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M1A2 SEP Abrams TUSK II Conversion Set 1:35 Legend Productions The Dragon Abrams kit is widely acknowledged to be the best injection moulded kit in this scale, and the kits have recently been re-released after a long hiatus where they were commanding high prices on eBay. This set isn't new, but Legend were kind enough to let us have a sample, and it has regained relevance now that the kit has been re-released. The TUSK II was the second phase of the Tank Urban Survival Kit that applied to the Abrams tank in light of experiences in Afghanistan and Iraq. It adds a shaped keel to the underside to direct the blast from IEDs away from the crew compartment, plus reactive armour on the sides to protect the tracks and turret area, protective shields for the loader and commander's hatches, and a remotely operated coaxially mounted 0.50cal machine gun on the barrel. The Kit Arriving in a flat card box with a large picture of the finished item on the front and opening flap, this is standard Legend fare. A box bulging with resin, Photo-Etch (PE) brass and all the sundry parts you'll need to complete the job. I wish other producers of aftermarket would include the styrene rod or wire needed for the details. Inside the resin bag are 33 blocks of three each of the curved shield-like reactive armour blocks, 33 more casting blocks containing other parts, and four large pieces that make up the keel and the explosive portion of the reactive armour blocks. There are two frets of PE brass, three blocks of 1mm thick clear sheet (with protective film on both sides), a coil of thin copper wire and two lengths of thicker brass wire. The instruction sheet is double-sided A4 in full colour, using pictures with annotation to detail the build. The Explosive Reactive Armour (ERA) blocks on the hull are all moulded into one part per side, which glues over the kit side-skirts after the front section is replaced by a more in-scale PE section, and PE detail strips are added to the top of the skirting. Angled shields are fitted front and rear of each skirt to protect the sides of the blocks, and the shield-shaped sections are then added after removing the moulding horns that are moulded into each one to reduce the likelihood of bubbles in the corner. Photos show how the blocks should look in place, and how they interface with the "stop-ends". The blocks on the sides of the turret are adjusted by adding thin shims from your own stocks of 0.5mm to four blocks and 1mm styrene sheet to another eight - which couldn't be expected to be included in the box in fairness due to wastage. Each piece should be 1.5mm wide and 8mm long, so getting hold of some Evergreen or Plastruct strip of the correct thickness and width would make the job much quicker. They are added to a frame of PE with resin stand-off sections, which gives them a slightly curved profile when viewed from above. The belly armour is pretty straight-forward, although you will need to remove the rectangular moulding blocks running along the surface, which shouldn't be too taxing due to them being on a flat featureless surface. The front section has a bow-like profile which fits 7mm from the front of the flat kit belly, and should be added first so that the rear panel is correctly positioned. The rest of the set relates to the turret and the protective panels that shroud the crew so that they can use their close-action light weapons whilst under fire with less likelihood of catching a round. The commander has a larger shroud around his cupola, which is made from a three-panel section wrapping round the right side, and a two-plus-one section to the left. Each facet of the panels has a bullet-resistant glass panel within, for which the 1mm clear sheet is provided. The sizing of the sections are measured from the PE frames that are folded around the glazing and then glued to resin panels, all of which have holes in the lower portion so that they don't obstruct the view from the vision blocks in the cupola. The single panel has no window, and instead has a single oval hole for a vision block. The commander's gun is given a PE gun-shield with more bullet-resistant panels for improved sighting. A hand-held light is holstered on the right of his gun on an adjustable mount, with a coiled cable leading away through the hatch. The loader's protection isn't quite as complete, relying on his hatch to the rear, plus two panels, a low-level bullet splash-screen and the resin gun-shield on his L249, which has holes for glazing moulded in. His weapon is also equipped with a resin sight, and a coiled cable for power. To his right the protection is purely based on his commander's panels, so he is a little more exposed. The new centre-mounted remote-controlled .50cal is included in the set, as is