An odd M50 Israeli Sherman

[cb1]

took these at the Cavanaugh Flight Museum today.
The devil is in the details.
A Small Hatch M4A3E8 with the French 76mm gun and modified turret.

 

[lupanzer]

...great ref!...thanks for sharing!

Luiz

 

[moon puppy]

No climbing on vehicle, what, they think we're gonna break it?

 

[cb1]

it was a good thing they had that sign, I was pretty close to climb up and make braaap braaap pew pew pew noises.
LOL

 

[moon puppy]

You think this is cobbled together by the museum or who?

 

[Sharkmouth]

You think this is cobbled together by the museum or who?

Cobbled together by the French and Israelis. It is simply an M4A4 with the lower hull edges chamfered (roughly too by the looks of it) to add the HVSS and the turret has been modified to take the French CN-75-50 cannon. Only thing the museum staff has done is add an American set of markings.

Note the wheel spacing:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjc__k5lX2Y

Regards,

 

[moon puppy]

OK I took note of the wheel spacing...what about it? :idonno

 

[SA Dave]

OK I took note of the wheel spacing...what about it? :idonno

More space between the wheels mean it was made to British M4A4 standard

 

[Sharkmouth]

M4A3E8

M4A4 with VVSS

Any Sherman can be upgraded from VVSS to HVSS but the lower hull edges need chamfering to clear the flexing of the larger road wheels. Note the rough chamfering I did behind the VVSS mounting plate since this was one of the steps when converting to HVSS:

Regards,

 

[moon puppy]

I see said the blind man...
Taking HVSS boogies on a hull made for VVSS

 

[The Zod]

What is odd is,the one piece FDA on an M4A4 hull. That is rare.

 

[Sharkmouth]

What is odd is,the one piece FDA on an M4A4 hull. That is rare.

Not in the IDF! They appreciated the flexibility the extra length offered as well as lower ground pressure.

While many M50 were built on the M4A4 hull with VVSS:

Once they upgraded the suspension to HVSS (to lower the ground pressure further), the one piece final drive armor where also fitted.

[This is the M50 once owned by Jacques Littlefield but bought at auction for less than $300,000USD by a rich son of a Florida developer who wanted to run it on the golf ranges.]

The longer wheel base was put to good use as the M50 was phased out of service:

Regards,

 

[The Zod]

Saul.
Thanks for the info and pics. Some of the IDF armor over the years has a sci fi look to them. B)