Hello every one I need a bit of help. As some of you know I plan on building one more ABV and this time I want to build it on the most popular M1 chassis.
I just don't know wich is the most popular to build. The M1A1 or the M1A2 and out of these two wich model or kit company is the most popular. (To build)

The Dragon AIM and SEP kits are pretty much the gold standard in my opinion.

Dragon AIM kit is the one ..built one ,great kit ..and so much crap left over you will be amazed makes up a wonderful model .

Phill

Yes I definitely agree,and also relatively cheap by today's standards.I have seen them for less the $40.00 and that includes brass barrel,magic tracks,and a lot of brass

The Dragon M1A1 AIM kit is the best on the market and the most suitable for the ABV.

The M1A2 SEP (equally as good of a kit) will not work since it has a different left rear for the A2 features. You would have to backdate it to an A1 to use it.

I just got my Cyber Hobby/DML M1A1 kit. I must say it's really a nice kit. This kit has a snorkel attachment kit,tankers and Magic Tracks. I didn't know that the Military used a snorkel kit on the Abrams. Any way this kit will be used to make a New Cyber Hobby/DML: ABV Conversion kit.

Now once I cast all the parts., I'll let every one know when they will be on for sale. An were to get the kit or parts.
Oh and I got this kit on sale for $29.80 and that was a steal for all that stuff!!!

I wouldn't call it a steal. You get what you pay for. It is a decent kit, but not the Dragon M1A1 AIM we were talking about. This is the early '90s version that has grown long in the tooth by now. You should have gone with the M1A1 AIM (3535) kit. It is much more refined and comes with a bunch more added items, such as water and fuel cans, tow bar, drip pans, PE, metal barrel, and a bunch of optional versions of different parts. A much better deal if you ask me.

The last old Dragon M1A1 kit I used (last year, since that is what the buyer wanted) was pretty bad. The molds have deteriorated and there was a lot of flash and extra plastic in the form of bumps and chunks in various places, including panels that were supposed to be flat plate.

And yes, the USMC has used the Deep Water Fording Kit (DWFK), which consists of the rear snokel and the intake snorkels, since the early '90s.

DML/CyberHobby should market the Abrams Magic & DS100 Tracks, Tow Bar, USMC DWFK, Fuel & Water Cans, CIPs, 0.50 cal M2 HB, M240, etc. as AM detail sets. I bet they woiuld sell a mess of them.

Or come out with an actual USMC M1A1 HC kit like somebody spoofed awhile back.

Are you listening, DML?

Heavy the AIM kit sounds really cool but as I stated I'm using this Cyber H kit to help make an ABV Conversion kit. This kit most likey will stay gray in color with my resin parts glued on.

Now I just looked at 4 companys that I shop at and there all out. Now remember I still have yet to start my pay pal acc. So buying from overseas companies', that's not an option right now.

"But" I will try and get one and us it wil my ABV parts, as soon as I can.

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXLCE1&P=7
http://www.squadron.com/NoStock.asp?item=DR3535
http://store.spruebrothers.com/135-dragon-m1a1-aim-abrams---all-new-tooling-wbonus-parts-3535-p9067.aspx
http://www.greatmodels.com/~smartcart/cgi/display.cgi?item_num=DML3535

I'm building this kit at the moment, yes it is cheap, but if you build it out of the box test fit everything and the instructions are the older vague variety. I have the Abrams SEP so I used the spare commanders cupola and the APU.

The Bronco tracks are very tedious to assemble but are worth the effort as they articulate very well, and there are spares to add as stowage.

I'll watch for your conversion thread.

Regards

Brian

What Chuck said.

The AIM kit practically builds itself. While you can upgrade with PE or a turned barrel with resin parts, you don't really need it. About the only thing I'd change would be the Bronco tracks in place of the Magic Tracks that come with it. I believe the SEP uses the DS one-piece tracks.

"But" I will try and get one and us it (wil my) ABV parts, as soon as I can.

What I was trying to say, was I will try and get one (The AIM kit) and use it with my resin ABV parts.

I was planing on using this Cyber H. kit to help build up my new ABV parts. Then remove all the white styrene parts and cast them. An then replace all the parts on the hull with the new resin ones. I would then take some photos for the box art as well as post them.
So seeing that I can't get my hands on the DML: AIM kit. I'll have to use this Cyber H kit for the build up and display.

Wish me luck.......

