Something I've been doing the past days

[ALPHA]

The inside of the sight box looks really good, much more detailed then mine.
You did the lift rings for the engine cover. I presume you will also do the cover bolt down squares at each side also?

Yep, will add those square thingies later.

ALPHA: BWUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! OH NOES! NOT THE GRAB HANDLES! hehehehehehe

The lift rings was fairly easy. I just punched four styrene discs from thin stock, glued two pairs together, cut in half, then punched one half with a smaller punch to make the inner arc. I'll clean it up later as I didn't have time to do so last night. Progress is slow as I've got only a short time working on the tank every night after each working day.

I almost used plastic stock...had some on hand...thought they would be too fragile so I filed down some bar stock to make it square and bent it to the same dimension of the plastic stock...the drilling of the anchor holes were the tricky part...unlike plastic which just sticks on the deck and can be easily moved...once you drill a hole..you have to pretty much make sure the second hole is straight otherwise you're in a world of pain lol

ALPHA

PS...DRATS!!!! FOILED AGAIN ...NO GRAB HANDLES

[greengiant]

The type of extended rack can be folded up flat against the main rack or removed completely, you can see where they are hinged and the removable attachment to the main rack. I think they were already being made back when the M1A1 was in use and if some units managed to order them and get them they could be added to any Abrams that had a bustle rack.

[atcttge]

Yep, that bustle rack extension can be folded. I recall seeing just one photo of it folded up, but other than that, all the photos I've seen have it in unfolded state. Those were made during OIF as the turret APU took a lot of space, plus tankers liked to carry lots of stuff around with them hence the extended racks. The ones found in M1A1s during OIF were field mods that didn't fold. Basically just an open box with mesh. Since those were field mods, those have since been replaced with the folding racks found in new builds.

[atcttge]

Alpha: I had in mind using copper wire or thick staple wire to do those lift rings. I prefer working with metal stuff as much as possible. The plan was to use thick copper wire and file to square profile, then cut and bend. Thick staple wire would be better as these were already square in profile. I ended up using plastic because, as always, that was wot I had around already. The plastic and metal stuff y'all see here? Those were in my box of assorted stuff that have been there for years already, like more than ten years hahahahaha!

[greengiant]

The ones I've seen folded are usually on newly rebuilt units still in their shipping configuration (non of the v2 turret top parts installed) but with the parts strapped as flat as possible on the turret top and then covered up. Most often on railcars in Europe.

That picture you saw must have been of the A2 just before the sep programs funding started.

There weren't many years between each upgrade was started. The 101 airborne tank units with m1a1's where getting ready to leave Iraq when the sep v1's were arriving there as we pulled most of our troops out and then v2's arrived shortly after so all 3 types may have been there, for a short period, at the same time

[atcttge]

That is very much possible greengiant.

[DNAR]

Thanks for all the clarifications here. Very helpful indeed. Its good to know that HL can be done just to represent an earlier M1A2 and its up to you if you want to represent the subsequent variants if you pursue it. Out of the box its good to go. Adding the anti slip surface will improve its accuracy and so are grab handles and mesh screen etc. which would be more appealing visually.

Any updates ATC?

[ALPHA]

Alpha: I had in mind using copper wire or thick staple wire to do those lift rings. I prefer working with metal stuff as much as possible. The plan was to use thick copper wire and file to square profile, then cut and bend. Thick staple wire would be better as these were already square in profile. I ended up using plastic because, as always, that was wot I had around already. The plastic and metal stuff y'all see here? Those were in my box of assorted stuff that have been there for years already, like more than ten years hahahahaha!

I'm thinking you wanted to avoid using metal so you would be able to avoid the urge to make grab handles ...just kidding ATC
In a way you sound just like me in the process of doing things....I always check my junk box first ...and usually find something usable...when I did my rings...I didn't really want to use metal....resin scrap was my first choice...then I found a piece of plaststruct that would have also been perfect...but just because of the way I lift my tank...metal became the final solution...I knew I wouldn't be able to knock those off lol....only if the whole rear bulkhead cracked off would those rings fail ...I could have shoved them in further....but I didn't have my hull split open(too lazy to unscrew it )...and I knew I had wires behind there somewhere lol

ALPHA

[ALPHA]

Thanks for all the clarifications here. Very helpful indeed. Its good to know that HL can be done just to represent an earlier M1A2 and its up to you if you want to represent the subsequent variants if you pursue it. Out of the box its good to go. Adding the anti slip surface will improve its accuracy and so are grab handles and mesh screen etc. which would be more appealing visually.

Any updates ATC?

I didn't say a thing ATC

ALPHA

[DNAR]

Hi chaps,

Any chance someone could explain some of the acronyms used when talking about the Abrams please. i.e. SEP, APU, VCU, ACU,UAAPU.

I am just looking into modern armour myself and would appreciate the explanation as would other I suspect who are less knowledgable on this subject.

Thanks

Paul

Hi scalawag, if I may answer your questions here I'm sure ATC would not mind to help out others and please add on any inputs as well.

SEP - System Enhance Programme - done to upgrade M1A2
APU - Auxiliary Power Unit
VCU - Vapor Compression Unit
UAAPU - Under Armour Auxiliary Power Unit
ACU - ? never mentioned but can stand for Army Combat Uniform which replaces the term BDU or Battle Dress Uniform.