Pete Becerra builds the Rye Field Model 1/35th scale offering on the M1A1 Abrams 1991 Desert Storm Edition. He also provides a guide on the equipment relevant to the Gulf War conflict periods.

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If you have comments or questions please post them here.

Thanks!

Excellent review and history lesson Pete. Also, a damn fine looking Abrams ! Thanks for the review and more importantly, thank you for your service !
Tom

Very nicely done, though I would have liked a close-up of the tracks for comparison. Building the Meng SEP version and it's outstanding, so RMF will have to be something else to top it.

Great job on the review and the kit Pete. It came out looking awesome.

The T156 track is molded very well and looks pretty nice when assembled. It is not indi-link, but length-and-link track. That is long sections for the top, bottom, and angled runs, then individual tracks for the curved sections. They come out pretty nicely, but you have to take extra care to bend the end connectors and center guide bases on the curved pieces to get an accurate look. They do come with separate center guide teeth as well.

Here they are:



They are the first set of correctly molded T156 tracks in any kit that I know of. Before them, you had to use AM Trumpeter T156 tracks if you wanted to model an older Abrams.

Great build and a very usefull article. Thank you Pete.

I've never had any experience with link and length track. The detail looks very sharp and accurate. Are there holes in the end connectors? I think they would be a great alternative to the multi part workable tracks that come with so many kits. I do see one problem that the kit designers should be correcting. With all of the advances on mold design, why are the end connectors only molded straight? Those individual links are meant to be used to wrap around the sprocket and idler, so why aren't the end connectors molded with a slight curve? Having to bend the connectors seems like it would be an exercise in futility. I am sure I'd break off a few. I feel like I'm only stating the obvious here, or am I?

Regards,

Eric

No, the end connectors do not have holes in them. I agree that the separate track pieces should have the end connectors molded at an angle, it would make it easier. Bending them gently isn't too bad though.

I was actually surprised when I discovered these were length-and-length tracks. L & L is an older style of tracks that fell out of use in favor of indi-link by AFV Club and the likes when they became popular in the late '90s to early 2000s. Then we went with the multi-piece indi-links, which I think are too much of a headache. You don't see many new, modern kits with length-and-link anymore. Its too bad as they can look very nice when done.

Gino, I imagine they are cheaper to produce. Modern modelers like options, and LNL do not give you many. They would be great in certain cases. I just see them as taking a step backward.

Regards,

Eric

Unless you are making a vehicle with thrown track or articulated over rough terrain, the L&L tracks look just as good as any indi-link or multi-piece indi-link in my opinion.

If the builder wants indi-link with this one, there is always the Trumpeter T156 set.

Additionally, T158 tracks were also used in ODS, so you have a bunch of options there as well.

I'd love to know where the box full of 1 qt. Turboshaft engine lubricant came from. As shown on this model, this was something we carried without fail. Little details like this really help. We also carried a few qt. cans of FRH - "Fire Resistant, Hydraulic" fluid for the turret hydraulic system. They are the same size cans, but red. Really nice build!

Someone put up some photos of those cans, I might have them in one of my resin sets and not even know it.

I believe Pete made them out of plastic rod, cut to length, and paper labels he printed off wrapped around them.

Yes, Gino is right. I made the cans out of plastic rod and I have a file that was passed around a couple of years ago of the labels.

I'd like to know where you got the Hex Bolt Heads. I'm working on the RyeField M1A1 and using your photos as reference's. Have you detailed the engine yet?

The bolts came from Meng.













As for the engine in the RFM Abrams with interior. I finished the turret interior and the engine bay, but I had to put it aside to finish up a commission work and two reviews for Armorama. So I haven't gotten to the engine yet.

Great review Pete. I look forward to building a couple of the RFM kits when I get back. Those Meng nut and bolt sets are excellent. I have used them a lot.

Thank you for the info.