the armoured cable ducting from a place just forward of the commander's cupola. The gun is moulded in two parts with the modern short cooling jacket and separate barrel, which has a slight depression in the muzzle that could be opened up to improve the look. The mount and ammo box are also resin parts, and a loud-speaker is positioned to the right, presumably to deter potential combatants from making probably the last mistake of their lives. Conclusion This is a very comprehensive set and mixes resin and PE to great effect, making the shield parts more detailed on the rear, which can still be seen on some blocks when installed. The photo instructions are very helpful with construction, and the included wire is useful because it's not always simple to procure for the average modeller. The styrene strip needed to shim out the turret blocks isn't in the box, but it's not so difficult to find at your local model shop or online. If I were to consider using this set against a full PE set from another manufacturer, I'd give this one preference due to the fact that you don't have to roll out the 99 shield pieces individually. That's a lot of work avoided. There's still a lot of work involved, but the results will be well worth it, and for us average modellers, the shields will be much more uniform. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

M1A1/2/USMC Abrams Updates (Dragon) 1:35 ET Models The Dragon kits of the US Army and US Marine Corps Main Battle Tank, the M1 Abrams is widely considered to be the definitive kit in 1:35 scale, especially the later mouldings of the AIM and SEP versions that have upgraded parts and additional detail. The USMC kit is still available, although the AIM and SEP kits are becoming a little harder to get hold of as time goes by. AIM - Abrams Integrated Management was the end of the line for the M1A1 variant, with old units reconditioned back to factory fresh, and brought up to a common standard. A FLIR infrared position was added to the front of the turret and an infantry phone was installed on the rear, well away from the 2000oc exhaust vent. SEP - Systems Enhancement Package was based on the M1A2 chassis, and added armour improvements in the shape of depleted uranium mesh and graphite coatings added to the armour panels, with some older M1s being upgraded to this standard. M1A1HA - the Heavy Armour variant fielded by the US Marines, with depleted uranium mesh embedded in the armour. The Dragon kit is an earlier incarnation of more modern AIM and SEP kits, the comes with snorkel for deep water fording operations, most recently in the orange boxing of Cyber Hobby. I reviewed the TUSKII set a while ago here, but there are many other sets available from ET Model to improve the fine detail of your Dragon kit, including a TUSK kit, which is retrospectively known as the TUSKI kit, originating the Tank Urban Survival Kit after combat experiences and unexpected losses of vehicles and men in towns and villages in Iraq and Afghanistan. We have seven sets in total, some of which are brand new and some of which have been with us for a month or so. M1A2 MBT TUSKI Set (Dragon 3536) This set is very similar to the TUSKII set for obvious reasons, and includes many of the same parts because the TUSKII is a progression of the original. The main differences are the lack of the curved "shell" plates that cover each of the reactive armour blocks, and that will save an awful lot of consternation amongst modellers that weren't looking forward to that part of the TUSKII set! Inside the box are sixteen frets of Photo-Etched (PE) brass, a number of separately bagged resin parts, including some clear, and a bag containing two squares of 1.5mm thick acetate sheet that were missing from early editions of the TUSKII kit at least. In the original review you'll note that I mentioned that its absence was a shame. It's good to see that ET are thinking, and that not everyone will know where to get acetate sheet from. The instructions are typical ET Models, and are printed on light green paper over eight sides of A4. Construction is very similar, starting with the keel in thick PE, and then the 28+2+2 armour blocks are built up, with the two pairs of different shaped blocks adorning the front and rear of the side-skirts. The skirts are then built up and the block rails added along its length, before the blocks are slid down into them in pairs. Take care here, as you could get yourself in a knot if you don't follow the instructions carefully. The gunner and commander's cupolas and their weapons are again protected by screens of a similar but less advanced design, and the thick bullet-resistant windows are built up as frames around the clear acetate, then added to the panels, with mesh side-panels backed by a hinged armour plate. The front of the