Comparison
of M1A1/M1A2 Abrams kits.

PART 4

TURRET DETAILS  

The rear of the turret is separate part in all kits, but only in Tamiya M1A2 model this part also includes walls and top of boxy turret extension. Tamiya correctly molded the crosswind sensor as shifted slightly to the left side of the turret. Italeri and Trumpeter molded them in the middle of support plates, what is not correct. Dragon molded support plate and sensor separately with correctly located "hinges", thus enabling modeler to attach the sensor in stored horizontal position. Also note that Dragon's crosswind sensor is of different type than those in other kits - both types are correct and both could be seen on M1A1 tanks during OIF. Tamiya rear turret part lacks the small bracket supporting the sensor in stored position. In Academy kit (not shown) rear turret part is flat, unlike in Tamiya kit, but the sensor part looks the same as Tamiya's (just with less details).
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Antenna mounts in all kits. Older Tamiya M1A1 kits had antenna mounts identical to those in Academy model. Only Italeri, Trumpeter and new Tamiya M1A2 kits include antenna mount springs (one in Italeri and Trumpeter kits and two in Tamiya kit).
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Stowage bins. Please note various ways of molding side rails brackets. In Italeri and Dragon kits they are molded on bins. In Tamiya kit only the two brackets are molded on bins and in Trumpeter kits none is molded this way. Also note that Dragon and Tamiya parts lack the small protruding "shelf" on the side of each bin, used to store the ammo box. Academy part (not shown) looks similar to Trumpeter part ("shelf" for ammo box present and no brackets). Only Trumpeter molded a cover hinge line on the edge of each bin. Note that only in Italeri kit the non-slip coating correctly "surrounds" the handles on the bin lid. On top of the picture, next to Trumpeter parts are two small parts added - these are latches used to secure stowage bins to the turret. Only Trumpeter kit includes these parts. Italeri molded those latches on turret sides and all other kits lack them completely.
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Side rails. In Dragon and Italeri kits each rail is a separate part. In Tamiya and Trumpeter kits all three rails for each side of the turret are molded as on part with mounting brackets. In Academy kit (not shown) each rail is separate like in Dragon kit, but to make assembly even more complicated also mounting brackets are all molded as separate parts (not on stowage bins, like in Dragon and Italeri kits). In each kit the way rails end (were they meet the turret bustle rack) is portrayed differently. In Italeri kit rails are not attached to the turret at their ends what is not right. There is a part in the kit to be attached to the end of the rails, but it does not touch turret. In Trumpeter and Academy (and also old Tamiya M1A1) kits the end of rails looks like in older M1A1 tanks, with mounting bracket and terminating plate behind it attached to rails. In Dragon and new Tamiya M1A2 kits there is no separate terminating plate, just single modified mounting bracket - this is correct for later M1A1 and for M1A2 tanks.
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Towing cables. In Academy kit cables look exactly like those from Tamiya kit. Only Tamiya and Academy kit parts lack brackets securing the cable ends to the turret.
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Grenade boxes. In Tamiya kit you get two types of boxes - simple ones without any hinges and latches (from old M1A1 kits) and newer, bigger ones. The older ones seem to be too simplified, but in reality early M1A1 tanks indeed had such simple boxes without any openable lid - the whole box was hinged on the bottom. All other boxes are of newer type with openable lid, as used on M1A1HC and M1A2 tanks, but differ in size quite noticeably. I don't know dimensions of the real box, but judging from photos Tamiya part seems to be the most accurate.
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Smoke grenade launchers and their mounting brackets.
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Smoke grenade launchers are not fully accurate in any of the kits, but Dragon part is definitely the best and closest to the real thing. But at the same time it is really difficult to assemble, as fit of parts is mediocre.

