M1A1 USMC Abrams | Desert Armor Korps

Recently disbanded, the Tank Battalions of the USMC have seen extensive service around the world in many conflicts. Ferried ashore in jet powered LCACs or either sea/airlifted to combat zones the USMC heavy metal was intended as the ultimate infantry support and breakthrough punch for the Marine Corps Rifleman. The Marine Abrams tanks were initally borrowed from Army Stocks in the first gulf war, by OEF they were the right hook of the armored thrust to Baghdad. My example is an odd duck amoungst these OEF tanks as it was originally painted in CARC Tan but was temporarily repainted Bronze green on a pre-positioning ship for use in the Balkans. They were never used there but after 9/11 the ship moved to the gulf and the tanks entered the vehicle pool that the 3rd Id took over in Kuwait. So this tanks and its few friends were deployed amongst other CARC tan vehicles and NATO 3 tone vehicles. Most of the the all green tanks had tan camo nets draped on top as well. The specific tank I am delpicting also had a Track Width Mine Plow.... more on that later.

I liked to tease the club when Tamiya released its 1/48 Scale version....

This story goes back about ten years when I assisted a club mate with his desire to make an M1A2 from the Old Hobby Engine toy Abrams and the innards from a Tamiya Leo2.

That tank still exists and has traded hands a few times. Now it is under the command of our host Craig Thompson.

I acquired a Heng Long BB shooter at one point with the intention of upgrading it. Found a set of metal wheels and sprockets for it too.

When Tamiya released their Abrams, one of the first Static model variants made it to Andy's hobby headquarters and onto YouTube. I brought by the Hobby engine conversion and HL by for comparison.

A club membered offered me cash for the HL so out the door it went!

One of the club members brought their second hand Abrams by for a run.

Then through the power of some one else's need to divest a Abrams... I received a started one that had been parted out a bit.

A new Tamiya kit is always a RC tanking Oh La La moment!

Thanks for not making us pay for a hop up this time!

First process in a Tamiya modern is the gearbox. The powerful 540 gear actually provides the movement while the side 380 unit produces excess power to steer.

You really need to follow the illustrations and lube the thing to excess.

Despite best efforts, I had much grandame and when I opened up the case I found this...

I had these from a previous Leopard 2A6 exchange.