I went to my local shop yesterday to take advantage of the 25% off on your birthday special they are having this year. I grabbed the Eduard photoetch sets for the Italeri M1A2 (35609) and for the 1/72 scale Revell M1A1 (22048).

The A2 set comes with several pre-cut pieces of film to replicate the optical surfaces on the drivers hatch, cupola, GPS, CIT-V, drivers control panel, and loaders hatch. It was kind of expensive, but it gives me incentive to build the Italeri Abrams (the last major manufacturer's Abrams kit I haven't built). I was disappointed that it did not include CIP panels, but that's all right.

The Revell M1A1 set is pretty extensive for 1/72 scale. It adds 20mm boxes to the bustle rack, CIPs to the grunt rails and forward slopes, spare sprocket, .50 cal and 7.62 ammo cans, details the GPS interior sight assembly, hull mounted APU, and even adds the weather stripping to the tops of the side skirts.

Again another pricey set, but I wanted to try something different and already had the Part and ExtraTech 1/72 scale PE for the Revell kit.

That's a great deal there. I'm looking forward to taking a trip down there on my birthday (end of March) to stock up. I started saving for this journey just after Christmas. #:-)

1/72nd scale 7.62 mm ammo boxes out of PE? If I tried to fold those I think I would end up with a "wad-o-brass." Those have to be tiny...

Shaun