...while I appreciate Konrad's artistry and skill...
Steve Faxon offers a fine alternative (both hull and mantlet) for us lazy buggers.

and he produces parts no one else has ever made (like ALL of the versions of the M4A2 hull). His moldings are solid cast, but most of us don't put interiors in our Shermans,and he provides recesses to put half figures for the crew. As for the rear overhang under the tailplate, except for very early Shermans, this is filled with air intake screens, exhaust deflectors, or full air ducts that completely hide the overhang recess, so the solid hull is no problem. And, you automatically get your sponson floors for your Tamiya kits, as the Wizard had never seen the benefit of supplying these in any scale. Good stuff; take a look on the links page - his ad is off at the left in a yellow box. Kengi too is now listed in the Links page.

I got one about a month ago for the missing lynx pacfic gb /i got the m4a2 late 47 degree hull ,it's a very good casting the bottom bit is easy enough to grind out with a dremell so no drama there.Overall it's a very nice casting and nice and simple to use.MY only problem is it seem's that i got the wrong sherman tpye i should have got the m4a2 with the welded hood's,my bad.It turn's out that most sherman,s with that hull type on iwo jima are actually m4a3 and Pat johnson's doing one so im going to look for something diffrent,so im going to have to look at eary m4a2's like the one's on trawa, the 47 hull will be used for a russian m4a2 as i have a couple of t 23 turret's spare so that won't be a drama .I also saw an old posting on missing lynx of steve's m4a3 jumbo and that got me thinking its very appealing . Steves kits are good buy with confidence and his posting is quick 5 day's to nz pretty good ,thank's wayne

on Okinawa. Not all the Marine tanks were M4A3s. If you do the 47 deg M4A2, be sure to use the applique armor ono the sides, as the first late hull M4A2 75mm Shermans were still dry stowage. The welded hood M4A2s were used on Iwo and other campaigns. The Marines did uise M4A3s late in the war as well, but the late hull for the USMC M4A2 is good for Okinawa.

Hi Bruce i have acouple of questions
1/According to david harper's book only the third battlion on iwo jima had m4a2 and these from the photo's appear to mid m4a2 welded hoods
2 I streered away from the tanks on iwo as pat was half way through his build and i didn't want to do one the same as him as alot of the m4a3 's look similar. Can sugeest any thing from okinawa perhaps?
I hope you may have some ansewer's and thanks for your input wayne

and late hull M4A3s, all 75mm versions (as in the HB M4A3 75mm). I'd suggest the late hull M4A2, since you ended up with that hull. It's accurate for the period, and the late 47 deg hull with applique armor will draw stares. Always nice to shake up the troops on occasion. Or, you can do the M4A3 75mm for USMC, or US Army. Lots of choices here. Try Google images for tanks on Okinawa.