Ok guys I thought long and hard on starting this post, and I feel it's needed. So to start things off I'm going to post more progress photos and info than in the walkaround post.
First here's an image of the progress that I will be building... It's the Marine Corps. Assault Breacher Vehicle or Tank. You can also call it the M1ABV, it's up to you.


I'll be using an Italeri M1 A1 Abrams MBT, I got on sale for $12.00 and a eduard PE set.


Now mini of you that looked in on the ("Marine Corp. ABV Walkaround") saw that I when on and started this project. So here some of my work on it's turret.


As you can see in this photo of the 1:1 version that the turret is smaller than that of the full size M1 turret, and that it only has one hatch.


Some have said that the turret of this ABV is a refurbished M1 turret. If that's right I really don't know. I have bean told to try and use the kit's M1 turret to build the ABV turret and I'm sorry guys the top of the kit's turret is just to big. So I will only use the lower part of the turret and it's ring, so that my turret can be movable like that of the real turret.

here you can see I had to set up a small feam to give strength to the 0.15 styrene sheet parts.


Now that hatch and it's rased protion are not glued and I'm still studying the mini photos, so I can get the right look. Seeing that there are no photo of a over head view of the turret.




Here's where I am right now. Remember those two top parts are not glued, any way I have rebuild them and in my next progress photos. You will see the new update.


Later one and all....

Looks like a good start so far. I'll be watching this one.

Hello Caveman,
nice model, I am planning to make one in the future. Are You planning to make the arachno mine plow too? Anyway, here is a thread on a czech forum worth checking http://www.modelforum.cz/viewtopic.php?f=58&t=24740&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&hilit=Abrams I dont know how accurate it is but it looks sure nice

Yes I do plan on building the "arachno mine plow", it's a must have part. It's what make's it so wicked looking.
Oh and thanks for the link it will help out a lot. It looks as if this guy is going to have the breech lane containers shown. I was thinking of having mine shown as well, but like I alwas say I just didn't have the photos to back it up till now.
Thanks man so much.

Thats awicked machine looking forward to seeing more. I did think about doing a what if version based on a leopard 2.

For: "Sudzonic"
This same mine plow used on the German built Leopard 2A4. This is the only photo I have of the German built Leopard with a Breaching Package.


Here's a German built Kodiak with that same mine plow or Breaching Package.

Nice

Hay Sudzonic there's one more photo of a Leopard 2 with that "arachno mine plow" and i't in the link that "arpikaszabo" posted. It's on page 3. Click on the Photo and it will fill up the page. It's huge man.
Here's a link to that page: Photo of Leopard2 Just scroll down to see it M8. Now that I have bean working on this one and when I get my ABV finished, I just mite do a Leo as well. Seeing that I have 5 Hobby Boss Leopards: 4 @A5/6s' and one 2A4. Well see when that time comes but for now I'm working on this project.

On and guys I will have all moving parts. Things that should fold up will and thing's that should turn will. Like the turret's hatch.

Someone probably don't know about what he is saying. ABV turret is completely new construction.

Interesting is that, ABV as an engineering vehicle based on tank, have an advatage over other such vehicle, that if needed it can be rather easily converted to normal MBT by just swapping turrets, hull haven't been changed drastically, so there should be no problem to put on it normal tank turret.

Oh yeah a super start, man it’s going to look great…nice straight and clean lines. The MIC-LIC container box, it that how it really looks. I started one for a AAVP AMTRACK a while back but ran into a snag as to how the line charge is place inside the box. I was unable to find any reference. Yeah that link is a helper, now just need the plow’s attachments points (Frenchy)

Here my box and frame…





Happy Modeling,
Joe

And oh yeah...it get colder than witchs (+) (+). Where in Buffalo did you come from, North, South, East or West sides...I grew up in So. Buffalo and yes I’m next to the Canadian boarder, like 5 mins away.

That's the Finnish Leopard 2 based Heavy Mine Breaching Vehicle (HMBV). I've seen one up close and personal, quite a beast! I think it would make a good winter project!



Jim

Hi Joe

Sorry I haven't any better pics of the plow Talking about the Amtrac line charge container for the MICLIC variant, are you sure about the shape ? The pics I've found show a smaller container :





Late David Harper's book about Amtracs includes several pics of the MICLIC variant (but no full view of the container...)

Sorry for the disgression Captin

Frenchy

Thanks ((DamianR)) I had the same though, just no basis in fact.

Hay ((Mother)) I have an old Trump AAVP w/EAAK. I hope you don't mind if I use your images to help in the build of the containers' for this ABV. An knowing what it's called helps a lot guys. The MIC-LIC container boxies. Helps a lot.. [MIC-LIC]-Mine Clearing Line Charge.
Right now I'm working on some line drawings so iI can build the floor of the rear section, as well as the sides armor plates.


