_GOTOBOTTOM
Armor/AFV
For discussions on tanks, artillery, jeeps, etc.
Hosted by Darren Baker, Mario Matijasic
News
Italeri: M1A2 Abrams with Crew
tatbaqui
Staff MemberNews Writer
ARMORAMA
#040
Visit this Community
Metro Manila, Philippines
Joined: May 06, 2007
KitMaker: 2,713 posts
Armorama: 2,451 posts
Posted: Saturday, November 09, 2019 - 02:05 PM UTC


Italeri offers its Abrams kit to include tank crew figures.

Read the Full News Story

If you have comments or questions please post them here.

Thanks!
Tank1812
Visit this Community
North Carolina, United States
Joined: April 29, 2014
KitMaker: 1,112 posts
Armorama: 886 posts
Posted: Saturday, November 09, 2019 - 02:54 PM UTC
Someone needs to talk to marketing, it’s not an A2 but an A1. Only the decals have it marked correctly.
ijozic
Joined: May 23, 2007
KitMaker: 109 posts
Armorama: 109 posts
Posted: Saturday, November 09, 2019 - 06:14 PM UTC

Quoted Text

Someone needs to talk to marketing, it’s not an A2 but an A1. Only the decals have it marked correctly.


The box is correct as well, it's only the name and the description on the product page that's wrong apparently.

https://www.italeri.com/en/product/2864#
system
Visit this Community
England - East Anglia, United Kingdom
Joined: November 24, 2008
KitMaker: 364 posts
Armorama: 363 posts
Posted: Saturday, November 09, 2019 - 09:44 PM UTC
This must rate as one of the worst Abrams kits currently out there. Ironically, it used to be one of the better ones, which is an indicator of just how much things have improved in the last few years.

Great box art though.
Bravo1102
Visit this Community
New Jersey, United States
Joined: December 08, 2003
KitMaker: 2,864 posts
Armorama: 2,497 posts
Posted: Saturday, November 09, 2019 - 10:37 PM UTC

Quoted Text

This must rate as one of the worst Abrams kits currently out there. Ironically, it used to be one of the better ones, which is an indicator of just how much things have improved in the last few years.

Great box art though.


Wouldn't say worst. The original Dragon M1A1, old Academy M1A1, Tamiya and Trumpeter kits are all still out there and are all worse.

It has plenty of company of inferior M1A1 kits to commune with.
terminators
Visit this Community
France
Joined: February 20, 2012
KitMaker: 1,932 posts
Armorama: 1,907 posts
Posted: Saturday, November 09, 2019 - 11:01 PM UTC
Figures look like Miniart figures tank crew.


Bravo1102
Visit this Community
New Jersey, United States
Joined: December 08, 2003
KitMaker: 2,864 posts
Armorama: 2,497 posts
Posted: Sunday, November 10, 2019 - 01:55 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Figures look like Miniart figures tank crew.




And will require a bit of modification to make them accurate for 1991.
Vodnik
Visit this Community
Warszawa, Poland
Joined: March 26, 2003
KitMaker: 4,342 posts
Armorama: 3,938 posts
Posted: Sunday, November 10, 2019 - 08:57 AM UTC

Quoted Text


And will require a bit of modification to make them accurate for 1991.

"A bit" is a bit of an understatement...
Bravo1102
Visit this Community
New Jersey, United States
Joined: December 08, 2003
KitMaker: 2,864 posts
Armorama: 2,497 posts
Posted: Sunday, November 10, 2019 - 09:38 AM UTC

Quoted Text


Quoted Text


And will require a bit of modification to make them accurate for 1991.

"A bit" is a bit of an understatement...


Nah, what's re-sculpting the entire torso?

And that's only the beginning.
HeavyArty
Visit this Community
Florida, United States
Joined: May 16, 2002
KitMaker: 17,694 posts
Armorama: 13,742 posts
Posted: Sunday, November 10, 2019 - 10:45 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Figures look like Miniart figures tank crew.


