Hello To All
I've just bought a trumpeter Abrams M1A1HA.Since
I never have built the abrams I need some advice
on this kit. Has anyone built this kit? Is there
anything lacking in the kit that I should know about ?
In all the pictures Ive seen I cannot read the unit
marking,so I dont know were they were used.
Thanks for your help
ponysoldier

Trumpeter is a pretty good kit. Not any real problems. Here is a comparison of M1A1 kits by Vodnik that will give you some idea of the kit.

M1A1 Kit Comparison

No clue on the markings in the kit, the model is appropriate for Desert Storm through a current M1A1 in Iraq, depending on optional parts you install. For example, the hull mounted APU (box on left rear) was only used up till mid 1990s, turret bustle mounted APU was used after that till the present.

Howdy patrick,

Our own Gino has handed you dandy info regarding the Abrams. And the provided link to Vodnik's comparision will be nothing but helpful I'm sure.

As Gino already said, the Trumpeter kit is fine, in fact, I'm pretty sure it even comes with the textured sections on the main hull and turret. Again, if I remember correctly, it also comes with engine doors cast as seperate pieces (the Tammy kit does not).
Also, (an attempt at putting foot-in-mouth) wasn't the HA version of the Abrams almost exclusively Jarhead material? There was at least a couple of Task Force's deployed under the umbrella of MEF wasn't there?
I know there was Task Force Tarawa, and another Task Force starting with the designator 'T'.....

Tread.

I was riding in an HA long before the Marines ever took delivery of an Abrams tank. We (8th Inf. Div.) drew them in early 1990 and we were among the last US Army Europe units to get the newest Heavy Commons. With the exception of our pre-positioned fleets and most National Guard armor units, the entire US Army was using Heavy Commons by the end of 1993.

Heck, one US Army heavy (mech infantry or armor) division has more M1A1HA tanks than the entire US Marine Corps combined. And we have seven Regular Army heavy divisions and one heavy armored cavalry division. Of course, now some of those units are using M1A2, M1A2SEP, and M1A1-D (upgraded M1A1HA).

Aside the M1A1 comparison Gino mentioned, you can go to the Missing Link page where is posted a Tweak List for all the kits in the market before the Tamiya M1A2 release. The first Trumpeter is comprized in the list.

Hope this helps.

Tread,

If you're talking about OIF, the other TF under I MEF was TF Tripoli, but it consisted of 1st, 2nd and 3rd LAR. The M1's were with TF Tarawa and the RCTs.

Howdy John,

That's right! ......Tripoli....yeah, now I remember. But, you say they didn't have the Abrams huh? Good to know.

Well, at least I was right about one thing, as far as the other 'thing', namely the HA being a mostly Marine utilized vehicle. Our well experienced Sabot has been kind enough to give me an assist in the 'foot-in-mouth' department apparently......

Thx for the clarification Rob. I stand corrected.

Tread.

The HA was primarily a Marine vehicle in OIF. For more accurate markings you may try using Echelon Fine Details sets. They currently have 2 HA sets with alot more to come. They are available from Mission Models, Squadron or direct from Echelon at http://pachome1.pacific.net.sg/~kriegsketten/

To be more accurate..the M1A1 most found in OIF is the HC, which is the Heavy Common, which has the heavy armor and common means it can be used either for the army or marines. The Marine Vechicles have different smoke grenade launchers (I dont know why they changed that), additional turret bustle rack, Infantry phone box on the rear and the MCD fitted to it.

Scott is correct on the HC (only modeling world calls them HA's) and it is the common tank used by USMC and US Army. As a note, some 3ID, US Army tanks (those drawn from APS Stocks in Kuwait) also had a locally made extended bustle rack. The Dragon M1A1 USMC Baghdad 2003 kit actually has the Army, 3ID rack. The new Academy M1A1 Iraq kit has the correct USMC rack.

All Abrams used by the US Army during the initial assault were "HA", aka heavy commons. US Army M1A2SEP arrived with the 4th ID after the invasion portion was pretty much over.

Non-HA M1A1 Abrams tanks are found in National Guard divisions. I don't know where you get the notion that HA is primarily a Marine vehicle. The Regular Army has been using them for over 15 years.

Don't the Trumpeter Abrams kits have the problem with the left hand side of the turret front? I don't know whether it is a problem on all of them or one specific kit.
Anyhow, link to the Tweaks list over at ML below.

Shaun

http://missinglinks2.tripod.com/index.htm