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Armor/AFV: Modern - USA
Modern Armor, AFVs, and Support vehicles.
Hosted by Darren Baker
M1A1 Abrams Finished
HazZaRd
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Noord-Brabant, Netherlands
Joined: May 25, 2006
KitMaker: 291 posts
Armorama: 288 posts
Posted: Saturday, August 29, 2009 - 10:40 PM UTC
i finally finished this beast, it took me realy a long time to finish it,
becouse the lack of time i had for modelling but now i'm back again









Tojo72
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North Carolina, United States
Joined: June 06, 2006
KitMaker: 4,691 posts
Armorama: 3,509 posts
Posted: Sunday, August 30, 2009 - 12:48 AM UTC
Really nice job you did there,the weathering and deyailing looks great,I lke the stowage,especially the cooler,and the figures bring it to life.
Tonyfr
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Ohio, United States
Joined: June 12, 2009
KitMaker: 516 posts
Armorama: 391 posts
Posted: Sunday, August 30, 2009 - 02:35 AM UTC
Nice job. I like the details on the figures and the mickey mouse sticker on the cooler is a nice touch. What kits did you uses to complete this?

Tony
majjanelson
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South Carolina, United States
Joined: December 14, 2006
KitMaker: 1,355 posts
Armorama: 979 posts
Posted: Sunday, August 30, 2009 - 04:00 AM UTC
Gijs,

VERY nice! You've been working on this one quite awhile.

A couple of things I noticed. What is on the Commander's .50 cal MG barrel?
Also, the Left rear antenna spring doesn't appear to be fully "seated" against the antenna base. Here is a pic from Prime Portal showing what I mean:

Lastly, you need to add the straps for the ammo boxes that are located on the turret storage bins:

Still, you have an excellent build!
HazZaRd
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Noord-Brabant, Netherlands
Joined: May 25, 2006
KitMaker: 291 posts
Armorama: 288 posts
Posted: Sunday, August 30, 2009 - 04:35 AM UTC
thanks guys,

@Tony: the main kit was the Dragon M1A1 AIM, lots of stawage from other kits

@Jeff: the thing on the .50 barrel is a piece of melted garbage bag
the commander used it for protect it against the dust, till he had to fire it and the bag melted on the barrel.

youre right on the antenna and the strap
majjanelson
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South Carolina, United States
Joined: December 14, 2006
KitMaker: 1,355 posts
Armorama: 979 posts
Posted: Sunday, August 30, 2009 - 06:33 AM UTC

Quoted Text

the thing on the .50 barrel is a piece of melted garbage bag
the commander used it for protect it against the dust, till he had to fire it and the bag melted on the barrel.


I figured it was that or the Commander had put an oil rag on the barrel in an attempt to keep it a littlle cooler from all of the firing. The plastic bag is funnier!
GregCloseCombat
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California, United States
Joined: June 30, 2008
KitMaker: 2,408 posts
Armorama: 2,394 posts
Posted: Sunday, August 30, 2009 - 07:34 AM UTC
Hi, nice finished tank. What did you use for a base color?
Ric_Cody
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Georgia, United States
Joined: May 22, 2005
KitMaker: 299 posts
Armorama: 294 posts
Posted: Sunday, August 30, 2009 - 12:40 PM UTC
The only thing I notice is that this tank is marked as a Pre Positioned vehicle drawn from Kuwait. But it is an M1A1 AIMS model. I know the vehicles that were drawn were either M1A1 Heavies or straight M1A1's.
But it is still a nice model. Good job

Ric
MikeMummey
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New Mexico, United States
Joined: February 09, 2005
KitMaker: 672 posts
Armorama: 653 posts
Posted: Sunday, August 30, 2009 - 01:37 PM UTC
Great job on that "hog' Gijs. You nailed the look, nice weathering and the beat up track looks good to go. Outta here, Mike sends . . .
junglejim
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Alberta, Canada
Joined: February 18, 2003
KitMaker: 1,728 posts
Armorama: 1,629 posts
Posted: Sunday, August 30, 2009 - 05:13 PM UTC

Quoted Text

The only thing I notice is that this tank is marked as a Pre Positioned vehicle drawn from Kuwait. But it is an M1A1 AIMS model. I know the vehicles that were drawn were either M1A1 Heavies or straight M1A1's.



Just out of curiosity what are the differences externally? (EPLRS antenna?) How would you tell an M1A1/HA from an AIM?

Thanks,
Jim
Ric_Cody
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Georgia, United States
Joined: May 22, 2005
KitMaker: 299 posts
Armorama: 294 posts
Posted: Sunday, August 30, 2009 - 11:45 PM UTC

Quoted Text



Just out of curiosity what are the differences externally? (EPLRS antenna?) How would you tell an M1A1/HA from an AIM?

