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Meng's M1A1
long_tom
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Posted: Friday, January 04, 2019 - 11:12 AM UTC
When I read Wikipedia about the Abrams tanks (not the best source I realize), it seems there are a gazillion versions of this tank. I was wondering about Meng's version-could it be used for Desert Storm, or strictly for 2003 and later?
HeavyArty
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Posted: Friday, January 04, 2019 - 02:01 PM UTC
Which Meng version, they make a few different ones?

If you mean this one, no, it is a more current version.



The best ODS version on the market is the Rye Field M1A1 1991 Desert Storm Edition. It is perfect for ODS out of the box. Here is a great build review of it.

TankCommander4164
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Posted: Friday, January 04, 2019 - 07:18 PM UTC
Meng kit is contains parts for M1A1 AIM which was in service during OIF and after.
I have the RFM's M1A1 Abrams 1991 in my stash, it's the best kit to build an ODS Abrams on market.
system
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Posted: Friday, January 04, 2019 - 09:17 PM UTC
Meng do include some early/ODS-era M1A1 parts in their M1A1 kit on sprue P: Early-style aerial mounts, rear light guard, air intake, driver's hatch etc. These parts are not used in any of the build options.

It may be Meng plan to release an earlier Abrams at some point - or they may have decided there are now enough Abrams kits out there.
long_tom
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Posted: Saturday, January 05, 2019 - 02:10 AM UTC
Thanks for the heads up, people.
TopSmith
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Posted: Saturday, January 05, 2019 - 06:05 AM UTC
As a side question, Which is a better kit, the RFM 1991 M1A1 or the Dragon M1A1 AIM? Is one more accurate over the other and is one easier to assemble? Is the final product(with the same build effort) of one better than the other?
white4doc
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Posted: Sunday, January 06, 2019 - 02:21 AM UTC
Top,

I've built them both, and to be honest I prefer the Rye Field kit - it just seemed like it went together easier and took less time. They're both nice kits, and your mileage may vary.

Semper Fi,
Doc
jasmils
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Posted: Sunday, January 06, 2019 - 03:33 PM UTC
I found the Meng kits to be of Tamiya build quality, but lack detail. Where as the RFM are more along the lines of a Dragon M1 kit.
bill_c
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MODEL SHIPWRIGHTS
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Posted: Monday, January 07, 2019 - 05:09 AM UTC

Quoted Text

The best ODS version on the market is the Rye Field M1A1 1991 Desert Storm Edition. It is perfect for ODS out of the box.

Gino, does anyone make decals for USMC Desert Storm Abrams?
HeavyArty
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Posted: Monday, January 07, 2019 - 05:28 AM UTC
There are no USMC ODS AM decals that I know of.

The Rye Field M1A1 Desert Storm model comes with one USMC decal option in the box though. It is actually the boxtop image.

"Torture Chamber", B Co, 2nd Marine Tank Bn, Kuwait, Feb 1991. It includes the stylized USMC "Africa Corps" palm tree w/Eagle, Globe, and Anchor on it.



Another option is the Echelon sheet for the Tiger Brigade. They were a composite US Army BDE formed by combining units from 1st BDE and 2d BDE of the 2d AR DIV into the 1st "Tiger" BDE, 2d AR DIV. They were attached to the USMC to provide them heavy armored support since the USMC was still fielding Abrams and didn't have enough on the ground yet.

amoz02t
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Posted: Monday, January 07, 2019 - 06:46 AM UTC
So how about markings for H. R. McMaster's E Troop tank at 73 Easting?

Past posts I could find here...
https://armorama.kitmaker.net/forums/73985&page=1
https://armorama.kitmaker.net/forums/229198&page=1
Epi
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Posted: Monday, January 07, 2019 - 07:01 AM UTC
Stuart,

There are no decals for McMasters track and little info on the marking on the net.

I built this one for a fellow Vet in Florida. He wanted a modle of McMasters track. What pictures and info both of gathered, we came up with this:











amoz02t
#192
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Posted: Monday, January 07, 2019 - 07:10 AM UTC
Awesome Pete! Thank you for sharing the photos. Very good work!
So do you think the Rye Field M1A1 1991 Desert Storm Edition kit would be a good base for someone to try to copy your good work to create a model of McMasters track?
Epi
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Posted: Monday, January 07, 2019 - 07:11 AM UTC
That was the kit I used Stuart. Great kit right out of the box.
bill_c
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Posted: Monday, January 07, 2019 - 08:47 AM UTC
What about the tracks for the ODS Abrams? Are the kit tracks decent?
HeavyArty
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Posted: Monday, January 07, 2019 - 09:48 AM UTC
Yes, the kit tracks are the proper T156 tracks that were still use don early M1A1s. They are link-and-length tracks and look very nice.
bill_c
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Posted: Monday, January 07, 2019 - 10:21 AM UTC
Thanks, Gino. Much obliged.
Tankrider
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Posted: Tuesday, January 08, 2019 - 05:51 AM UTC
A bit of "truth in lending" here... If you are totally detail oriented, be aware that all of the markings in the RFM ODS kit (3rd ACR, 1-37 Armor and the USMC 2d Tanks) are for units that had been equipped with M1A1 Heavy Armor variants, not the standard M1A1s that most units utilized in OPERATION DESERT STORM.

