a bad kit at all and holds up very well against the much more modern Tamiya M18. You can also secure one in an Airfix box for a mere £20 which is something of a steal.
Now, the M18 is something of an icon, and deservedly so, but in a lot of ways it was really quite rubbish. For a start off it was designed by Harley Earl's studio at GMC to receive the Ford GAA V8, but that superlative tank engine had only just entered production and the Army was reluctant to commit to an untried engine and so the M18 was saddled with the Continental air cooled radial instead until the GAA had proved itself in the M4A3, after which the M18 would receieve the GAA. This never happened.
Apart from its really rubbish armour (13mm max) and the mighty Continental radial drawing cooling air through the crew compartment and freezing everybody to death as a result, some genius decided to saddle the hapless Hellcat with the dubious 76mm M1 gun from the T23 turreted Sherman. The M1 guns were very good against Panzer IVs but about as much use as a fart in colander against the frontal armour of a Panther or Tiger, unlike the highly effective M7 3 inch gun of the M10 tank destroyer which was up to the task of engaging such a foe out to 1000 yards with some likelihood of success given the correct ammunition.
The M1 gun was also a pretty useless HE chucker which, given the TD battalions' usual secondary role as artillery, was really less than ideal.
Some units received their M18s with great enthusiasm whilst others did not. In fact, one TD battalion openly mutinied and refused point blank to accept their newly issued M18s, preferring their M10s with superior protection and firepower. The army compromised by issuing them with M36 Jacksons, which was essentially an upgunned M10. Problem solved.
There was an attempt to give the M18 the turret of the M36 Jackson with the truly excellent 90mm gun, which was in fact a very simple modification, and one prototype was constructed, but General Leslie McNair deemed it unneccessary to give the army's premier tank destroyer a useful weapon for tank destruction and so the project was not pursued and the M18 soldiered on with the not very good 76mm M1 gun for its entire US Army career. And presumably still froze its luckless crews almost to death.
Nevertheless it's an attractive and quite important vehicle which served with distinction.
Here is the box...
And this where we are up to now..
I shall be dealing with the pretty awful moulded in 76mm HVAP rounds and scratchbuilding the correct racks in their place, and adding side stowage bins for the driver and assistant driver. Not that you'll see much of it, but we know it's there.
Thanks for looking, and happy modeling.
76mm Gun Motor Carriage M18 Hellcat (in an Airfix box)
Millitary miscellany; Tanks, AFV, Trucks and other Soft-Skin vehicles etc.
- flakmonkey
- Modelling Gent and Scholar
- Posts: 3489
- Joined: April 6th, 2011, 9:58 am
- Location: Down in the tube station at midnight
- Contact:
76mm Gun Motor Carriage M18 Hellcat (in an Airfix box)
Post by flakmonkey »
Would ya like to learn to fly? Would ya? Would you like to see me try?
- Stuart
- Raider of the Lost Ark Royal
- Posts: 19451
- Joined: February 25th, 2013, 4:55 pm
- Location: North Wales
- Contact:
Re: 76mm Gun Motor Carriage M18 Hellcat (in an Airfix box)
Yes those rounds do look rather awful! An interesting bit of history FM, looking forward to seeing your build.
Stuart Templeton I may not be good but I'm slow...
My Blog: https://stuartsscalemodels.blogspot.com/
My Blog: https://stuartsscalemodels.blogspot.com/
-
- NOT the sheep
- Posts: 26188
- Joined: November 26th, 2011, 6:11 pm
- Location: Pontefract West Yorkshire
Re: 76mm Gun Motor Carriage M18 Hellcat (in an Airfix box)
Off to a great start and certainly it will be worth doing something about those moulded on rounds. If they'd sent General McNair out to face a Panther or Tiger II in a M18 with the standard armament, I reckon he might have changed his opinion........
Doing - Tamiya 1/35th Universal Carrier.
Work is the curse of the modelling classes!
IPMS#12300
Work is the curse of the modelling classes!
IPMS#12300
Return to “Tanks, AFV and other Military Models”
Jump to
- Site Stuff
- ↳ Site Rules & Answers to Your Questions About The Forums!
- ↳ Welcome!
