Hey all,

Not usually a modern armor guy but have been wanting ot do a Abrams and now with the new DML M1A1 AIM kit which I have heard nothing but praise about I have decided to take the plunge into modern armor with this kit; now what I need to know is what the AIM means and if this model would be compatible with the US Marine decals from Archer Fine Transfers??? as I want to do a Marine vehicle.
Any help would be very much appreciated.
Thanks

Thomas, to do a Marine tank you would also need to get some extra parts not included in the DML kit. Marines in OIF1 had a dazzler on top of the manhole cover which is in front of the loader. Also, the Marines use a different smoke grenade launcher. You could get those parts from somebody who has the Tamiya kit and did not use the Marine parts.

The dazzler is not used now by the Marines since there is no tank-on-tank action, but it sounds like you have decals for OIF1 setting, so you would need the dazzler on your model.

Bob

hi thomas,
burik is right, but you´d also need an additional bustlerack extension. Eduard manufactures a very nice pe set for that.
so either you buy that pe st and scratchbuild the dazzler (MCD-Missile Countermeasure Device) and the USMC style smoke grenade launchers yourself...
shouldn´t be too difficult :-)
or you get one of academy´s m1a1 in iraq kits, it includes all the required parts (not too accurate but ok)

good luck max

oh and... AIM means something with integrated management or something like that, it just describes some electronic devices installed inside the tank...

The other guys have covered the basic USMC changes. They also have a mounting flange for teh exhaust snorkel, and a tank/infantry phone box on the right rear hull, just left of the taillight.

AIM stands for Abrams Integrated Management program, and means a totally rebuilt to new standards M1A1, nothing more. Check out my Abrams types article for more info and pics of the above items.

You'll find 2 walkaround photo albums of a USMC M1A1 on the Svsm website :
John Heck's pics1

John Heck's pics2

HTH

Frenchy

Thanks for all the helpful info guy's, looks like I can't just put USMC decals on this new Abrams kit.. :-)
But I want it accurate Thanks again all