Hello fellow modelers,
I usually build floaties but after going blind working on 700 scale ships, I got an itch to do an M1A2 and an Fraun SLT 56 Tank Transporter (only because I can’t find a modern US tank transporter) for a change of pace. These will be my first attempts at mudslingers.
I have been trying to find out what the correct colors for the M1A2 is. I have a 35 Scale Trumpeter tank. The instructions say overall desert yellow with patches of olive drab. Is this a correct paint scheme for the M1A2. Most of what I have seen in pictures, the tanks appear to be overall one color. Also is this a US Marine color scheme or does the Army also use the tan cami colors?
Any comments would be most appreciated!!!
Thanks, Bob
That was a US Army demonstration vehicle camouflage pattern used when showing the tank to the Kuwaiti government in the 1990s. The unit depicted by the markings was part of the separate armor brigade that used to be stationed at Ft. Knox, KY. That unit no longer exists (194th Armor Brigade).
The US Marines do not use the M1A2. They only use the M1A1 with a missile countermeasure device mounted forward of the loader’s hatch. It makes the tank look like an M1A2 at a quick glance.
A few of the tanks are painted in the standard NATO 3-color camouflage pattern and are here at the Armor School at Ft. Knox. They are used for training. The rest of the M1A2 fleet is painted overall sand only.
US Army and USMC both use the overall Sand (Testors Model Master Sand, FS 333531) camo for desert operations. USMC does not use M1A2s though. They are Army-only tanks, further, only 3 major units in the Army have fielded them due to their high cost. The M1A2 is only used by units of 3rd Corps, which are 1 CAV, 4ID, and 3ACR. The above units have all their vehicles in overall sand as well, therefore, you will not find any operational M1A2s in any other color than sand. The Trumpeter color guide was taken from a test vehicle with a test paint scheme and is wrong. There are a few M1A2s at the Armor School at Ft Knox in 3-tone NATO camo as well, but none operationally painted that color scheme.
As a further note, I wouldn’t put the M1A2 on the Faun, no reason for this to ever happen, especially since no M1A2s have been deployed to or fielded in Europe. Better load for the Faun would be a German piece of equipment. There are many kits of German stuff out there that would work well and look good.
Good luck.
Man, Rob was quicker on the draw. Same info though, guess great minds think alike!!
Thanks for the replies! I have always wanted to build a flat bed trailer combo with something to sit on on the trailer. I often thought of commercial rigs but nothing really appealed to me.
When I saw the SLT 56, I have been looking for something to put on it, so I thought why not an Abrams? I just wasn’t sure which model to use or the differences between them. I just like the way it looks and I always liked the appeareance of the Abrams since I first saw them being built at the plant in Toledo, Ohio. (I think thats where I saw them being built).
I know the SLT 56 is German but, I really didn’t like the looks of the WWII era transporter. Besides that the WWII era transporter doesn’t look like it could handle an Abrams.
Thanks again for your responses! Bob
No, the US M25 Dragon Wagon WWII tank transporter will not carry an M1A2. The only model of a modern M1070/M1000 HET tank transporter is the ridiculously overpriced resin kit by Accurate Armour from Scotland. It goes for $500+. It is awesome, I built one for a customer, but still not worth that much money in my book.
AA HET
Here is the one I built:
More here.
I still would go with something German on the Faun, maybe a Leopard 2A6, thier equivelant to the Abrams.