- ↳ Modelling Glossary
- Modelling
- ↳ Workbench Window
- ↳ Aviation Modelling
- ↳ Tanks, AFV and other Military Models
- ↳ Cars, Trucks, Bikes, Locos and other civvie vehicles
- ↳ Ships, Boats and Submarines
- ↳ Real Space, Sci-Fi and What-iffery
- ↳ Figures and Diorama
- ↳ The Galleries
- ↳ Aviation Gallery
- ↳ Real Space, Sci-Fi and What-ifs Gallery
- ↳ The Military Vehicle Gallery
- ↳ The Maritime Gallery
- ↳ The Figures Gallery
- ↳ The Civilian Vehicles & Things Gallery
- ↳ Individual Members' Themed galleries
- Modelling Discussion
- ↳ Small Talk
- ↳ In-Box reviews
- ↳ Publications
- ↳ Model Shows and Events
- Modelling Techniques
- ↳ Construction Tips
- ↳ Finishing Tips
- ↳ Display and Diorama
- ↳ Model Photography
- ↳ 3D Printing
- ↳ Modelling FAQ
- Group and Shared Builds
- ↳ The Group/Shared Build Chat
- ↳ Latin/South American GB
- ↳ C-130 Hercules GB
- ↳ Past Group Builds
- ↳ Group Builds 2024
- ↳ Blitzbau XXXIV - Blitz Storm Kathleen
- ↳ Road and Track - Civilian Vehicles GB
- ↳ Group Builds 2023
- ↳ Swinging Sixties GB
- ↳ Airfix 1/72 Bristol Blenheim SKGB
- ↳ DeHavilland Vampire STGB
- ↳ Airfix 1/72 Hurricane I SKGB
- ↳ Blitzbau XXXIII - Are We There Yet?
- ↳ USAF 75th
- ↳ Boeing Aircraft GB
- ↳ Airfix Vintage Classics GB
- ↳ Interwar Aircraft GB
- ↳ Over 50's Club GB
- ↳ Blitzbau XXXII - Revenge of the Brass Monkeys
- ↳ Named After Animals GB
- ↳ Group Builds 2022
- ↳ Matchbox Kits 50th Anniv.
- ↳ Blitzbau XXX
- ↳ BAe/Hawker Siddeley Hawk Family GB
- ↳ Fokker 110th Anniversary GB
- ↳ Falklands War 40th Anniversary
- ↳ Alan 'Splash' Ashdown Memorial GB
- ↳ Classic Monogram Kits
- ↳ Blitzbau XXXI - Feelin' Hot, Hot Hot!
- ↳ Large Scale Military Vehicles GB
- ↳ The End of The Beginning - El Alamein & Operation Torch 80th GB
- ↳ Off-the-Wall Airfix pre-2000 Twin GB
- ↳ Group Builds 2021
- ↳ Classic Revell Kits
- ↳ WhirlyBirds VI
- ↳ Spitfire GB 2021
- ↳ Flying Boat GB
- ↳ Blitzbau XXIX
- ↳ F-14 50th Anniversary
- ↳ Large Scale Airfix British Jets
- ↳ Raiders of the Lost Stash
- ↳ Memories of the Great Auk
- ↳ FROG Models III
- ↳ Prototypes, Experimentals, One Offs
- ↳ February Blitzbau
- ↳ Airliners GB
- ↳ DeHavilland Mosquito
- ↳ Group Builds 2020
- ↳ Blitzbau XXVI
- ↳ Dassault Mirage
- ↳ Classic British Ship Kits
- ↳ 21 at 65
- ↳ Anniversary/Milestone Schemes
- ↳ Blackburn Buccaneer
- ↳ Secret Santa Build Forum
- ↳ Tank Killers
- ↳ Corricon Memorial GB
- ↳ The Vietnam War
- ↳ Classic Hurricane Kits
- ↳ The Battle of France
- ↳ Blitzbau XXVII
- ↳ The Forgotten War
- ↳ Colorful Dakotas
- ↳ Battle of Britain 80th Anniv
- ↳ E.E.Lightning 60th Anniv
- ↳ TeeELL's Flying 50th
- ↳ Taranto 80th, FAA Tribute
- ↳ Top Gun, The Movie
- ↳ NATO Frontline
- ↳ Group Builds 2019
- ↳ Where Am I ?
