I have a Tamiya M1A2 incoming and I want to build an OIF USMC M1A1HA For those who have built this kit...does it have the extra bustle rack at the back included? or do I have to purchase the Eduard PE AM set? Also where can I get the rear sprocket with the holes in it? Do I get them AM or is there a cheap kit I can get them out of? More questions incoming..thanks in advance for the intel guys!

Question #1 - No Marine Extra bustle rack. Solution: get the Eduard one, like you stated or snag one from the Academy OIF Abrams.

Question #2 - The lightning hole sprockets come in the Tamiya kit.

Keep the questions coming!

Pete OUT!

Outstanding! Ok..is the anti-skid on the Dragon kits accurate? I am thinking about using it as my reference to apply Mr. Surfacer on the Tamiya hull...

As far as placement, I believe so. I'm not 100% sure. I have pictures of the M1A1 that is in the back and it looks about right. But the best person or persons to ask that is HeavyArty, Sabot, and Vodnik, oh and Burik.

Howdy Horse Dude. The Tamiya kit does not have a bustle rack extension. You can do the Eduard PE, scratchbuild, or grab the styrene one from the Academy "USMC Baghdad 2003" kit. That kit also has a set of sprockets with the relief holes cut in them and a psuedo TI Phone. There is a member who goes by the call sign Bison126 aka Oliver Carneau who describes a build on this site. Check his members gallery. And a gent who goes by Vodnik has a really good side by side of all the current available kits at: http://vodnik2.replubika.pl/pages/m1-comparison/m1comp1.htm . His review will better explain what needs to be done to any of the kits for accuracys sake. You will need to build the EPLRS antenna base on the right turet rear,some of the MCD cable conduit on the turret roof and apply the non-skid on the hull and turret to go the full monty. Happy USMC modeling. Out here.

To add to that list:

BroAbrams
Tankleader
Turrettoad (he is in Iraq now, so getting ahold of him will be very hard)

Jeff

Ton of useful info on the site from the Abrams build campaign. Read through the posts. Some will be useful. Great old thread.
Link:



http://nl.armorama.com/forums/23003&page=1

HTH,

Shaun

The mud relief holes are not there in Tamiya kit. Sprockets with lighter version of sprocket ring are included, but they are still solid. The Legend's M1 accessories set is one source for sprockets with mud relief holes.

Pawel

Thanks Pawel, my mistake. It was the Academy kit that I was thinking about, by the way, is not a bad kit for parts!

I forgot about you Mike, SORRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I would make the mud relief holes myself (and I did ). I don't think it is worth buying the Legends stuff just to get this. Kind of expensive. YOu could easily make the four holes on each sprocket by making a template with paper and then "painting" on the hole. Let the paint dry and then drill through it with your dremel tool for your four matching holes. I don't like the mud relief holes provided in the other kits since they are not correct anyway. The holes should be oblong, and not perfectly round, and they are set too far back on the Trumpeter set. Then you have to be sure they fit the Tamiya kit anyway.

Bison 126 has a nice close-up of the conduit Mike Mummey is talking about. My three photos of my recent Tamiya build do not have a close-up of this. But the one close-up (see MY PHOTOS) of the front of the turret shows the subtle effect that can be done with Cast-A-Coat for the non-slip surface. I really like this stuff. I used the DML kit as my guide too. It appears that there are SLIGHT differences in the non-slip surface pattern depending on who and when the real stuff was put down.

Good luck. I'd like to see photos as it progresses.

Bob

Hi 4thhorseman (long call sign )

check out the "/features" article I published here for some answers (Even if the base kit is DML). You can drill the mud relief holes yourself saving extra money from AM parts.
As far as the bustle rack extension is concerned, I have a doc file from Tankleader with all the measurements needed to scratchbuild it. Let me know if you're interested.

olivier

Another question guys..after the famous uprooting of the saddam statue and the covering of the face with a US flag then an Iraqi flag...were our troops prohibited from flying the stars and stripes on their antennas? I have not seen any vehicles with US flags flying (i know the obvious reasons for this.) I have an urge to put one on my Abrams...

Yes,
Oficially, we were urged not to fly US flags on vehicles and on the buildings we were occupying as HQs, etc. However, most of us ignored that directive. I flew a US flag on the building my battery was at and was never told to take it down. There were many vehicles that flew flags as well. The reason was that we did not want to be seen as occupyers as opposed to liberators.

Good will put one on mine then! Will just need to find pics depicting it! Also...I want to get sprockets with the relief holes in them...I dont have the skill to do them myself..what are my options???

Legends has an Abrams accessory set that includes new sprockets with mud relief holes molded into them. Other thad that, or getting someone to swap a set of the Academy or Trumpteer sprockets with the holes, you have to make them yourself.

Anyone want to swap?? I'm holding my breath!

Its not that hard, check out my gallery. I have 2 Abrams in there, one with the Legends set, the other with drive sprockets I drilled out myself.


I know it isnt perfect, it was my first attempt, but it worked out OK.

Melon