Hay guys in looking at the makeup of the hulls. There's a big diffrence between the cyber hobbys hull and the DML hulls. In these photo you will see what I, now noticed.
DML/Dragon M1A1 AIM hull.


DML/Dragon M1A2 SEP Hull.


Cyber hobbys M1A1 Hull.


Now I do know that the turret mounting ring of all three hull is the same in diameter.An that is what matters the most to me. If I make my new turrets mounting ring the rong size, it would not fit any of the DML or Cyber kits.

Now "Heavy" I have found a SEP kit, that I may buy. The only thing I don't like is, I will have alot of left over parts. An the kit costs $41.95 USD.

The M1A2SEP kit has the wrong right rear hull for an AVB, which is based on the M1A1AIM. You should hold out for the AIM. I don't see the extra parts as an issue. You can use them to improve other M1 kits, like the old Dragon/CH one.

"Heavy" the hull construction of both hull's look's alot alike. I noticed that the build up of both hulls is much the same and by using or not use some key parts, this will change the hull's configuration a bit.
DML: M1A1 AIM Hull construction.


DML: M1A2 SEP hull construction.


Really all I see that makes the AIM different from the SEP kit is a change in componits. "A change in component configuration".

The left rear hull on the SEP is missing the fuel filler cap and has extra panels for either an Under Armor Aux Power Unit (UAAPU), or fittings for the Hawker Battery System. They are not the same and the SEP hull can not be used for an A1 hull without a lot of corrections.

Well thinks for your help "Heavy" So I'm going to go on an making my M1 ABV Conversion kit off this DML/Cyber M1 kit. I'll leave modelers with the choice of witch hull they will use for there build. it's up to models to save money or spend it. As my kit will not be cheap.
Thank's again guys...

Whatever works for you. I would want to start with the best kit I could, that being the M1A1 AIM. If I am going to plunk down my cash, I also want the conversion set built using the best one out there as well. Why base it on a 20 year old kit that's past it's prime? It just doesn't make sense to me.

Gotta agree, you asked what the best M1A1/A2 was, were told, and bought the old one anyway. The newer kit hull is so much more detailed than the old one - just the engine grills and separate grates alone should be enough to choose that kit. Not to mention the proper return roller mounts, armor panels and suspension detail. I guess I can see where you are coming from though as far as building the master - if it fits the older one and dimensions are the same (ie turret ring) then the conversion should work on the newer hull.

Jim

You guys are stuck on the detail of the chassis. The detail of the chassis is not all that important to the build up of the AEV/ABV parts. The chassis only comes into importance when all the resin parts are made and all errors are fixed.

To display the AEV/ABV resin parts on a the best chassis, is the right thing to do., but now that I have jumped in to this. I see I'l need to build/no make the parts fit more that one type of DML/Cyber M1 kit.

Say some one want's can't buy the high priced kit, (That bing the AIM or SEP kits). Than that person my want to buy the cheapper and older, as you stated 20 year old kit. If they dont see that the resin kit will fit there tank, than they may just pass on doing the project.

As a new building in the world of Trans kits, I need to make accommodation for othere M1 chassis.

So back to the M1 AIM and the SEP chassis. Here the most important thing about the hull of the Cyber: M1 and the DML: AIM, SEP kit's the turrets mounting ring.
Now Once I get my M1 SEP kit in and I match the diameter of a circle (witch is the turret's mounting ring space) to the 20 year old kit.
An if they match than I would have achieved one of my goals of accommodating, two type of kits.

Now don't thing that I don't appreciate your help, "I do I really do"!
I hat to start out with but, but I needed the info you all gave for the future Trans or Conversion kits.

I'm sorry if I cam off a bit rude but I thing you two did't get my point. Like I have said in older posts I needed a chassis to build off of. I will start by building the parts on the hull and then cut them off, so I then can start to make mold's of them.

Now the chassis of the 20 year old Cyber kit went togather really well. Love those Magic Tracks.

NoI should have poped a photo before I glued the upper hull the the chassis., but the Italeri M1 mounting ring of my frist Turret build is to small. An is loos in the DML/Cyber kits hull.


This will be firt by using the lower part of the Cyber M1's turret mounting-ring. Like I did on my frist project.


Now the overall size of the turret fit's the cyber hull.


I just need to wate till my SEP kit comes in, so I can make measurement of the two hulls.
Then I can start building.