    One additional note about smoke grenade launchers. For unknown reason in instructions for Italeri kit the part numbers for grenade launchers and their mounts are mismatched. To make things worse it is fully possible to assemble parts according to instructions, but as a result you get launchers sticking out at strange angles to tank sides. Unfortunately I already saw finished models with those parts attached "according to instructions" and it looks weird. Please remember then: parts 25 and 31 go on the right side of the turret and parts 24 and 32 go on the left side of the turret.

Also in Dragon kit instructions (and in Revell ones as well) those number are mismatched, but in this kit it is possible to assemble grenade launcher to its mount in only one way, so the error in instructions is not that dangerous. Correct way is to attach parts F34, F59 and F29 on the left side of the turret and parts F33, F60 and F30 on the right side.

Blast panels. Only in Tamiya M1A2 kit small lifting eyes are molded as separate parts. Also round covers are separate and to attach them you first need to make holes in panels (holes are partially molded inside the turret part). But panels themselves are molded with the turret upper part. In Italeri kit panels are also molded on the turret part and also have separate round covers. In Trumpeter kit panels are separate parts from the turret, but have round covers molded on them, so you have no option to omit them. In Dragon kit those covers are separate, but it is difficult to omit them as non-slip coating is missing in places where they should be attached. In Academy kit panels don't have round covers and lifting eyes - it is correct for early M1A1 tanks. Panels in old Tamiya M1A1 kits looked like those in Academy model.
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Is it spaghetti or maybe a pile of earthworms?... No, this is Italeri's idea of non-slip coating applied to blast panels. The same style texture is on lids of stowage bins on turret sides. Luckily on other surfaces the texture is copied from Trumpeter molds and looks much better.
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    Three configurations of blast panels can be found on M1A1 and M1A2 tanks. The first one is portrayed in Academy kit: there are no lifting eyes and no round covers on panels, but the loader's hatch catch is on the left panel. This configuration was typical for all early M1A1 tanks. The other configuration introduced in M1A1HC tanks is shown in Trumpeter kit - there are two lifting eyes and three round covers on each panel - those round covers are parts of the ammo reloading system in which the whole empty ammo rack attached to the blast panel is removed from the turret and replaced with the new full rack. Because the blast panel was removable, the loader's hatch catch was moved and installed over the cable guard in front of the left panel. Mentioned ammo loading system was never introduced in US Army and newer tanks no longer have those round covers present on blast panels. Those tanks once again use "smooth" panels like those in Academy kit. Some tanks, including some M1A2s, were manufactured in transition period before "smooth" panels were reintroduced, but already after it became obvious that rack ammo loading system is not used. Those tanks have blast panels with flat round metal plugs welded in place of round covers and they also lack lifting eyes - only bolt heads remain in place where those eyes were previously attached. Loader's hatch catch remain over the cable guard in those tanks. Other noticeable difference between "smooth" panels and those with round covers (including those with welded plugs) is that "smooth" panels have only eight bolt heads on each panel along its edges, while panels with covers have sixteen bolt heads - grouped in eight pairs.

    Now let's take closer look at each of the kits:

- Tamiya: kit includes lifting eyes and round covers and loader's hatch catch is over cable guards. One error is that there are only eight bolt heads on each panel instead of sixteen.  Tamiya kit is the only one with lifting eyes and round cover locating semi-holes correctly placed on panels - in all other kits there are too far aft. To build panels in "smooth" configuration you need to fill the holes Tamiya made for separate lifting eyes. You also need to remove loader's hatch catch from the cable guard and scratchbuild new bigger catch on the left panel.

- Dragon: kit parts are correct for the configuration with round covers and I suggest leave it this way. The only inaccuracy is that two rear round covers and lifting eyes on each panel are designed to be installed too far aft.

- Trumpeter: the same is true as for Dragon kit, but Trumpeter model lacks the hatch catch over the cable guard in front of left blast panel. Two rear round covers and lifting eyes on each panel are molded too far aft (as in Dragon kit.)