Now for ((Jungle jim and Sudzonic)) I found this 90% scratchbuilt Trojan AEV with MIC-LIC trailer. It was built By: Dick Francis. Here a link:Trojan AEV with trailer Your going to have to go back to page one to see his start...


Now his plough is not totaly like the one I have to build but it has parts I will build.




I will be back with more progress photos later to day.

Hay guys I found that the guy that build the Concept ABV didn't build the MIC-LIC containers, there from a M58 resin kit..


I can see that he cut the lower part off so I would look like the real 1:1 MIC-LIC container.


I'm going to have to fully build the containers and rigging. At this point I have the rotating tanktop machinegun turret mounted and I have started on the rear section.


Once I build that complex lookint rear chassis I will put the side walls on.


Later guys and girls....
Hay are there any girl models on this forum

Man you're really moving along, looks great . I love the drawings, great detail. I need to finish up a few projects before I get started.

@Frenchy...thats a smaller container box, my reference has it like the one I built. I was hoping to have it finished before the 7th of Nov's show in Ohio, I wanted to enter it into the "Best of USMC" class.

Happy Modeling,
Joe

You guys are really setting the scratch building level very high !!

Some very nice and ambitious projects to follow on this thread, thanks fro sharing.
Olivier

Thanks "Mother" I just really like this tank. Hello there "bison" I don't know or thing that we are trying to move the [set the scratch building level very high], it just happens. An it's a lot of fun and a lot of learning along the way...

Here's a bit of work.




Ok there are two thing I don't know about. Those two things are the rod and what it's used for or connected to. An the othere is the part of the side of the chassis. I dont know if it should be closed or open, so I'm going to leave them open for now....

Its coming along nicely. Looks like you have some good drawings for it. Keep up the good work.

Thanks Heavy I'm trying man. Here the tracks come form the kit.


After I got the tracks linked I moved on to the hull., and I need to ask something. Now on the Italeri's directions sheet it shows two was that a small part should be mounted.
Like this:


An like this:


Witch one's the right way to place this part

Seeing that I have bean moving right along some what fast here. I remembered that when I got this kit on sale, I also got a PE kit as well. So I'm going to take some time and add some of the PE to my build. I have started by removing stuff.


Now I have not shown the photos of the rear of the turret getting closer to being finished yet, as I want it to be just right when I show it.

keep going you are doing great.
Very clean build of a very rare vehicle
You got my vote!!

Captin_Caveman_III,

The Fire Suppression Actuation Handle should look like these, but you need to fix the "handle" since it appears to have an ejector pin in the middle of it (images from PrimePortal):





If you need it, I can get you the actual Line Charge Explosive Block dimensions this weekend. I have one of the Inert blocks from a MICLIC we used during training and I'll measure it. The block is under the nylon cloth covering that protects them and also keeps them on the line.

Just let me know.

Having those dimensions this weekend would help out a lot man, thanks so much for the photos. I will work on that small part and make it look like the photos. Thanks once again.
gizmo21 your vote of confidence is greatly appreciated.

Captin,

The MICLIC Line Charge blocks (inert, but the live should be pretty close to same dimensions) are 5-3/8" long X 3" wide X 3-1/4" tall. The nylon cloth covering would add some to these dimensions, but not more than 1/4" to each, but it has been 14 years (holy cow, time flies!!) since I last actually touched one.

The blocks were also spaced about 1-2" apart where the cloth was pulled around the line and tied to secure the blocks along the line. I'll have to check my references for the actual dimensions, but there was line between the rocket and the start of the blocks (20 meters?), 120 meters of Line Charge Blocks (to fall over a 100 meter minefield belt with overlap), and a length of line to provide standoff distance for the launcher (45 meters?). The blocks added up to 1,000 lbs of explosive in a 2,000 lbs box.

I'll dig up my references and confirm some of the above info, and my info is for US Army MICLICs, trailer or AVLM mounted (as shown in your image of a M60/M48 AVLB Launcher with two MICLICs mounted on the I-beam adapter brackets):



I hope this helps you out.

Hello all and thanks "majjanelson" for the grate info man, It will help thaks again. Here's a bit of work on my turret's rear scetion and the PE for the hull. First I rebuilt the FSAH-Fire Suppression Actuation Handle. I thought the kit handel looked sorry and now it look's a bit better.


I had to place all the PE vents and screens in the right spots. Eduard has the placement of two of them rong. See here on the Eduard sheet: (No.66,67 and 72,73.


Now I fixed this and I numbered them in the right spots on my M1's hull.


I like those vents they look realy good.