Just finished up 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 will be put on a base and presented to him as a farwell gift from his officers and men.
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. A few of their M1A1HCs were deployed to Iraq last year in this scheme as well. Someone posted a link to one in Iraq a while back, of course I can’t find it now.
Here it is.




More here.
As usual, all comments are welcomed.
I don’t know, dude… Don’t get me wrong, it’s still great, I can see nothing wrong with the construction at all, but the decal film seems easy to spot, and I’m not too sure about the edges on the camo. Were you free-handing the airbrush, or did you use a feather-mask? (Hold a mask about a quarter-inch from the surface being sprayed, basically allows for ‘scale’ feathering)
How did you do the fuel stains, out of interest?
Don’t suppose you have an open house, do you? Next time I’m in Irwin, I’m thinking I should swing by and check out your collection!
NTM
Now, that’s a different look for an M-1. Does the 11th ACR use their M-1s as part of the agressor package? Looks like another superb build to these eyes, HeavyArty. Will the base be plain wood or will it have some of Ft Irwin’s landscape on it?
Thanks for demonstrating all the pointers you gave me on my thread. I can see most of them here. Wonderful!
OPFOR seems to have two choices for agressor tank. The conventional two-tone M1s such as Gino has modelled, and the KVT-1. (Krasnovian Variant Tank-1) which is basically an M1A1 with the sideskirts removed, oil barrels on the back, fake ERA blocks and camo netting on the gun tubes.

(Photo Scott Cunningham)
NTM
Gino, it looks fantastic, no matter what anyone says about it. Very well done sir, and I’m eger to see the finished project with the base and everthing. Trully a work of masterful skill. Wher e you talking about this pic that someone posted sometime ago.
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a93/Thrashergklm/PaintSceams.jpg
Thanks all. The decals are a little thick. I just switched to a new decal film, not sure I like it. The camo was done freehand. It works for me. You may be seeing some of the drybrushimg on the anti-slip that is obscuring the fading some as well. The fuel stain was done with acrylic craft paint stained water. Load up the brush with some dirty gray-brown water and touch it to the model. Let it flow and move down the hull and let dry. It is basically a pin wash.
Thrasher, that looks like one of theirs in Iraq, but the pic I saw was different. Looks good though.
Not a problem Sir, Just trying to help out the best I can.
Beautiful job on the build HeavyArty.