Thanks,
Jim



The things that clued me in was the EPLRS antenna and the mount for the fording kit on the center grill in the back. Regular M1A1's did not have that until they started coming out with the AIMS model. Also it was very uncommon to see the "anti sleep mines" that are on top of the blow off panels on top of the turret.

Ric
HeavyArty
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Florida, United States
Joined: May 16, 2002
KitMaker: 17,694 posts
Armorama: 13,742 posts
Posted: Sunday, August 30, 2009 - 11:45 PM UTC
You can't tell the difference externally. An AIM tank is simply one that has been through rebuild and had the latest MWOs (Modifications Work Order- latest changes) added to it. The EPLRS antenna and exhaust collar can be added to older tanks as well. The model represents a PrePo draw tank just as well as any other model would.

The Anti-sleep mines are not part of the AIM upgrade either. They were around on some tanks before, it depended on when the tank was manufactured.
Tankrider
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Oklahoma, United States
Joined: October 07, 2002
KitMaker: 1,280 posts
Armorama: 1,208 posts
Posted: Monday, August 31, 2009 - 05:09 AM UTC
Ric,
We had the grill door flanges on our HAs, former 3ACR tanks, in Korea in 1998. My maintenance tech at the time, said that it had been ongoing for a couple of years (1996)...

The EPLRS mast is a M1A1 HC or US Army/USMC "common" tank feature. The mast could have been added to a HA or a straight M1A1 but in actually probably wasn't until the AIM program.

John
Ric_Cody
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Georgia, United States
Joined: May 22, 2005
KitMaker: 299 posts
Armorama: 294 posts
Posted: Monday, August 31, 2009 - 06:02 AM UTC

Quoted Text

You can't tell the difference externally. An AIM tank is simply one that has been through rebuild and had the latest MWOs (Modifications Work Order- latest changes) added to it. The EPLRS antenna and exhaust collar can be added to older tanks as well. The model represents a PrePo draw tank just as well as any other model would.

The Anti-sleep mines are not part of the AIM upgrade either. They were around on some tanks before, it depended on when the tank was manufactured.



When 2/37 AR BN received its M1A1 AIMS in May of 2002, or there abouts, the items I noticed were on the tanks we drew. It was the first thing I noticed diffrent about them. Granted the collar was on MC tanks, and the Anti-Sleep mines came out during Desert Storm and were a waste of time and ideas since I was faster just to reload the ready rack, However the EPLRS antenna, I really doubt that the tanks that were drawn from Kuwait had them, since those tanks were some of the oldest A1's I've ever seen. But to look at this model, I can tell it is the Dragon M1A1 AIMS model, and was simply identifying that there were no PRE Positioned M1A1 AIMS in Kuwait.

Ric
SiriusP90
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Michigan, United States
Joined: March 26, 2008
KitMaker: 21 posts
Armorama: 20 posts
Posted: Friday, September 11, 2009 - 03:00 AM UTC
I really like you're build. Everything looks really nice and crisp; which figures were those? were they the ones that came with the model?
sauceman
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Ontario, Canada
Joined: September 28, 2006
KitMaker: 2,672 posts
Armorama: 2,475 posts
Posted: Friday, September 11, 2009 - 03:20 AM UTC
Overall nicely done!

What did you use for the spent shell casings and links?


cheers
Tonyfr
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Ohio, United States
Joined: June 12, 2009
KitMaker: 516 posts
Armorama: 391 posts
Posted: Friday, September 11, 2009 - 04:24 AM UTC
Gijs,

Was looking at your nicely done Abrams again. Did not notice the notice the reference to American Airlines Flight 77 before. Maybe I just noticed it today because it is Sept 11.


Tony
HazZaRd
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Noord-Brabant, Netherlands
Joined: May 25, 2006
KitMaker: 291 posts
Armorama: 288 posts
Posted: Friday, September 11, 2009 - 10:27 PM UTC
thanks guys for the kind comments


Quoted Text

I really like you're build. Everything looks really nice and crisp; which figures were those? were they the ones that came with the model?


the figures are from a warriors figure set with Hornet heads and the commander got some arms from the sparebox


Quoted Text

What did you use for the spent shell casings and links?


i used the Mission models set

chrisj
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Newfoundland, Canada
Joined: February 04, 2007
KitMaker: 473 posts
Armorama: 467 posts
Posted: Saturday, September 12, 2009 - 01:52 AM UTC
Good looking Abrams.
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