FWIW

John
BunkerBuster
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Posted: Tuesday, January 08, 2019 - 07:33 AM UTC
Fox models makes an M1A1 ODS decal sheet that includes many of the markings seen in other kits and decal sheets.

bill_c
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Posted: Tuesday, January 08, 2019 - 07:45 AM UTC

Quoted Text

... all of the markings in the RFM ODS kit (3rd ACR, 1-37 Armor and the USMC 2d Tanks) are for units that had been equipped with M1A1 Heavy Armor variants, not the standard M1A1s that most units utilized in OPERATION DESERT STORM.

What is/are the visible difference(s) between the M1A1 and M1A1 HA variants? I checked Wikipedia and found nothing clear-cut.
HeavyArty
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Posted: Tuesday, January 08, 2019 - 07:46 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Fox models makes an M1A1 ODS decal sheet that includes many of the markings seen in other kits and decal sheets.


Hmm, ok. It is a compilation of the Echelon "Tiger BDE" sheet, Rye Field ODS sheet, and Tamiya's older M1A1 Sheet.


Quoted Text

What is/are the visible difference(s) between the M1A1 and M1A1 HA variants?


Externally, an M1A1 HA has the squared-off rear on the armored gunner's primary sight box, "X" stiffening on the front fenders, and T158 track. All the parts are in the box of the RFM kit, so it could be built as an M1A1 HA with just the addition of T158 tracks (AFV Club, Meng, Hobby Boss, etc...).

You actually get a bunch of extra parts from their other kits (M1A1/M1A2) in the box too and can build it up to an M1A2 with just needing to source tracks and decals for the newer ones.

You can check out the sprues here.
seanmcandrews
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Posted: Tuesday, January 08, 2019 - 08:07 AM UTC
Aren't the main changes between an A1 and A1 HA/HC depleted uranium armor and additions to the air intake and exhaust grills to allow a fording kit to be fitted ?

Sean
BunkerBuster
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Posted: Tuesday, January 08, 2019 - 08:20 AM UTC
Aren't there differences with the blow off panels as well? Doesn't the HA have three round disks per panel (perhaps weights of some kind) along with lifting points? You can see on the Ryefield 1991 kit that it's blow off panel config is similar to the old Tamiya M1A1 panels.
HeavyArty
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Posted: Tuesday, January 08, 2019 - 08:26 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Aren't the main changes between an A1 and A1 HA/HC depleted uranium armor and additions to the air intake and exhaust grills to allow a fording kit to be fitted ?


The fording kit changes were part of the USMC Heavy Common (HC) modifications, but not part of the Heavy Armor (HA) mods.


Quoted Text

Aren't there differences with the blow off panels as well? Doesn't the HA have three round disks per panel (perhaps weights of some kind) along with lifting points? You can see on the Ryefield 1991 kit that it's blow off panel config is similar to the old Tamiya M1A1 panels.


The blow-off panels changed throughout the life of the tank and are not indicative of the model of tank. The ones with the disks and lift rings was a proposed, but not accepted, reloading system that lifted out and replaced the whole ammo rack on each side as a cartidge to reload them. Some M1A1s had the disks/lift rings, some did not. Some moved forward to M1A2s w/the disks and rings as well, where others did not or had them removed and the holes blanked off.
cabasner
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Posted: Sunday, January 13, 2019 - 06:01 PM UTC

Quoted Text




Quoted Text

What is/are the visible difference(s) between the M1A1 and M1A1 HA variants?


Externally, an M1A1 HA has the squared-off rear on the armored gunner's primary sight box, "X" stiffening on the front fenders, and T158 track. All the parts are in the box of the RFM kit, so it could be built as an M1A1 HA with just the addition of T158 tracks (AFV Club, Meng, Hobby Boss, etc...).

You actually get a bunch of extra parts from their other kits (M1A1/M1A2) in the box too and can build it up to an M1A2 with just needing to source tracks and decals for the newer ones.

You can check out the sprues here.


Gino,
Based on your answers above, it would appear, then, that with the squared sight box, X fenders, and T158 tracks, if one built the tank that way, it would look exactly like the M1A1s that were used in Iraq in 2003, right? So, what would the visual differences between the ODS M1A1 HA, built as you suggest, and the M1A1s used during the Thunder Run on Baghdad? Thanks in advance for any answers you may have...

Also, I recall you saying in many older posts that the 'sand' color for ODS tanks were not the same CARC sand color used on circa 2003 Iraq M1A1s, rather, it was a darker sand color, as these tanks were painted in the field when arriving in Kuwait. Would that color be correct for this M1A1 HA? If so, what color would be correct?
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