I am currently working on Dragon's M1A1 AIM No.3535 and have now arrived at the decalling stage. All plain sailing untill I find another decalsheet with stencils.


The problem is however that almost none of these decals are mentioned in the instructions and I can't find anything that would guide me in the right direction. Could anyone help me with this? I need to know where these stencils are supposed to go, if they are to be used at all. My subject does not have the APU installed.

Thanks in advance.

Jasper

Judging by the picture you've posted, the stencils on the decal sheet (looks like this one is for "generic" Abrams stencils) are numbered (white number in a circle). Just follow the instruction drawings.... I guess the black variant ones may be mostly used with sand painted tanks.


H.P.

Thanks, but that I knew
Yes, the numbers are on the sheet. The problem is that these numbers aren't mentioned anywhere in the instruction sheet

I'm looking at photos I took in Iraq. Granted, 3 ACR painted out most of their markings. You can see this on the Meng Bradley decals as they did the same thing to those vehicles, and Meng based their decals on several different variants I sent.
The long and short of it is this: Most of the data has been painted out. These photos show what remained. (further evidence that Imgur is still working as I'm uploading them now.)

Standard IFF panel onfo - no one is going to take the time to paint it out:



The ID number always remains somewhere on the vehicle. You can also see the tie down stencils:



Nothing on the front. You might discern the darker color they used to paint over the markings and stencil data:



This is the only other one, but as this is an A2 and not an A1, you don't even have to worry about it:



Again, most of those decals don't even appear neccessary.

I just check my unbuilt 3535 and I think they are are referenced - just in the body of the instructions, not in the Painting and Marking section. They're called out as little blue numbers in circles - for example, check the inset boxes in stages 4, 14, 16 and 17.

Thank you Ed,

They are indeed, but those do not account for all the decals on that sheet. As you can see all the cut-out decals are used as indicated in the instructions.

Jasper

Thank you so much Robert, exactly what I was looking for!

The CIP panels are mentioned in the instructions so I sorted those out already. Considering those painted over markings, would a National Guard vehicle have all the stencils on the sheet?

Jasper

I would PM SWATdoc on this forum. He was in 49th Armor, a Texas National Guard unit. He'd be far more qualified to answer that than I. I only have photos of active duty tanks.

I was just asking out of curiosity, but as the tank I'm modeling served in Iraq in 2003 I'll follow the references you provided.

Once again thank you, you really helped me out here.

With kind regards,

Jasper

Out of curiosity, Jasper, could you give me an example of stencil (and its number on the decal sheet) not mentionned on the instruction sheet ?

TIA

H.P.

I have identified some of the decals to be for jerrycans and some for the APU. The others that are not mentioned seem to be for the engine deck: No.35 ‘Oil fill’, 31 ‘Engine service’, 33 ‘Power in/output’, 29 ‘Fuel’ and some more.

Regards,

Jasper

These are for the APU as well (and they're shown in the instructions).

H.P.

A National Guard tank would be more likely to have all the stencils especially if they came from refurbishing at Anniston arsenal.

And you'd be "why did they stencil that?"
Make it idiot proof.

Thank you Stephen,

I guessed the National Guard vehicles would be kept in a pristine comdition, unlike the ‘service’ tanks. And I can get them stencilling everything on a multi-million machine like that, better safe than sorry!

Jasper

Nothing could be further from the truth. Vehicles in the armory that never saw the field would be clean. The stuff kept at the training sites would be used and abused. A fifteen minute drive on a tank trail can cover a vehicle in dust. Too many times turn in did not include a visit to the wash rack but a broom and a rag.

Moreover, wash racks used recycled water, so the diluted dust washed off the vehicle would literally be sprayed back on. And paint often wasn't in the budget. Or if it was it would be different from the authorized color. The duct tape on some new reconditioned vehicles would often still be there months later. And that bolt that was painted in place? Paint stripped all over.

And then when the fresh repaint did not adhere right? Or when the paint used for touch up was whatever was in the yard? Far from pristine.

Just wait till I get around to building the M48A5 I was on in 1988. Sand, field drab, with red earth air cleaners, brown olive drab fenders and dark grey olive drab search light. Not pristine. Especially that red spray outline on the engine deck where someone had spray painted something.

But the stencils were all there.

Interesting to hear that Stephen, wouldn't have thought that!

That M48 sounds like a bit of a frankenstein tank, will be looking forward to see it! And the stencils were in place, that's what counts

Jasper

I went into the National Guard after my active duty time, and while we only had trucks (and later Humvees), they were in many colors and conditions. We had MERDC and whatever camo preceded it, as well as solid green. While we didn't keep our vehicles filthy, there was always dust and grime - and rust never sleeps. Only time I ever saw a pristine vehicle in the US Army was on active duty, when we cleaned all our vehicles in the motor pool to convoy someplace. And the clean lasted all of about 5 minutes after we began rolling.