1/35 M551 Sheridan Light Tank Vietnam War

The M551 Sheridan was an American light tank from the Cold War era, developed as the successor to the M41 Walker Bulldog light tank. A distinctive feature was its armament, which was innovative for its time: a 152 mm M81 combined gun/launcher that could fire both conventional ammunition and MGM-51 Shillelagh anti-tank guided missiles. Thanks to its lightweight aluminium hull, the Sheridan was designed to be rapidly airlifted and deployed with airborne and air-mobile units. It entered service with the US Army in the late 1960s and, from 1969, was deployed in combat in Vietnam at the insistence of the command.

Its deployment in Vietnam revealed both the vehicle’s strengths and weaknesses. The Sheridan proved its worth as a mobile fire support vehicle, but in difficult terrain and against infantry armed with anti-tank weapons, its relatively weak armour and technical unreliability became apparent. Nevertheless, it became one of the iconic armoured vehicles of the American presence in South-East Asia and remains a popular subject for dioramas depicting this conflict to this day. This is precisely why the ‘Vietnam War’ version is an attractive choice for modellers wishing to place the vehicle in a Vietnamese battlefield setting.

The Rye Field Model kit, in 1:35 scale, is a glue-up model. In addition to plastic parts, it also includes photo-etched parts for finer details, a set of decals for a choice of markings, and clear assembly instructions illustrating possible colour schemes. The 1:35 scale is one of the most popular among collectors of armoured vehicles and is well suited both for a standalone display model and for inclusion in a Vietnam-themed diorama. The pack does not contain the paints or adhesives required for assembly.