commander's gun is without the clear panels of the later set, so he is left a little exposed, while the gunner is more exposed around the sides and back. It's easy to see why the second upgrade was called for when you see the two side-by-side. The centrally mounted remotely operated M2 .50cal Browning that sits above the gun mantlet is supplied as a resin breech with opening top, a short cooling jacket, and a hollow tipped resin barrel that sits on a large PE mount and ammo can. The electronics are portrayed by their armoured conduits that run from the rear of the mount to a position forward of the commander's cupola, where it enters the turret. The infantry telephone box is quite complex and is supplied with a resin handset to complete the look if you are planning on modelling it open. It attaches to the right of the rear bulkhead, just inboard of the light-cluster. It is easy to get a little flustered with ET Model instructions when you first see them, but once you realise that you will be building a number of assemblies that are assigned a letter, and these are later added to another assembly or attached directly to the hull, the pressure subsides, and you can concentrate on each little aspect of the kit in turn, without getting overwhelmed by the sheer volume of parts that are depicted on the sheets Available soon from White Ensign in the UK M1A1 AIM US Army Set (Dragon 3535) This was the first AFV and first Dragon kit I built when I good hooked on armour by a good friend who shall remain nameless, but we'll call Dan for the purposes of this review. I wish I had been in possession of this set then, but as an armour novitiate, I'd probably have gone insane! It contains some pretty comprehensive "detail-up" parts for the exterior, with a great deal of emphasis on the turret and rear bulkhead. It consists of nine frets of PE, plus a small bag with some thin braided metal cable and three tiny springs that are tapered toward each end. The spare smoke grenade box on the side of the turret is replaced with a super-detailed PE assembly with full interior detail, including individual grenades and working hinges. The two ready-ammo boxes at the front of the side stowage bins are replaced with PE alternatives, as are the bases on which they are tied down. The stowage bins themselves get new detailed handles, but don't forget to add the textured anti-slip coating to the top of the bins first if you plan on upgrading them. The commander's M2 Browning is upgraded with a new cooling jacket, barrel handle, upper breech parts and ammo can with bracket. The gunner's L249 is similarly improved, with an incredibly detailed ammo-can for the 7.62mm ammunition, and a new mount for the gun to traverse upon, the rail for which is also replaced by a new PE part. On the top of the turret, the chunky hold-downs for the armoured electrical trunking are removed and replaced by new PE parts with cylindrical stand-offs made from 0.5mm that is not supplied. The kit smoke dischargers are mounted on new scale-thickness mounts, and the tow cables that are attached along the bottom edge of the turret sides get a set of more realistic hooks. The rear bustle is detailed with four PE rails for sundry equipment with tie-down handles placed between them on the turret back, and the infra-red detector on a pole in the centre of the turret back is given hinges that (in the real world) allow it to be folded flat for low clearance areas, and the instrument on the top is replaced by a rolled PE cylinder. The Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) that sits on the rear of the turret is adorned by additional handles and vents, while the stowage are that it sits within is given a new mesh floor. The coaxial machine-gun in the mantlet is shrouded in an armoured cover which is fashioned by rolling a piece of brass, and the cover that sits to the rear of the large angular mantlet is made up from a sheet of brass with a folded edge, and working hinges to allow it to conform to all elevations of the barrel. The tiny springs are inserted into the antennae bases to represent the flexible part of the mount that prevents damage to them from low hanging obstacles. Moving to the engine deck, the various grilles are replaced by more detailed versions, with applique retaining bolts, realistic operating pull-handles on the various maintenance panels, tie-downs and hooks and retaining chain for the fuel and water filler-caps fore and aft. The fenders are given edge detail, and the curved rear section is replaced completely with a more detailed part with more working hinges, courtesy of a piece of 0.5mm rod that you will supply. At the rear of the vehicle, there are a number of grilles to vent heat from the engine, and these are all built up from individual slats and short lengths of 0.3mm rod, which