discussion 1/35 Wrecked Abrams M1A1HA Main Battle Tank....Iraq 2007.

[spanner570]

Hi all,
I've been looking for a cheap modern tank kit to destroy, I was lucky enough to purchase an Abrams kit for a tenner at Cosford.

The diorama will be similar to my M1A1 Blazer effort. Except this tank will be destroyed.

I've been quietly designing and constructing the two damaged buildings I need for the backdrop, and started the burned out process on the tank. All brush painted with Poundshop acrylics for the building and tank. Enamels, brush applied for the start of the burned out effect on the tank.

Here's the main building.
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...and a smaller one.
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....the initial painting of the burned out tank.
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Next I'll hack off most of the wheels, and re-position them. Then continue painting the tank.

Cheers.
Ron

 

[Mr Bowcat]

The buildings are superb Ron.

 

[col68]

Brilliant work ron

 

[Gern]

Great stuff! I know you'll have an answer 'cos you always do, but would the Americans leave the machine guns for anyone to get hold of?

 

[spanner570]

Thanks chaps.

Dave, I chewed over the M.G.'s - On or off? And reasoned that initially, the crew would have had little time (if any) to abandon the tank and would not have given a thought to dismounting the two weapons. I would think the paint removal and collapsed suspension due to the severity of the fire would have at least warped the M.G. barrels, making them useless. That's my thoughts. What say you good buddy?

Cheers.
Ron

 

[Gern]

Nowt wrong with your thinking, I just reckon they wouldn't take the chance that the guns could still be used unless it was too soon after the fire for them to be removed. If you could show the flames still coming from the tank .......

 

[Mr Bowcat]

Maybe you could heat up the MG barrels and introduce some droop into them?

 

[papa 695]

Nice idea, and a great start Ron.

 

[PaulTRose]

this is very impressive Ron, buildings look great

Great stuff! I know you'll have an answer 'cos you always do, but would the Americans leave the machine guns for anyone to get hold of?

if they couldnt have recovered very quickly they would have denied access by destroying it.......Apache with a maverick or a fast mover with a Paveway or JDAM or suchlike

 

[spanner570]

Thanks for the input, chaps...

'Apache with a maverick or a fast mover with a Paveway or JDAM or suchlike'.....Yer What, Paul?!...:upside:

After their demise, and way after, most Abrams had both m.g's still mounted. I would suggest the intense head would have done for them, anyway. So I've decided to leave them on.

I've done more to the tank. I'm not aiming at major destruction, just the result of a devastating internal fire.

I quickly brush painted on various shades of acrylics. Some colours ran in to each other, some didn't - Lovely Jubbly. Then I randomly dabbed at the thing with the end of my little finger, before finally flicking some black paint at it!

Here's the result so far......

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Slowly getting there.

Cheers.
Ron

 

[papa 695]

Looking very good Ron.

 

[PaulTRose]

'Apache with a maverick or a fast mover with a Paveway or JDAM or suchlike'.....Yer What, Paul?!...:upside:

lol

Apache = Boeing AH-64 attack helo
Maverick = brain fade moment.....i meant Hellfire missile.....Maverick is a jet carried air to ground missile, too big for a helo to carry, Hellfire is a laser or radar guided missile, originally designed as a tank killer
'fast mover' = jet aircraft
Paveway and JDAM (Joint Direct Attack Munition) = 'smart' bomb

 

[monica]

great work with this one Ron,real liking the building,the ab,s looks great as well do
like the damage,weathering well done so far,:smiling:

 

[spanner570]

Thanks for all the clarifications Paul. It seems to me all branches of the armed services have their own language!....Tally ho!

Monica - Thanks for your great post.

Cheers.
Ron

 

[spanner570]

...a small update that has (Hopefully) finished the tank painting.

In my ignorance, I fixed the road wheels at the start of the build, before I found out just how badly they were effected by the terrific heat of an internal fire. Some wheels even buckled as the suspension failed and the tank settled on the ground. So I had to snip them off the model and re-glue at varying angles etc. and a lot lower too!

Here's the result.
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I'll return to it if I need to, but for now I'll return to the base work.

Cheers all, and thanks for looking.
Ron

 

[Guest]

Ron !!! :smiling: hi mate, The photos look better on here :thumb2:
John.

 

[Steve Jones]

Ron
The building work looks really great. Are you going to be doing any concrete barriers on the road side?
Steve

 

[Guest]

Amazing start Ron, really looking forward to seeing more mate :smirk:

 

[spanner570]

Cheers Tom.

Steve - No, I'll leave them off. Any more additions might start to clutter the build up a bit too much, but thanks for the suggestion......:thumb2:

In order to keep as much of the tank in view as is possible, I wanted the final corner to be something low, so I've made a corrugated fence, using kitchen foil and cut down coffee stirrers from the cafe at Cosford (Shh, don't tell anyone!)
Once I'd made and fixed it, I put my thumb on it and flattened the corner.

Here's the result.
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That's mainly it for the structures. Next I'll tackle the rubble etc., add the tank and also do something I have literally just thought of as I type!

Cheers all.
Ron

 

[Guest]

Ron .
I can sell you some bricks at a good price, could you contact my agent Cpl Jones for further information .
Love the corrugated fence, and nicely snapped timber uprights.
John.