- ↳ Blitzbau XXIV
- ↳ Fast Ships
- ↳ Night Fighters
- ↳ Whirly Birds V
- ↳ 1/32 Automobiles
- ↳ NASA Anniversary
- ↳ Soviets
- ↳ Canberra 70th Anniversary
- ↳ D-Day 75th Anniversary
- ↳ Harrier Commemorative GB
- ↳ Blitzbau XXV
- ↳ The Polish Campaign
- ↳ F-16 Fighting Falcon
- ↳ Saturday Afternoon Special
- ↳ Sci-Fi / Steampunk GB
- ↳ Tornado Farewell GB
- ↳ Group Builds 2018
- ↳ Krap Kits
- ↳ Figures & Busts
- ↳ Blitzbau XXII
- ↳ Hawker Hunter
- ↳ Powered by Merlin
- ↳ OOB: Off of the Box
- ↳ F-4 Phantom II GB II
- ↳ Fokker D.VII Centenary
- ↳ BlitzBau XXIII
- ↳ Northrop F-5 & derivatives
- ↳ The United States Marines
- ↳ Israeli Defense Force (IDF)
- ↳ Armistice Day 11.11.18 Memorial
- ↳ What Might Have Been
- ↳ Royal Air Force 100th Anniversary - Extended
- ↳ Group Builds 2017
- ↳ A6M 'Zero' Fighter
- ↳ Blitzbau XX
- ↳ Classic Matchbox Kits
- ↳ Cargo Haulers
- ↳ Nifty Fifties Aircraft
- ↳ Me/Bf-109 80th Anniv in Service
- ↳ One for the Books
- ↳ Got the Hump! Sopwith Camel Centenary.
- ↳ Cessna Aircraft 90th Anniversary
- ↳ Bombing Aircraft
- ↳ Blitzbau XXI
- ↳ Rare & Golden Oldies
- ↳ Fokker Triplane Centenary
- ↳ The Scandinavian(+) GB
- ↳ Group Builds 2016
- ↳ "C"ompact "D"iorama GB
- ↳ Secret Santa 2015
- ↳ Blitzbau XVIII
- ↳ Desert Storm 25th Anniversary
- ↳ Edgar Brooks Memorial - Every Mark of Spitfire
- ↳ UAMF 10th Anniversary
- ↳ Harrier GB
- ↳ One Thing to Another Conversion GB
- ↳ Lesser Represented Countries
- ↳ The "Bent Wing Bird" - F4U Corsair GB
- ↳ In the Navy - Royal Navy Ships
- ↳ P-51 Mustang GB
- ↳ Blitzbau XIX
- ↳ Any Type Kit Whiffery
- ↳ Large Scale Planes GB
- ↳ 'tween the Wars
- ↳ Operation Musketeer 60th Anniversary
- ↳ Eric 'Winkle' Brown Memorial GB
- ↳ Pearl Harbor GB II
- ↳ Group Builds 2015
- ↳ Screen Stars GB
- ↳ Twin prop-engine Bombers
- ↳ Blitzbau XVI
- ↳ German Jets of WW2
- ↳ P-47 Thunderbolt
- ↳ What If ? Aircraft
- ↳ YCNHTM Spitfires
- ↳ Century Fighters
- ↳ Avro Lancaster
- ↳ Lesser Known Forces
- ↳ Vac-form Kits
- ↳ Classic Airfix GB
- ↳ Hawker Hurricane GB
- ↳ Nautical GB II
- ↳ PM Sea Fury SKGB
- ↳ The Airliner GB
- ↳ Blitzbau XVII
- ↳ MiG Aircraft GB
- ↳ Naval Air GB II
- ↳ Battle of Britain 75th Anniversary
- ↳ Water Wings
- ↳ Heller Kit GB
- ↳ de Havilland Aircraft
- ↳ Dogfight Double
- ↳ Hobby Boss kits
- ↳ Training Aircraft
- ↳ Group Builds 2014
- ↳ Secret Santa 2013
- ↳ Museum Displays
- ↳ Blitzbau XIV
- ↳ Twin prop-engine Fighters GB