are assembled on PE jigs for accuracy. These are added to the rear louvers, and the large central "hot" exhaust is given a deflecting bucket to prevent it sizzling accompanying troops, a problem that doesn't seem to have occurred to the original designers. This is often seen hanging off the rear of the turret bustle when not in use, and soon becomes rusty due to the extreme heat it has to contend with. The final parts are the circular rear light protectors with armoured cable conduit, plus a wrap-around fender piece with retaining chain. Available soon from White Ensign in the UK M1A1 US Marine Corps Heavy Armament Set (Cyber Hobby 9125) The Dragon kit is an older tooling of the Abrams, and this boxing has a set of US tank crew to sweeten the deal. The set is designed to bring the vehicle up to modern standards, and consists of eleven sheets of PE, a number of resin parts, a length of braided wire, 16 brass grenade launcher tubes and two small springs that taper at each end. The set contains all the elements of the M1A1 US Army set above, but also adds the alternative smoke grenade launchers that are curious to Marine machines these days. The complex mounts are built up from PE parts, using some 0.6mm rod, and the resin launcher base is then added. Eight brass launcher tubes are then added, and it's worth noting that these have all been turned so that a nice crisp lip is evident on each one. Into these slide the resin grenades, which are long cylindrical parts with a concave tip. They project quite a way from the tubes, which gives them a peculiar look. The Marines have a Missile Countermeasure Device fitted where the Commander's Independent Thermal Viewer is normally fitted in front of the gunner's hatch, and this is supplied as a rather nicely detailed resin item with delicate cooling vanes to the rear, which was wrapped separately in foam to protect it from damage. Additional PE parts in the form of carry handle, additional grilles on the sides, and of course the mount that attaches it to the circular port on the roof of the turret are added, and it is this part that causes USMC Abrams to be mistaken for M1A2s on occasion. The other main difference between the sets is the inclusion of two additional circular parts on the outer faces of the drive sprockets, which project further than the drive teeth, increasing the overall diameter of the sprockets. Available soon from White Ensign in the UK M1A1 USMC Snorkel Set This is a small set that is presented in a small plastic clamshell box, as it mostly consists of resin, with a small fret of PE. The four resin parts make up the three extension tubes to the engine that are used by the Marines to ford deep water. The largest part with the direction altering adaptor handles the hot exhaust from the gas turbine engine, while the two thinner tubes attach to the upper engine deck with the aid of some nifty PE parts. The resin on the tubes is very thin, and although well cast, there are a couple of bubbles here and there, and my example had a slight crack in the wall of one of the tubes. Nothing that can't be fixed with some super-glue, and a lot better than the clumsy looking kit parts with a full-length seam, but worthy of note. Available soon from White Ensign in the UK M1A2 SEP US Army Set This set is designed for the Dragon kit numbered 3536, and includes the majority of parts from the M1A1 sets, with a number of the additional parts from the USMC version, and some parts peculiar to this set alone. It consists of two larger sheets of brass, and ten smaller ones, a resin infantry telephone handset, three tapering springs and a length of braided wire. Construction begins with the ammo and smoke grenade boxes, updates to the gunner's hatch, small weapons upgrades to the M2 and L249, smoke discharger mount and bustle-mounted stowage area from the other sets, augmented by two additional racks on the side of the area that take additional cans of fuel or water, complete with strapping, but not the cans themselves, which are supplied with the kit anyway. The mesh floor on the bustle rack is replaced by two parts from the set, and a louvered third section goes under the new SEP APU, which is also tweaked with a new stowage box with working hinges on top, and some grab handles. The armoured conduit on top of the turret is different from the AIM, and has new tie-downs in different places accordingly, while the gunner and commander's hatches are updated with extra detail. The co-ax MG and mantlet cover are present, as are the replacement mesh grilles on the engine deck, side-skirt updates and general engine deck detailing with lugs, handles and retainers. The rear bulkhead gets the same louvers that are built on jigs, and the infantry telephone is also the same. The wrap-around fender parts, exhaust deflector and