Dear fans … think of doing a M1A1 maintenance diorama ??? Here is italeri M1A1 … i plan to build a maintenance diorama with m88a1, 10 ton refuel truck with 2 abrams . So fans comment about this italeri kit .
The main problem with this kit and the Italeri M1A2 (same kit minus interior resin and A2 specific parts) is that the engine compartment was ficticious. Several grills that are molded onto the hull are supposed to be a part of the removeable engine cover (aka “back deck”).
Also there is a forward piece that comes off separately on the real tank. It is just aft of the turret and called a b*tch plate (because it is a PITA to get back in). Part of this piece is molded onto the back deck and the other part is molded onto the upper hull.
I first noticed this when I bought the M1A2 when it came out. I saw the same error on the M1A1 boxtop photos. This is the same error DML and later Trumpeter did on their Abrams tanks. Italeri just followed along and did the same thing.
FWIW, the kit looks nice and close enough to fool the casual observer. You have a pretty busy diorama planned. Remember, the vehicle with the engine being worked on would not be getting fuel. Feel free to shoot me any messages if you need assistance. I’ve run a few Unit Maintenance Collection Points (UMCPs or field maintenance sites) in my day.
is possible for fuel truck park near maintenance base .to provide other tanks or pass out tanks for refuel after servicing ?? What i wish now is m1a1 track they provide is big foot not chervon tracks …Which can match to my ops iraqi freedom diorama … others error can be excuse …
Yes, fuelers came to the UMCP to refuel vehicles. Most of the 5 gallon cans are for oil or other petroleum products and not normally for fuel, especially tracked vehicles. They tend to have tanks in the 100’s of gallons and a 5 gallon tank of fuel does them no good.
Bigfoot track, more properly know as T-158, is more common now. The chevron style was being phased out in the early 90s.
A dio such as the one you are planning could be cool to do much like this one.
http://trumpeter.cool.ne.jp/gallary2/ty-m1a2.html
My thoughts on this new Italeri Abrams #6438 kit is the price is way out there. I was seriously looking at adding this one to my growing collection until I read that it is basically the same as the 6390 kit with added resin bits. The engine I could do with out. The interior parts is what I would want but not at that price. I would rather have for this price a couple sprues of PE, white metal, and resin detail pieces and maybe some masking sheeting than what Italeri ultimately included in this kit.
So fans .I really confuse by the actually colour scheme of M1A1/A2 what i saw from picture show TAMIYA DECK TAN and BUFF colour but M1A1(old kit) recommend DESERT YELLOW .After a period of consideration i choose DECK TAN and BUFF for each of my tank . So guy do u think of any other colour for desert M1A1/A2 ?One more question why M1A1(HA) using 3 tone camonflage in iraq ??? No time to paint or shortage of paint ?? But they really look cool with others in DECK TAN colour …Btw i find something is wrong in that diorama http://trumpeter.cool.ne.jp/gallary2/ty-m1a2.html do marine use M1A2 in ops desert storm ??? due to those soldier is in old desert (cookie chip) uniform ???
The NATO 3-color scheme tanks came from pre-positioned stocks located either at sea or in Europe. I believe the pre-po stocks in Kuwait were all sand. The best color match I found is Testors Model Master Desert Sand in the spray can, but the tan can vary based on age.
The vehicles in Kuwait were sitting under the hot sun at a huge tank park (former conatiner ship unloading point) called Camp Doha. Temperatures in that area top well over 120 degrees. This bleaches out the color. Tanks that arrived from the states or aboard ship did not get as sun bleached. So the actual color may just vary.
This is better than their US Army/Marine armor color? Is the Desert Sand in the bottle different from the Sand in the rattle can?
Those markings are for a US Army Desert Storm era M1A1HA, not an M1A2 and not a USMC vehicle. The chocolate chip DCU was being phased out starting in 1992 (when I got my first set of the new DCUs), but the chocolate chips were still being used well into the mid 1990s.
Another item to “catch” is that the subtitle of the diorama is “The Essentials in a Saudi Arabian Desert”. This assumes the men are loading up and going into battle, but the tank has MILES gear installed, BFA (.50 cal blank firing adapter), Hoffman device and other gear associated with maneuver training, not “go to war” items.
Also the ammo rounds just leaning on a pile of sundry supplies are 105mm HEP rounds, useless to the crew of an M1A1 or M1A2 unless they were rigging the round to self destruct inside the tank. But why would you need to do that if your tank is equipped for a training mission? Besides, the ammo rounds would not be just lying about like those are.
Also the items stored in that pile would not be stored together. The oxygen and acetylene bottles would be laid down. If that bottle fell over and the valve busted open, the bottle would take off like a missile.
There are also MREs stored right next to oil cans, again, not normally done for obvious contamination reasons.
I’m sure the experts could pick it apart even more than I just did. But overall, I think it is a nice job done to a nice kit. I can over look all the inaccuracies in the diorama and just appreciate the modeling skills presented.
Maj Rob,
Is the BFA the three “tube” thing over the barrel of the mg??
Thanks for sharing your knowledge. It’s a great help for us former Air Force guys.
Yes, it is a Blank Firing Adapter. Used to allow blanks to be fired for training missions.
I don’t know what the builder’s intentions were in this dio and I am not an expert on M1A1/A2s (yet) so I cannot comment on the trueness of what he has depicted with the tank and the accessories. But being a model railroader as well as a plastic modeller, I can say that when building a dio or scene, some times you need to create what would otherwise be a large scene into a very small space. Maybe that was what he was doing, trying to cram everything he wanted into the limited space he gave himself. Correctness of the details was not his priority.
Thanks, Gino. Reason I was asking, Both of the Trumpeter (yuck!) M1’s I have show that detail and call in an “antenna”! I had my doubts, but being totally unfamiliar with Abrams…!
I know, and appreciate the builder’s work. I was just pointing out the fact that you shouldn’t be picking at errors, especially when the builder isn’t here to speak for himself. Just appreciate the talents he does show. Sortof a glass half empty/half full approach.
I don’t think anyone needs to pick it over anymore MAJ. You have done quite a fine job, sir! haha
ya if for casual building i don t mind those errors … but if for historic reference or rebuilding scenes … There is a need for accurate and correct display … But again modelling is means the art and the process not the diorama sometimes …
i have a question anyone seen before an M1A1(HA) painted in whole nato green ???
Yes, I have seen them. Marine pre-po and some army rebuilds have shown up in all green before.
why they r paint in nato green ? for what purpose ? is this means those have finish their AIM program ?? how much is a italeri resin kit cost ???