Hobby Engine Abrams converted to Heng Long M1A2

[PainlessWolf]

Alwyn,
This looks great! I can definitely understand the 256 bolt heads thing. Following along and looking forward to seeing this in paint.
regards,
Painless

[AlwynTurner]

After much frustration with the new airbrush I resorted to the good old hairy stick and got a couple of coats of paint on. First coat was too dark but seems to be ok after a colour re-mix.



Still some finishing off to do with the side and rear recognition panels, then it's down to finishing and weathering, plus some stowage on the rear bustles to add character. I'll probably take it to the MAD meeting tomorrow to give it a run. Alwyn

[Tankbear]

Looking great Alwyn

On the turret motor, you need to make your own stand off's. I cut off the hobby engine stand offs, plus some from the hull base and cut these down and super glued in place.

Ian.

[greengiant]

You have what was originally called (by 21st century) the US Marine version with the added extra turret rear storage rack. HE is easy to change to HL electronics to make a good runner Just use the diagram that shows the rx 18 in the center with the connection points for wires to the plug ins as A,B,C, ect for each plug that will get your wires to the correct locations.
A high tension flash can be installed along with the HL ir battle system.
I did mine by cutting out the turret ring from the hull and turret and replacing them with ones cut from an old HL pantiger. This let me use the HL turret rotation motor. The original turret rotation gearbox had a cracked final drive gear that I couldn't keep attached to its shaft.
I redid both turret hatches so they work correctly and have the correct interior detail. I did away with the commanders copula automatic movement connection redid the copula periscopes and put the IR apple connection in copula. The IR sending led is located just below the L shaped thing on the gun mantle.
The Taillights need to be moved out to the edge of the hull rear, and the big box at the hull rear should be removed as well as the big old crew nbc air cleaner that's on the turrets rear stowage rack. Those two items were done away with on the real tank a long time ago.
Yours looks good with its tusk items. If you can find some old 21st century gulf war infantry they make good crew members.
With mine I hope to get a HL lower hull to get better tracks but even if I have to get a whole bb version my turret should fit right on the HL hull.
Don't forget to add the headlight guards. A piece of styrene can be cut and placed on the lower hull in front to get rid off the stepback of the upper and lower hulls that the HE unit has kept from the original 21st century non suspension model.

[AlwynTurner]

Hi Greengiant, really like the tank and what you've done to it. I have done the conversion to HL RX18 and the only thing I haven't changed so far are the gearboxes which are staying, and the turret rotation motor which is on the list to replace once I find one. I managed to get some cheap world peacekeeper figures which I have changed to gulf war colours and they look good on the tank. It has made a quite impressive tank for a cheapy (I got it for £25 as a spares/repair and gutted it). I'll probably keep it as an Iraq era tank as it has a lot of character. I keep looking for decent tracks but they haven't appeared on the after market but I'm sure they will eventually. Tankbear has done some work on these tanks and his threads are on the forum but I don't have the links handy. Alwyn

[greengiant]

I think that to switch to the metal tracks or even the plastic tracks you will have to change the drive motor gearboxes to ones that will accept the new drive sprocket and modify all the idler and road wheels. There are posts showing how this is done. Just use the function at the top of the forums ( you might try show off or any others until you find what your looking for).
viewtopic.php?f=23&t=11257&hilit=abrams is one I pulled up. It shows use of HL Chinese mbt rear sprocket, motors, tracks and a quick way to modify the road wheels.

[AlwynTurner]

Thanks Greengiant, the link looks really useful. Alwyn

[greengiant]

Good AlwynTurner. If you use the search box for the different forums you can find a lot of information.
I was looking for some HL machine gun leds in my junk boxes and I found one of my old 21st century Abrams turret traverse motors ( a good one with a metal turret ring drive gear) but I live in the states and shipping it to you would be to expensive. Sorry.

[PainlessWolf]

Greengiant,
If you are interested in that motor finding a good home, The fellow I gave my HobbyEngine Abrams to needs one of those with the gear. I'll happily pay shipping or recompense. PM me please if you are interested.
regards,
Painless

[greengiant]

Your in the states so sure I'll send it. let Me check that it still runs ( it's been sitting in a pile of odds and ends for close to twenty years) and I'll get back to you.