Which M60A1 w/ RISE is the most accurate, Academy or Tamiya? Which builds up with least problems? And lastly any aftermarket nesessary to make an outstanding model? Thanks for any help on the disicion of which I buy.

There were many kits that Academy manufactured "under licence" from Tamiya kits. I am not sure that the Academy M60A1 was the copy of the Tamiya Patton but I'd bought some M-151 MUTT, M-113, M2A1 Bradley from Tamiya and Academy, as they were manufactured in the same mould, some kits that Academy improved from Tamiya kits as the Fitter, KIFV, M48A5...
HTH.

Yes, many early Academy were actually unliscensed copies (called stolen, but Asian laws are different) of Tamiya models. However, M113series (to include KIFV, Fitter, Zelda, etc.), M48A5, M60A1 RISE, and all their newer models are all new molds, not Tamiya copies.

The M60A1 RISE is really nice and I had no real problems building it. It also comes with some nice crew gear and rubber sections of road wheels are actually rubber that slips onto the platic hub. Comes out nicely.

I highly recommend it.

There was never a licence agreement between Tamiya and Academy. Early Academy models were actually illegal copies of Tamiya kits.

M151 - early A2 kits were direct copies of Tamiya models, with copies of Tamiya mortar set added to some kits. Recent M151A1 and M151A2 hardtop releases are copletely new, Academy's own toolings.

M113 - Academy models (including Fitter) are all Academy's own toolings. They are not manufactured from Tamiya molds, although it seems that Academy designers used Tamiya kit as a general template to design their own, much better ones.

M2A1 Bradley - there was never any kit of M2A1 available. There were M2 and M3 Academy kits, which were copies of Tamiya ones, but Academy somehow managed to mold tracks with rubber blocks upside down...

KIFV - 100% Academy's own tooling, not based on any Tamiya kit.

M48A5 - based on some parts from old Tamiya M48A3 kit, but with a lot of modifications and added parts.

M60 kits - Academy kits are indeed based on Tamiya ones and share some dimensional inaccuracies (too high suspension) with them, but details in Academy kits are much better.

M60A1 RISE - as above, but all ERA parts are Academy's own toolings, not copies of Tamiya RISE kit parts. I believe I read somewhere that Academy ERA parts are better than Tamiya ones, but I never had a chance to compare them.

If you are looking for the best M60A1 kit on the market then old ESCI kit, re-released recently by Italeri, is the best. But this kit was never made in RISE/passive w/ERA version.

Pawel

Wow, nice info there. I've been looking to get a nice M-60A1 model myself for a while now. Want to build it for sentimental reasons as that was my baby in the 80's.

So which kit would you guys suggest, the Tamiya or the Academy? I also have the same problem as Blacksmith....choosing w/c is better to buy?

If you really have to choose from these two, get Academy.

Pawel

If I had to choose between those two, I would get the Academy. They are really nice kits.
The Tamiya kits stand about 4 scale inches too high. It has been speculated that they took measurements from a vehicle that had the power pack (engine/tranny) removed. I'm not sure if this applies to the M60A3 though but definately the old M60A1 and the M48A3 kits.
The ESCI is the best and was re-released by AMT/ERTL in the early 90s. If the Italeri release is the same, I will have to get one. How about the Revell-Germany kit? It must be the same as Rev-Ger and Italeri seem to share molds from time to time.??
You can't go wrong with a set of AFV Club tracks either. They have both the chevron style(35005) and the octagon style(35010).
Both Verlinden and Legend made an engine and compartment set. Not sure if they are still available.
I was a tracked vehicle mechanic in the 70s and have a sentimental spot in my heart for these things. I've had an M728 CEV conversion going off and on for about 5 years now. I am draggging my feet watiing for someone to make a kit of one. Academy really yanked my chain when they advertised an M728 a while back and it ended up being an M60A1 with a blade.

Of coarse I bought one anyway. A guy can't have too many M60s or Shermans.
Plasticat

The Italeri M60A1 and M60 Blazer are the old Esci kits. The problem with the Esci kits (they are the best M60s, I agree), is that the M60A1 and M60A1 Blazer kits do not contain the proper air cleaners for an M60A1 RISE/Passive.

The old Esci M60A3TTS (now reboxed by Revell of Germany) did/does contain the proper air cleaners for a RISE/Passive A1, but only provides a thermal shrouded gun tube, which is not found on the RISE/Passive.

If you bought an aftermarket gun tube for the Revell of Germany M60A3, then you would be almost all set. The Esci kits and the reissues only contain the finned aluminum road wheels. While it would not be incorrect, many later M60A1 RISE/Passive tanks had all steel road wheels.

Now if you wanted your M60A1 RISE/Passive to have US reactive armor, then you would need either the Tamiya or Academy kits. Or the expensive Gunze Sanyo set. I think Tamiya may have made a set as well. I have their IDF Blazer armor set, but not sure if they did a US set.