1/16 OIF M1A2 Abrams
02-23-2011, 03:09 PM
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1/16 OIF M1A2 Abrams
Here are some photos of the M1A2 Abrams that I just completed. It has been painted in early "Operation Iraqi Freedom". I stripped the HE lower hull, built an alunimum motor mount, built a sheet styrene radio tray, and renforced the inside of the hull with styrene. Plastic wheels spacers are from Phil at RCtankwars.com. Gears boxes are Tamiya Panther. Metal tracks & sprockets are Kenny Kong. Receiver is Spektrum 2.4ghz 6100e. Speed control is Dimension Engineering Sabertooth dual 10A which gives Tamiya style single stick control. The Traxxas ESC is for proportion turret rotation control. A Model Solutions of Canada SFX6 sound module provides actual Abrams sound. The 2nd battery is a 12 volt for the sound module. At 12 volts the sound module puts out 10 watts. A 3" 20 watt speaker is located inside the turret. A servo is used for elevation and another servo is used for recoil. The idler wheels are Tamiya Sherman parts left over from a recent Sherman/Mato conversion.
The drivers hatch was cut out and a hinge built. The hatch provides access to on-off switches and charge jacks for the 7.2 volt drive battery and 12 volt sound module battery. I rebuilt the front of the hull for a more correct look, moved & rebuilt both headlights forward, and built the headlight guards. I removed the rear generator box from the rear of the hull (not used after 1993) and then rebuilt the right rear hull & tail light.. I removed all of the back packs & stowage that came with it and filled all the holes in with styrene rod & putty. I took a few of the back packs (they are hollow on the back) and filled then with epoxy putty, did some carving, and reinstalled then. The other stowage are 1/18 scale soda cases that I bought on Ebay and 1/18 stowage from Build Arama. The paint is Testors desert sand weathered with washes, chalks, and with airbrushed Tamiya buff. The lettering was done with hand cut paper stencals. The M2 50 cal is Tamiya with the original mount rebuilt with styrene. The Loaders M240 was rebuilt with styrene. I gave it a test run, but will wait for all the deep snow and ice to melt in the Spring to give it a good workout. For now, back to work on a few more tanks I am working on.
Victor
Epsom, New Hampshire Build-A-Rama
The drivers hatch was cut out and a hinge built. The hatch provides access to on-off switches and charge jacks for the 7.2 volt drive battery and 12 volt sound module battery. I rebuilt the front of the hull for a more correct look, moved & rebuilt both headlights forward, and built the headlight guards. I removed the rear generator box from the rear of the hull (not used after 1993) and then rebuilt the right rear hull & tail light.. I removed all of the back packs & stowage that came with it and filled all the holes in with styrene rod & putty. I took a few of the back packs (they are hollow on the back) and filled then with epoxy putty, did some carving, and reinstalled then. The other stowage are 1/18 scale soda cases that I bought on Ebay and 1/18 stowage from Build Arama. The paint is Testors desert sand weathered with washes, chalks, and with airbrushed Tamiya buff. The lettering was done with hand cut paper stencals. The M2 50 cal is Tamiya with the original mount rebuilt with styrene. The Loaders M240 was rebuilt with styrene. I gave it a test run, but will wait for all the deep snow and ice to melt in the Spring to give it a good workout. For now, back to work on a few more tanks I am working on.
Victor
Epsom, New Hampshire Build-A-Rama
02-23-2011, 03:58 PM
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RE: 1/16 OIF M1A2 Abrams
Sorry I don't have a camera that will do video. I think my grandson's cell phone will do video. I will check with him over the weekend.
Regards,
Victor
Regards,
Victor
02-24-2011, 08:17 AM
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RE: 1/16 OIF M1A2 Abrams
Looks pretty good! If you care too listen I have afew critiques for you. The front hull looks too squared off, Next the color looks too yellowish, Others are minor areas like tow shackles. Dont get me wrong its a very nice lookin M1 and your skills are beyond mine I just know M1's
02-24-2011, 10:13 AM
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RE: 1/16 OIF M1A2 Abrams
The front of the hull originally came with an awful looking overhang. The changes I made were the best that could be made without cutting away some of the hull. As the hull is not all that strong, I didn't want to effect its integrity by any cuts. I had considered the lower tow shackles, but as I like to run my tanks hard, they wouldn't last to long. The color is Testor's Model Master #1063, FS 33722 Desert Sand that has a very thinned Tamiya Buff overspray and appears more tan in person. My digital camera seems to lighten the color in the photos. From all the photos I have studied and the tanks & vehicles located nearby at the National Guard amory, it appears that the sand color varies considerably among the vehicles, not to mention all the green repair parts they have.
Regard,
Victor
Regard,
Victor
ORIGINAL: Oracus
Looks pretty good! If you care too listen I have afew critiques for you. The front hull looks too squared off, Next the color looks too yellowish, Others are minor areas like tow shackles. Dont get me wrong its a very nice lookin M1 and your skills are beyond mine I just know M1's
Looks pretty good! If you care too listen I have afew critiques for you. The front hull looks too squared off, Next the color looks too yellowish, Others are minor areas like tow shackles. Dont get me wrong its a very nice lookin M1 and your skills are beyond mine I just know M1's
02-24-2011, 10:21 AM
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RE: 1/16 OIF M1A2 Abrams
Yeah all exterior repair parts are green and to be painted by the unit. I looked at other He tanks and I see that awful overhang [:'(] You did good I understand the camera color thing that was my 1st thought. Also depending on where the M1 operates the tan color is tinted by the environment
