No, there isn't. The front two skirts on the left side and the front skirt on the right side are armored skirts, they weigh about 800 pounds apiece, which is why they have a support. The rest of the skirts are just sheet metal, not very heavy at all, so they don't really need as much support. There are three more supports for the side skirts. If you look at the piece that comprises the skirts on your model, anyplace you see what looks like a hinge between the skirts has a support for the hinge going to the hull. There is no support after the fourth or fifth roadwheel.

Rob

Howdy fellas,

Many thx all for your kind and generous help. I believe I understand now.

to tankrider: No worries sir. I'm sure the fault is mine. My descriptive could have been better. You were only working with a 'flawed' description. Fortunately, as the saying goes, "a picture is worth a thousand words". :-)

to Bro: Your explanation clears up most of my questions...thx. Heck, I didn't know there was a major difference like that between the skirts........hmmmm.

Tread.

NEW SUBJECT...
What is your Abrams Recipe for the Build???
Mine is: Trumpeter M1A2, Tamiya road wheels & Bustle Rack, AFV Club T-158 Track, Eduard PE & whatever else that I can scratch build using plastic, brass rod & copper wire... Oh yea, perhaps some of those Legend's M1 accessories...

Desired Results will be a M1A2SEP of a hypothetical unit in NATO Camouflage.

FIGMO YOYO

John

The right side #1 through #4 are Chobam armored and the left side #1 & 2 are Chobam armored. The rest are still steel plates, a little more substance to them than just sheet metal. The #7 skirts (very last ones with the cut out) are made out of aluminum. Chobam armor skirts provide protection to the forward fuel cells and hull ammunition compartment.

Thx Rob. Just goes ta show, ya learn something new everyday!

Tread.

Okay, the A1 I photographed last summer only had three, the right front two and the left front one. Is this something that changes on different vehicles, Rob? Maybe they are upgrading the armor protection in active units since this was a guard unit? Have you heard of this before Rob?

Anybody got pictures of an M1A1 with the APU on the right rear of the tank?

Only one I could find, hope this helps.
Jurgen

Hello Jurgen,
Pretty good little video clip of the tank from 8th Tank BN. I tell you what that guy broke dozens of regulations just moving that tank the way he did.... I wonder if his boss knew since I know him...

Tanks Out
Andy

Thanks Jurgen.

Howdy Tankleader,

O.K., being an absolute 'noob' at moving an M1A1 off of a Tank Transporter (I don't have many opportunities to have this kind of fun here in Colorado #:-)). What's he doing wrong?
I mean, how else would you get the bloody thing off the truck?

Just curious.

Tread.

Oh, oh. I know. He would drive the tank over the top of the truck cab?

Actually, it does look like he could very easily damage the rear mounted APU (stupid place for it in the first place).

Treadhead,
Click on Jurgens signature and you will get a video clip. No ground guides, tarp isn't off (almost got pulled into the track) no helmet, just to name a few.

Tanks
Andy

Howdy tankleader,

My bad....I thought you were talking about the posted photo where the desert tan Abrams was backing off the trailer....not the NATO clothed Abrams pulling out to go get groceries!
I must admit though, I appreciated the sound clip of that more than the video. Just love those turbines! :-)

Tread.

Oh....just curious. Is the desert tan guy doin' alright?

That's why I did it, the clip is about nothing, but the part of the engine firing up and shifting into gear made me happy....

Listening to that clip, I thought it was going to abort. It took quite a while for that turbine to finally start.

Tanks Out
Andy

Maybe this is an old picture. Someone from the office (knowing I like this kinda hardware) sent me the link to this picture, just to tease me.
Does anyone know the story behind this picture ? (this IS a Bradley, or am I wrond ?!)
I don't think it's tricked. Imagine what would be left of your car if you tried the same...
No matter how this happened, there's a good chance people got badly hurt !

General Failure,
No the picture is genuine, I have it hanging in my office in the Pentagon. I asked a buddy of mine that is a Master Gunner in Europe, I was told that this happened in the Grafe training area at night, but he wasn't too sure. I wouldn't pose for that though. It's an M1A1 and not a Bradley.

Tanks Out
Andy

Uh... Rob you there?

You should have recieved three files in the mail today Cardinal. I have tried sending them three times but they were so large the operation timed out so I had to send them individually, and since I am on dial-up, it still took forever. Let me know if you got them.

Rob

Howdy Tankleader,

You have that picture hanging in your office at the Pentagon huh?.....wait a minute.....the Pentagon? That big five-sided building with the endless hallways? Alphabetical rings? Bunch of over-dressed old guys? Really nice looking secretaries?.......just checkin'.
Just yankin' at your chain Tankleader. (don't call your Tom Clancy 'boys' on me, please).


Oh, and Tankleader (you've probably noticed this), if you have this picture hanging on your wall, if you look at the numbnutz standing at the bottom of the photo, if you look directly over his head...if that extra track link just hangin' from the turret let's go, the government is going to have to pay for some serious skull surgery!.........geeeeez!

Tread.

LOL............after laughin' my ass off for a bit, I thought......I'd really like to get my hands on a copy of this picture, as a poster though. I would call it "If you look closly enough, you can actually see how we 'thin out the herd'! " :-)
LOL........

Doh !

I was doubting if this was an M1 or a new Leo, only to type "Bradley" instead of "Abrams". You see how far away I am from daily hardware reality.
Thanks for putting me straight.

Does anyone have the 1/35th scale dimentions for CIP panels? Need to build some for my M! and have no clue what scale. Any help would be great.

Doug

Post on the CIP/IFF panels
Hope this helps,
Jurgen

Ok, since I was involved in getting these to Marine Units, you also need to ask which version of CIP panels were used. There was 1 manufacturer but he couldn't keep up with demand so he contracted out some of the work and this resulted in slightly different versions. There was also a velcro, heated patch that was applied to some vehicles.

Tanks Out
Andy

About the nose-diving-Abrams-pic:

This was a test on NATO anti-tank ditches. Apparently, it worked. #:-)

Just kidding.

Seriously, above shows M1A1 with its mine-roller attachment still in place. Same pic from www.armorinaction.com, at the Viewer Submitted Images section.

Tankleader: If you do know the name of the photographer, perhaps you can send an email to Scott Cunningham (the webmaster of armorinaction) so he can place the photographer's name in the photo? Currently, the one in his site states "Photographer unknown."