- ↳ 'tween Wars Aircraft GB
- ↳ Naval Aircraft GB
- ↳ Hawker Hurricane GB
- ↳ You Can Never Have Too Many ... GB
- ↳ TSR-2 GB
- ↳ MiG-21 GB
- ↳ Sci-Fi GB
- ↳ Focke-Wulf aircraft
- ↳ Jimmy's Fund Charity GB
- ↳ D-Day 70th Anniversary
- ↳ Augsburg Eagles GB
- ↳ Military Helicopters GB
- ↳ Blitzbau XV
- ↳ The Guns of August
- ↳ Classic Jets
- ↳ FROG Models
- ↳ Biggles does a Group Build
- ↳ Swiss Air Force GB
- ↳ French-marked Aircraft GB
- ↳ Monogram Kit GB
- ↳ Iron Curtain GB
- ↳ Avro Shackleton GB
- ↳ Paper Models GB
- ↳ Bright & Cheery Aircraft GB
- ↳ Tanks for the Memories
- ↳ Group Builds 2013
- ↳ Flying Boat GB
- ↳ The Lend-Lease Equipment GB
- ↳ Secret Santa Group Build
- ↳ The Small Scale Armour GB
- ↳ The PM Kit GB
- ↳ The Airfix Bf109E SKGB
- ↳ Wild Weather GB
- ↳ B17 Flying Fortress Group Build
- ↳ Blitzbau XII, Feb 2013
- ↳ Spanish Civil War GB
- ↳ Apollo 11 GB
- ↳ 1/72 Post-war Spitfire/Seafire
- ↳ Airfix 1/72 new-tool Swordfish SKGB
- ↳ P51 anniversary G/B
- ↳ Dambusters! 617 Sqn GB
- ↳ Military Support Vehicles
- ↳ Wulf in Johnson's Clothing
- ↳ Gloster Meteor GB
- ↳ Kursk, 70th Anniversary
- ↳ Blitzbau XIII
- ↳ N.A. T-6 Texan / SNJ / Harvard GB
- ↳ Ted Taylor Tribute Matchbox II GB
- ↳ Airfix new-tool Vampire T.11 SKGB
- ↳ Vietnam II GB
- ↳ Getting Things Done GB
- ↳ Mirage III Family GB
- ↳ Aero-themed Autos
- ↳ Whirlybirds IV
- ↳ OT's One-Day Holiday Blitz
- ↳ Group Builds 2012
- ↳ Boom! Boom! Basil Brush's Twin-boom Aircraft GB
- ↳ Shark Mouth'd Things GB
- ↳ Blitzbau X, Feb 2012
- ↳ Four or More Engines GB
- ↳ 144 scale GB II
- ↳ Wheels Go 'Round - the Auto GB
- ↳ Early Jets
- ↳ Meet the Fokkers Group build.
- ↳ The Small and Civil/General Aviation GB
- ↳ Gnat's the Spirit!
- ↳ Down to the Sea in Ships
- ↳ The Falklands War
- ↳ The P-39 Airacobra
- ↳ The Bug House
- ↳ Blitzbau XI, August 2012
- ↳ When Tigers Meet
- ↳ Airfix Defiant SKGB
- ↳ Whirlibirds III
- ↳ Hawker Sea Fury GB
- ↳ Heller Spitfire XVI SKGB
- ↳ Group Builds 2011
- ↳ Blitzbau VIII
- ↳ Modelling Mojo GB
- ↳ The Mud Movers Moot
- ↳ Give It Some Welly! A CBK Single Kit GB
- ↳ Rattlin' Sabres!
- ↳ Cessna Bird Dog Single Kit GB
- ↳ The Captured Equipment GB
- ↳ The DC-3 Group Build
- ↳ The 'Rhubarb' GB
- ↳ Classic Swordfish
- ↳ Bearcat to Tomcat -- the Vietnam GB
- ↳ Blitzbau IX August 2011
- ↳ Anti-Shipping GB
- ↳ Sci-Fi GB
- ↳ Whirli-Birds GB
- ↳ "Riff-RAAF", The Aussie Wings GB
- ↳ Air Raid Pearl Harbor - THIS IS NO DRILL !
