So I received the Panda M1IP kit from my honey. (early! yes!) Browsing through the instructions, they show how to assemble the tracks. But not links per side. Anyone build this or the slick M1 to know how many per side? I was a Tank Commander on this version so I'm looking forwards to building her.

On the actual vehicle it was about 88 links per side. As many as it takes on the model.

The bigger issue though is that the tracks are very confused. The outside is T156 tracks, while the inside is T158 tracks. They should be T156 tracks. Trumpeter makes a nice set of T156 indi-link tracks.

It is a pretty good kit, but still has all the issues that the M1 had.

The barrel is too short by about 2mm forward of the bore evacuator. Right now there is no AM replacement barrel for it, but you can take the Def Model late M68 barrel (35015) for an M60A3 and cut it off behind the bore evac and swap those sections. You will also have to add the muzzle reference sensor on the new barrel.

The road wheels are a little off in that they are M1A1 wheels that have thinner rubber parts. Vodnik has done 3D roadwheels of the correct type that are available on Shapeways. This is a minor issue though as most can't tell the difference between them. I don't plan on replacing them on mine.

The left rear fuel filler cap is molded 90 degrees off from where it should be. This can be shaved off and re-positioned (if done carefully) or replaced by an AM one.

Mantlet Bracket - Use the angled bracket, Part B1, instead of the straight bracket, Part B56

Fuel Can - Replace the Scepter plastic can with a metal can.

And a few new problems.

The gunner's sight housing is wrong for most M1IPs - they had the uparmored ones installed (square back), not the original ones from the M1 (angled back), which were used only on earliest IPs.

They also got the blow off panels wrong. They should be the same as in the M1 kit, trapezoids, not squares. The best bet is to cut out this section from the M1 kit and graft it onto the M1IP kit.

Hope that helps.

I noticed a few of the issues when I started looking over the kit. Thanks for all of the good intel.

I hesitate to propose corrections on an M1IP to an ex-M1IP TC, but there's another issue maybe you can confirm from your own photos.

I believe the M1IP had a longer mantlet (front to back, viewed from above) than the M1 i.e. the M1IP's mantlet was the same proportions as the M1A1's despite the different gun.

From the sprue shots it looks like Panda worked off the inaccurate drawings in the Hunnicutt book - they made the turret longer, but not the mantlet.

Good photos aren't easy to find, but you can make it out here: https://imgur.com/Kx8c7jt

A simple fix for that would be to rebuild the upper plate of the mantlet with a rectangle of plasticard.

The IP used the M1A1 style mantlet, with the Gunner's Auxiliary Sight (GAS) mounted lower on the mantlet than the M1 mantlet. Also, use the angled fitting on the top mantlet, not the straight one, which was found on the M1s not the IPs. I would offer up using the kit tracks from the RFM Operation Desert Storm M1A1 to replace the Panda tracks, if you were going to build it as a M1A1 HA with T-158 track. All of the RFM kit decals options are for M1A1Cs or the more commonly called Heavy Armor (HA) tanks.

John

CSPotten

If you are interested i have a set of 1 piece T156 tracks from the old Tamiya M1 kit they may not be the best but you are welcome to them Pm me if you are interested