I finished this one up a few days after the April contest and posted it then. Guess I will throw it in the running.

It is an M1A1HC from 11 ACR at Ft Irwin, CA. It is the Commander's tank (HQ 66) from 1st Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, Ironhorse.

It is a DML kit with a few pieces added like APU power connector box and conduit, forward power receptacle next to the manhole cover, and EPLRS antenna. Turret front slope CIPs and all decals were made by me as well. It has a unique color scheme that is only used by the 11th ACR. They are painted this way to represent OPFOR (Opposing Force, ie. enemy) vehicles. A few of their M1A1HCs were deployed to Iraq last year in this scheme as well. Here is one in Iraq.


Here is mine.





More here.

As usual, all comments are welcomed.

ah yes remember seeing the original thread but never got to see the actual photo of the real one. Very good job on the kit overall as per usual.

Looks like you pretty much got it spot on, down to the scratches on the side skirts. If memory serves me right, you built this for the commander that was on the way out? Hope he liked it.

Question around the abrams in general however.....were CIP panels loaded onto only the newer models of abrams or were they placed onto even the older models?

To Quote Arnold Swarzenegger in Twins. "It's like looking in da mirror". :-)
I liked the 1st time I saw it Gino. Thanks for posting the comparison photo. Good luck on the Dragon AMoM.

Thanks guys.




The CIP has nothing to do with the age of the tank. They have only recently been seen in OIF because they were developed after ODS ('90-'91) from lessons learned there in friendly fire incidents. They can be fitted to any vehicle, regardless of age.

Jeremy,
CIPs have been standard equipment on tanks and Brads and other US equipment since the mid-90's... They were probably fielded in 1992 or 1993 to the units in the US, but that is guessing on my part as we did not have them in Germany at the time and I first saw the CIPs when I got to Ft Irwin/NTC in 1994

John

Awesome stuff. Thanks for the info guys.

Very good looking model Gino. It's good to see original camo schemes to change from the "standard" tan or NATO ones.
Unfortunately, western modern armor don't get as much inventive camouflage as WWII armor but anyhow I prefer their look. As regard to interesting camo, I think the Russians are the best for the moment with maybe the Chinese too.

To come back to your model, I like the scratches on the skirts, these give a very real look to it. I suspect you depict it in Iraq and not at the NTC as no live simulation equipment seem to be fitted.

Olivier

Thanks Olivier. Yes, it depicts the CDR's tank in Iraq.

Great looking as usual, Gino. Good luck in the Dragon MoM.

Erik

Very nice looking Abrams Gino, one question about eh pic ofthe real tank,why is there a green swathe on the track guard? Is that just a case they forgot to over spray it?

Regards from the Swamp

Hawkeye

The green portion of the side skirt is a replacement part. All replecement parts come in either sand or green. Guess they ordered the wrong color.