1/600 Scale Modern M551 Sheridan Light Tank.
Contains 10 highly detailed tanks.
Contains:- 10x M551 Sheridan Light Tanks
M551 Sheridan Light Tank
The
M551 "Sheridan" AR/AAV (Armored Reconnaissance/Airborne Assault Vehicle) was a
light tank developed by the United States and named after
Civil War General
Philip Sheridan. It was designed to be landed by parachute and to swim across rivers. It was armed with the technically advanced but troublesome M81/M81 Modified/M81E1 152mm gun/launcher, which fired conventional ammunition and the
MGM-51 Shillelagh guided anti-tank missile.
The M551 Sheridan entered service with the
United States Army in 1967. At the urging of General
Creighton Abrams, the U.S. Commander of Military Forces in
Vietnam at the time, the M551 was rushed into combat service in Vietnam in January 1969. In April and August 1969, M551s were deployed to units in Europe and Korea, respectively. Now retired from service, it saw extensive combat in
Vietnam, and limited service in
Operation Just Cause (
Panama), and the
Gulf War (
Kuwait). The
Australian Army also trialled two Sheridans during 1967 and 1968, but judged that the type did not meet its requirements.
At the time of the M551's acceptance into service production in 1966, the United States Army no longer used the heavy, medium, and light tank classifications. In 1960, with the deactivation of its last (
M103) heavy tank battalion, and the fielding of the new
M60 series tank, the U.S. Army had adopted a
main battle tank (MBT) doctrine; a single tank filling all combat roles. The U.S. Army still retained the
M41 Walker Bulldog light tank in the Army National Guard, but other than the units undergoing the transitional process, the regular army consisted of MBTs. Partly because of this policy, the new M551 could not be classified as a light tank, and was officially classified as an "Armored Reconnaissance/Airborne Assault Vehicle".
The Sheridan was retired without replacement officially in 1996. A large bulk of Sheridans were retained into service at the National Training Center (NTC) at
Fort Irwin, California and as AOB officer training at
Fort Knox Armor Training Center, Kentucky. They worked as simulated Soviet armored opposition force (
OPFOR) to train U.S. military units on simulated tank on tank armored combat to test on combat effectiveness in a desert environment. They were finally retired from the NTC in 2003
.
Cleaning Information
Some part cleanup will be necessary. The 3D printing process uses a waxy substance to support certain part features during the printing process. Although the parts are cleaned by Shapeways, some waxy residue may remain. It can be safely removed with water and a mild aqueous detergent like "Simple Green" using an old, soft toothbrush, Q-tips or pipe cleaners. During the printing process, liquid resin is cured by ultraviolet light. Microscopic bits of resin may remain uncured.
Let your parts sit in direct sunlight for a few hours to fully cure the resin.
Water-based acrylic paints meant for plastics is strongly recommended. Other paints, especially enamels, may not cure on Frosted Detail 3D-printed plastics.
Use dedicated model sprue cutters to remove parts to minimise the risk of damage to parts.
Please take a look at my other items.
Painting tips and preparation