- ↳ Airfix Angel Interceptor SKGB
- ↳ Luft '46 ... with a twist
- ↳ Airfix 1/72 Hampden SKGB
- ↳ Dora! Dora! Dora! - Airfix 1/72 Fw190D SKGB
- ↳ Group Builds 2010
- ↳ The American Classics Group Build
- ↳ Blitzbau VI - Return of the Somethingorothers
- ↳ The Civvie Cars Group Build
- ↳ Airfix Mosquito GB
- ↳ Airfix Blenheim GB
- ↳ The First UAMF Sci-Fi Build
- ↳ Beau Jest - The Airfix Beaufighter GB
- ↳ Korean War GB
- ↳ The Two-Wheeled Group Build
- ↳ Coldplay/Finnski Tribute GB
- ↳ A Spin-A-Prop Group Build
- ↳ Blitzbau VII
- ↳ Airfix Starter Kit Test Drive GB
- ↳ Regia Aeronautica GB
- ↳ Phabulous Phantom Phart II
- ↳ Group Builds 2009
- ↳ Completed Blitzbaus
- ↳ Revell 1/72 Hawker Hunter GB
- ↳ Alan Hall Tribute
- ↳ Airfix Spitfire 22/24 & Seafire 46/47
- ↳ Helicopter GB
- ↳ The Ilmavoimat Group Build
- ↳ The Lancaster Production Line
- ↳ United Colours GB
- ↳ Group Builds 2008
- ↳ Completed Blitzbaus
- ↳ Classic American Kits GB
- ↳ 1/144 GB
- ↳ Airfix BAC Jet Provost T5/Strikemaster
- ↳ Airfix Superkits
- ↳ Commercial Cookup
- ↳ Imperial Japanese GB
- ↳ RAF 90th Anniversary GB
- ↳ Resin GB
- ↳ Splashbau GB
- ↳ Tiger Meet GB
- ↳ Group Builds 2007
- ↳ Completed Blitzbaus
- ↳ FROG GB
- ↳ Airfix Chipmunk GB
- ↳ Beau GB
- ↳ Falklands Commemorative GB
- ↳ The Great M-J GB
- ↳ Phantom GB
- ↳ Mosquito GB
- ↳ The Maurice Landi Matchbox Build
- ↳ Hurricane GB
- ↳ Group Builds 2006
- ↳ Dakota GB
- ↳ Hunter GB
- ↳ Lancaster GB
- ↳ Lysander GB
- ↳ Prototype GB
- ↳ SAAB Draken GB
- ↳ Spitfire GB
- ↳ Shared Build Workbench
- Resources
- ↳ Are You Local? Model Shops and Clubs
- ↳ On-Line References and Resources
- ↳ Online Shops: Directory and latest offers...
- Classic British Kits SIG
- ↳ Classic British Chat
- ↳ Manufacturers: Frog, Airfix, Matchbox and many, many more!
- ↳ SMW 2023 - LMS '73
- ↳ SMW 2022 - Matchbox 50th Anniversary
- ↳ Previous Displays
- ↳ SMW 2019 -"The Civilians"
- ↳ SMW 2018 - un-themed
- ↳ SMW 2015 - Going loco
- ↳ SMW 2014 - Display
- ↳ SMW 2013 - My First CBKs
- ↳ SMW 2012 - Classic Box Art II
- ↳ SMW 2011 - Classic Box Art
- ↳ SMW 2010 - 101 Gems
- ↳ SMW 2009 - Frog, The Original CBK
- ↳ SMW 2008 - Matchbox PK-2008
- ↳ SMW 2007 - Airfix '77
- Cold War SIG
- ↳ Cold War Chat
- ↳ Displays and Shows
- ↳ Cold War @ SMW
- ↳ Cold War Builds
- ↳ Cold War GB
- ↳ Cold War Reference
- The Swap Shop
- The Real World
- ↳ Aviation Hangar
- ↳ The Garage
- ↳ The Shipyard
- ↳ The Engine Shed
- Off Topic
- ↳ General Chat
- Archive
- ↳ The Former Coastal Command SIG
- ↳ CC Information and Chat
- ↳ CC SIG Member-only
- ↳ CC Displays and Events
- ↳ 2015 Display Planning
- ↳ CC CIG 2016 SMW Display - Black Friday
- ↳ CC History and References
- ↳ Aircraft and Equipment
- ↳ Squadrons and Organizations
- ↳ Personnel
- ↳ Stations and Bases
- ↳ Origins; before there was a Coastal Command
- ↳ Publications and Online Refs
- ↳ Walk-arounds and Photographs
- ↳ Modelling