That is exactly what they are. The crew are too late for all the decal options. Wrong uniform for the Iraq Army 2015 option as well.
Taeuss
Visit this Community
Manitoba, Canada
Joined: January 03, 2016
KitMaker: 3,791 posts
Armorama: 3,778 posts
Posted: Monday, November 11, 2019 - 07:30 AM UTC
I often wonder about these periodic re-releases that seem to be merely there to acquaint a new batch on their long-of-tooth kits. They have their place but I'd buy something a wee bit more recent in terms of moldings as the manufacturers' -and our expectations- have dramatically increased.
Petition2God
Visit this Community
Colorado, United States
Joined: February 06, 2002
KitMaker: 1,526 posts
Armorama: 1,294 posts
Posted: Monday, November 11, 2019 - 09:09 AM UTC

Quoted Text


Quoted Text

This must rate as one of the worst Abrams kits currently out there. Ironically, it used to be one of the better ones, which is an indicator of just how much things have improved in the last few years.

Great box art though.


Wouldn't say worst. The original Dragon M1A1, old Academy M1A1, Tamiya and Trumpeter kits are all still out there and are all worse.

It has plenty of company of inferior M1A1 kits to commune with.


Kinda agree but the old Dragon M1A1's weren't as bad. Academy one was the most awful but then there is AMT/ERTL one. Haha!
I'm surprised that Italeri has not gone out of business yet.
Bravo1102
Visit this Community
New Jersey, United States
Joined: December 08, 2003
KitMaker: 2,864 posts
Armorama: 2,497 posts
Posted: Monday, November 11, 2019 - 09:37 AM UTC

Quoted Text

I often wonder about these periodic re-releases that seem to be merely there to acquaint a new batch on their long-of-tooth kits. They have their place but I'd buy something a wee bit more recent in terms of moldings as the manufacturers' -and our expectations- have dramatically increased.


Your perception of the expectations of you and your peers have changed. Not the expectations of the majority of casual model builders (many exist but seemingly not among the acquaintances of many people on this board)

Demographically they are a larger group who just want an M1A1 and not the bestest and neatest and don't go asking what's the most accurate. They just want a model and will happily assemble it blissfully unaware of all its flaws.

There's a whole world out there that happily buys Italeri. So much so that several other companies repackage Italeri kits for their home consumers.

In case it matters, the basic cut of the nomex coverall hasn't changed much since its introduction back in the early 1990s. The camouflage has changed, but rescuplt the torsos down to a bare nomex and the figures would mostly work for 1991. Just have to paint them green and forget about camouflage. But why bother with all that grinding? Sheesh. Might as well convert WW2 tankers in the jackets with new heads and the additional pockets.
terminators
Visit this Community
France
Joined: February 20, 2012
KitMaker: 1,932 posts
Armorama: 1,907 posts
Posted: Monday, November 11, 2019 - 02:43 PM UTC

Quoted Text


Quoted Text

Figures look like Miniart figures tank crew.


That is exactly what they are. The crew are too late for all the decal options. Wrong uniform for the Iraq Army 2015 option as well.


OK, thank you for pointing this. So it needs to change figures. What about Miniart 37049 or 37008 ? Could they match the USMC decal option ?
HeavyArty
Visit this Community
Florida, United States
Joined: May 16, 2002
KitMaker: 17,694 posts
Armorama: 13,742 posts
Posted: Tuesday, November 12, 2019 - 01:24 AM UTC

Quoted Text

What about Miniart 37049 or 37008 ? Could they match the USMC decal option ?


From Miniart 37049, 3 of the 4 would work. The standing figure with crossed legs has too new of a body armor for '03. The three others would be fine since they have no body armor on. Those in set 37008 would not work as thier body armor is too new as well.

In '03, the USMC (and US Army) tankers wore Interceptor Body Armor Systems (IBAS) vests.




Or they wore the CVC (Combat Vehicel Crewman) spall vest.



Any other figures wearing these two vests types would be fine for Marine tankers in Iraq '03.


terminators
Visit this Community
France
Joined: February 20, 2012
KitMaker: 1,932 posts
Armorama: 1,907 posts
Posted: Tuesday, November 12, 2019 - 07:11 AM UTC
OK, thank you Gino,

Spall vest is present in Masterbox 35131, and Djiti's Production has one figure with this body armor too.

It seems there are several versions of IBAS vest. Some with 4 MOLLE lines distant to the edge, like your photo, and others with 6 MOLLE lines without distance with the edge.

 _GOTOTOP