M1A1-HA Abrams USMC OIF

This is DML's 1/35th scale M1A1HA US Marines kit. I built it a while ago as a commision, rather than for fun, so it has some features I would not have used. The kit is pretty much OOB, using the USMC parts from the box. While some PE was used in a general way from a Eduard set, there is not much of it on the kit (there was only the fairly Generic DML M1A1 PE set from Eduard at the time, unlike today!) I included the wading kit minus the "stack" at the request of the buyer. This was used in this fashion by the USMC to help deflect the heat of the engine away from soldiers who may be trailing the tank. Stowage was mainly from the spares box or from the obvious places...Tamiya and Italeri. The New Tamiya Modern Accessories kit was the main contributor... ID Panels especially. The tracks are the rubber-bands from the Trumpeter M1A1 kit...with "bigfoot" pads.

Markings are from Archer. The tank is titled "Payback". While I am not sure if the paint scheme matches "Payback", there are pictures of USMC tanks (or at least in use by the USMC) just painted in Forest Green (US Tacticle Dark Green?). Thus, by virtue of a paycheck, the two were connected. The figure is from the Tamiya M2A2ODS Bradley kit and painted up very nice.

The tank was heavily drybrushed with shades of tan to give it that dusty Iraq look. Once the flatcoat had dried, I also added on a fair amount of pastels as well.

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