Assembling The Firefly VC (2012)  This assembly guide is only for customers that have bought the older version of Open Fire! If you have bought the new version of Open Fire! with the new Sherman V tank head back to the new Open Fire Assembly and Painting section. An updated version of the Flames Of War starter set will be released in conjunction with 4th edition.
Stay up-to-date with the latest news and information regarding the 4th edition of Flames Of War here...

Begin assembling the plastic Firefly VC by cutting the pieces off the frame and remove any mould lines and excess plastic using a file or modelling knife. Lay each component of the Firefly VC i.e. the hull sections, the tracks, turret, main gun etc in front of you using the assembly instructions included in Open Fire as a reference. Ensure that you have all the components required to fully assemble the Firefly VC before beginning constructions. Make sure you use Poly Cement or Superglue to glue the pieces together.

Step 1. Begin the assembly of the Firefly VC with the hull bottom. Tip: Always dry fit (Dry Fitting is assembling components of a model without any glue. This ensure that they go fit together correctly before a permanent bond is created and allows for any fine adjustments to be made.) components before final assembly.	Step 2. Attach the right-hand side track. Tip: When referring to left or right-hand side in regards to a Flames Of War miniature, the orientation is determined as if looking at the vehicle from the rear.

Step 3. Attach the left-hand side track.	Step 4. Next, attach the hull top to the hull bottom.

Step 5. Included in Open Fire are rare-earth magnets; these are used to secure the turret to the hull. A fool-proof method of correctly orientating the magnets in the turret and hull is use a marker pen. Mark the top magnet and remove it from the stack and secure it in the turret recess with the marked side face down. Next, mark the next magnet in the stack with the marker pen and secure it to the hull with the marked side face up. This will ensure the poles of the magnets are correctly orientated. Tip: Before testing the connection between the turret and the hull magnets, ensure that the glue has cured fully.
Below: Attaching rare-earth magnets to the hull and turret of the Firefly VC.

Step 6. Next, attach the gun mount to the front of the Firefly turret.	Step 7. Once the gun mount is secure, attach the main gun mantlet.

Step 8. Complete the gun assembly be attaching the main gun.	Step 9. Finally, attach the closed hatch as shown in the example below.	Below: With the closed hatch in place the Firefly VC is fully assembled. Time to learn how to add the optional stowage.

Adding the Optional Stowage You can customise your Firefly VC to really make them stand out on the battlefield by adding the stowage included on the plastic frame.
Below: Feel free to customise your Firefly VC using the stowage included on the frame. These pieces include rolled up tarpaulins, a spare road wheel and sections of spare track links. Tip: A quick internet image search can often provide inspiration for creative uses for the extra stowage. Try the term "firefly world war two."		Below: The Firefly VC fully assembled complete with stowage ready for painting. Learn how to paint the Sherman V with the Open Fire Painting Guide here...