- Italeri: the kit instructions don't mention round cover parts, but they are present on sprue C (parts C1) and I suggest using them, although the locating semi-holes molded on the inner side of the turret part are two far aft on each panel (as in Dragon and Trumpeter kits). Italeri put a small hatch catch on the edge of left panel, but I suggest removing it and scratchbuilding a new one over the cable guard, as the one in the kit is completely inaccurate. To build late production M1A2 with "smooth" panel you need to remove lifting eyes and eight bolt heads from each panel (leave just eight on each one). Also remove the hatch catch and scratchbuild a new bigger one attached closer to the left edge of the panel (see Academy part).

Loader's hatches. Only Dragon part has separate sight guard. Italeri hatch has separate grab handle. It also has hatch lock details and a lip around the hatch edge. This lip is a modification added to newer Abrams tanks, but similar lip is also added at the same time to driver's hatch and it is missing from Italeri kit. In all kits except for Dragon one you get a piece of clear styrene sheet to make glass for driver's sight. In Dragon kit it is up to you to add some "glass" or to paint the solid sight front.
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Bottom side of loader's hatches. This time Dragon part is the only one without separate sight "socket". Note that only Dragon molded bottom of hatch hinges properly. Ejector pin marks scar Italeri and Trumpeter parts. Loader's hatch in Academy kit looks exactly like Tamiya one.
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Loader's machine gun traverse rail. Only in Dragon kit you can put the gun in any position on the rail as the carriage is a separate part. There is also a small handle that is supposed to be attached vertically to the carriage, but it is not the correct position - it should be on the other side of the carriage and at an angle.
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M240 machine guns - Italeri is the smallest and Trumpeter the largest. Note sink marks on Italeri and Trumpeter parts. Gun in Academy kit is similar in size to Tamiya part, but devoid of any surface details.
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"The doghouse" - gunner's sight housing. Only in Italeri kit it is molded integrally with upper turret part. In Tamiya kit you get two parts - old style from their M1A1 kit, as installed in early M1A1 tanks, and new part for newer style used currently on all Abrams tanks. In Dragon kit the support plate is separate part and in Trumpeter kit this plate is molded on the turret (not shown). The support plate of Academy kit doghouse (not shown) is also separately molded and the doghouse itself is similar in shape to the old Tamiya part, as Academy kit is also early M1A1. Tamiya doghouse is most accurate in shape, but lacks some bolt head details. Italeri is close second.
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Doghouse front and doors. In Tamiya kit you get two types of doors and sight housing fronts - matching two different doghouses. The old part from M1A1 kits was inaccurate, as both "windows" should be almost the same width, like in newer parts. Italeri obviously copied old inaccurate Tamiya part - bad idea! In Italeri kit for some reason you can find two sets of doghouse doors - be careful to use correct ones! Those on the right side of the picture should not be used (they are marked as not used in instructions). Only in Dragon kit the front of the doghouse is solid and interestingly the left "window" is molded as convex, while, as far as I know, both are flat in reality. Academy kit parts are similar to those from old Tamiya M1A1 kit, but doors are a bit more detailed. In Italeri, Trumpeter, Academy and old Tamiya M1A1 kits you get a piece of thin clear styrene sheet to make glass for "windows" - in all except Italeri the sheet is precut to shape. In Italeri kit instructions you get dimensions of the part to cut it yourself. Only in new Tamiya M1A2 kit you get ready clear styrene part for windows.
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Three round covers from M1A1 kits and CITV parts from two M1A2 kits. Immediately visible is the size difference between Tamiya and Italeri CITV parts.
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Italeri CITV is noticeably smaller. You have to cut the glass for CITV from clear styrene sheet in Italeri kit. In Tamiya kit you get nice clear styrene part ready to use. I don't know exact dimensions of real CITV, but I took some measurements of parts from both kits and compared them to photos of M1A2 tanks and I think Tamiya part is more accurate. Italeri CITV is too small.
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