Something I've been doing the past days

[DNAR]

DBAR - The model HL has made is the M1A2 and it is pretty much correct as is. Very different from the SEPv1 or SEPv2.
The hubs can also just be painted something a little less then black with gloss paint to get the same effect.

Thanks Greengiant for the heads up. M1A2 have the VCU instead of the ACU they have included. The hawker battery compartment is also missing, if its an earlier M1A2 it should have an exhaust on that left hand side compartment for the under armour APU.

Just wondering if they missed this for the pure M1A2 (not the SEP V1-V2 as what ATC is doing). I was also wondering if they included metal road wheels on their metal version?

[greengiant]

No the HL M1A2 has the correct version on the rear bustle rack, it took the place of the early m1A1s unit (pre gulf wars), which hung off the tanks rear end, and proved to be impractical very quickly as when the tank hit a steep grade from a flat surface it would be severely damaged. The uaapu was added when the sepv1 was built because of the need to increase turret cooling as more electronics were added, and then deleted on the sepv2 model in favor of the battery pack after increased main engine power generating capabilities were added to keep the batteries charged.

ATC is doing A SEPV2. The SEPV1 is a completely different version. 1st there was the M1 Abrams then the M1A1 Abrams then the M1A2 Abrams then the M1A2SEPV1 Abrams and the one in use today is the newest in the series the M1A2SEPV2. Those are all Army versions. The Marines have had their own versions built, on the Abrams platform, to their specifications.

Couldn't say about the added metal road wheels. I have the plain plastic wheels, sprockets and tracks on the base version I bought.

[DNAR]

No the HL M1A2 has the correct version on the rear bustle rack, it took the place of the early m1A1s unit (pre gulf wars), which hung off the tanks rear end, and proved to be impractical very quickly as when the tank hit a steep grade from a flat surface it would be severely damaged. The uaapu was added when the sepv1 was built because of the need to increase turret cooling as more electronics were added, and then deleted on the sepv2 model in favor of the battery pack after increased main engine power generating capabilities were added to keep the batteries charged.

I might be wrong but as far as i'm aware the M1A2 had the VCU in place of the old APU which was moved in the left back of the hull of M1A2 , later this was changed to the hawker battery system on the upgraded M1A2. The M1A2 SEP program (V2) tweaked all the system on the existing M1A2. One of the noticeable external changes on the M1A2 SEP V2 is the addition of the CROW RWS.

The APU on the bustle rack was on the M1A1 AIM (Abrams Integrated Program). ATC can you please confirm this.

I haven't seen a M1A2 late as well as SEP V2 with a bustle rack mounted APU as depicted on Heng Long M1A2. I might be wrong on these though. Can you confirm?

The VCU provided the cooling not the UAAPU and these already existed on early M1A2.

[DNAR]

Greengiant, got some confirmations from chaps over Armorama.

Your right on the bustle mounted APU. Older generation M1A2 (non SEP) carry the bustle rack mounted APU and an extra fuel cell on the left end corner of the hull.

The original M1A2 SEP (there is no SEP V1) had UAAPU which is ineffective and later changed to the Hawker battery system hence the new panel on the left end corner of the hull (different layout for UAAPU compared to Hawker Battery System). SEP package also carry the VCU as standard but not the M1A2 older generation.

The M1A2 SEP V2 come with a standard Hawker Battery System instead of UAAPU plus the rest of the upgrade for the SEP which was uprated.

This clarifies it finally that the Heng Long M1A2 is totally correct and representative of the early M1A2. Sorry for the confusion here as I'm also not 100% aware of the versions.

[greengiant]

Tried not to rely on model pictures. I have found 2 pics of real ones labeled as M1A2 with the bustle APU unfortunately they are cropped down to show the APU so it's hard to verify if they are A2's. The first 600 were converted to the Sepv1 ( so there definitely was a Sep v1 configuration with the uaapu) in just 2 years (between 2007 and 2009) and since what's on the web disappears if it isn't searched much may be why pictures of the real non SEP M1A2 Abrams are so hard to find.

With the SEPv2 being the newest they are the easiest to find pictures of. Any search for Abrams tank will get you lots of pics of M1A1's and Sep v2s.

Never searched for pics of the A2 before the sep programs started, as my build was of the v1 version of which the web used to plenty of pics . Even now only 3 yrs later they are getting hard to find and I didn't save my research pictures.

Now I will have to really try to find some pics of the real thing. Just have to find the right words to print in the search box.

You want to really get confused? Try finding pics of the Marine corps versions from the time they first started using the Abrams.

[atcttge]

DBAR - The model HL has made is the M1A2 and it is pretty much correct as is. Very different from the SEPv1 or SEPv2.
The hubs can also just be painted something a little less then black with gloss paint to get the same effect.

Thanks Greengiant for the heads up. M1A2 have the VCU instead of the ACU they have included. The hawker battery compartment is also missing, if its an earlier M1A2 it should have an exhaust on that left hand side compartment for the under armour APU.

Just wondering if they missed this for the pure M1A2 (not the SEP V1-V2 as what ATC is doing). I was also wondering if they included metal road wheels on their metal version?

HL's A2 is the early version. I think I've seen a pic of the actual tank they copied. It's not even an SEP. SEP came in to solve the issues with the A2. I'm not sure how many base A2s and A2SEPs were in Iraq by the time of OIF, but A2s were all refurbished to SEP. Now, A2s and earlier A1s are currently being rebuilt/refurb'd to SEP v2.

The APU on the bustle rack was seen on the A1 and basic A2. I think you can see pix of an A2 with the bustle rack APU at Primeportal.

Oops. Just saw your last post. People call the original SEP a v1 because, well, it was the first version. Some add that "v1" suffix for SEPs with the TUSK package and earlier CROWS (the one mounted on the turret roof, not on the doghouse). SEP v2 is wot I built. Greengiant's and ALPHA's are SEPs.

[atcttge]

As for USMC M1s, these are commonly called M1A1HCs which stands for Heavy Common. Basically it's M1 that has the armour package in US Army M1A1HAs (Heavy Armour, i.e.., with DU inserts), plus other Marine Corps specific stuff (e.g., the smoke grenade launchers, the MICD on the manhole cover). AFAIK, USMC M1s are getting long in the tooth already. I haven't been updated if these were ever upgraded to AIM standards. It's possible not, judging from USMC history with tanks (I recommend Col. Ken Estes' book "Marines Under Armor" for such history).

[greengiant]

Here's the prime portal pic. And it says the person submitting it was loading pictures of M1A2 Abrams in his motor pool I guess. But all the other pics are of V2s.

[atcttge]

Take note that extended bustle rack. Chances are that is an M1A2 since that extended bustle rack was first found on A2s bound for Iraq. The extended bustle rack found on A1s during the first months of OIF were field modifications and do not like like the one above. However, I have seen a photo of a NATO 3-colour A1 with that A2-style extended bustle rack. So I reckon that has made its way to some of the A1 fleet.

If only I had a million bucks, I would get another HL M1 and convert it to an OIF-era A1AIM.

[ALPHA]

ALPHA his look more like the real ones then bent wire yes?

W......eeeeeeeeeeeeeeelllllllllllllllllll....I like mine a little exaggerated lol....they stand out better once painted

ALPHA