light protectors are present from the USMC set, and are joined by a small triangular sectioned appendage inboard of the left light cluster, the reason for which isn't immediately apparent to me at least. M1A1/2 Bustle Rack Extension Set Some Abrams are fitted with additional stowage space on the rear of the existing bustle rack, and styrene parts for the largest of these are included in the kit. This set replaces that rack with a much more detailed and scale accurate assembly, plus a couple of other smaller and simpler racks. It consists of two sheets of brass, six lengths of 0.7 brass wire, and two resin jerry cans. The main rack, and also the one most likely to be used (mainly because it looks more professional) is made from a PE frame with mesh floor, and brass wire representing the tubular framework to support the weight of stowed gear. It attached to the back of the main bustle rack at three points, corresponding with three of the existing vertical rails, and is fitted with a pair of small mesh-floored side-panels for the stowage of fuel or water cans, complete with strapping to hold them in place. There is also a small rack made of L-shaped section and mesh that is seen carrying 2-4 jerry cans, and is welded to the bustle rack. Another rectangular racks are supplied as single pieces of etch, representing simple a L-shaped rack with mesh floor, and finally one large rack of similar simplicity that spans the full width of the turret can be built, again from one large piece of PE. Crew personalisation has resulted in a number of "unofficial" solutions as well as the clearly well-engineered official rack extension, and this set gives the modeller plenty of options, which can be spread over a number of Abrams projects as you see fit. Available soon from White Ensign in the UK M1A1/2 CIP Panel Set Combat Identification Panels were created hastily during the first Gulf War, to enable crews looking through thermal imaging cameras to identify friendly forces by a dark panel with a lower heat signature than the rest of the vehicle. They were used a great deal by Abrams crews, who adorned their vehicles with them whenever they could. The set is supplied on one thin gauge sheet of PE and includes parts to build three of the louvered panels, plus two of the type often found on the "cheeks" of the turret either side of the gun, which have raised corners. Two simple panels with rounded corners and one square panel are also included, and all but the front turret mounted panels have mounting loops. The louvered panels have straps with full buckle detail that are folded up from the supplied parts to give a realistic, working strap that is synched up around the railings on the side of the turret, as well as having a pair of weight bearing hangers on the rear. The turret front panels are supplied as a sticker (not a decal) with all the Dragon kits, which is not the best thing to use for realism, and although the louvered panels are supplied in the AIM, USMC and SEP kits, they are made of styrene, and simplified for easy construction. Replacing them with these detailed assemblies should result in a much more realistic looking vehicle. Available soon from White Ensign in the UK Conclusion Any M1 Abrams lover will be drooling by now, as these sets take a good kit and make it a great kit. The USMC specific sets add much needed detail to the early tooling, and either of the TUSK sets will result in a head-turner if done well. The CIP panels and bustle rack extensions allow personalisation to make your Abrams stand out from the crowd, and if you go crazy and order the lot, you'll have some of the most detailed, not to mention heaviest Abrams models around. Very highly recommended. Review Sample courtesy of

Modern US Army M1A2 SEP MBT TUSK II Update 1:35 ET Model The Abrams Main Battle Tank has gone through many different upgrades during its long service life, starting as the M1A1 in 1985. The M1A2 improved on the basic design with improved armour and command options, which was in turn improved by the System Enhancement Package (SEP) which enhanced the armour further, incorporating graphite into the mix, with many original M1A1s and basic M1s upgraded at the same time as the new builds. The Dragon kit of the M1A2 Abrams in its SEP guise was a little rare at one point, but it appears to have been re-issued, much to the enjoyment of modellers, and consternation of the hoarders that were getting good money on eBay for their examples. The TUSK II is the second generation of the Tank Urban Survival Kit (TUSK), which adds a huge range of add-ons to improve survivability for the crew and offensive armaments in the urban environment. It adds a remote .50cal weapons station on the turret top between the two hatches, crew shields around the hatches, an infantry telephone, rear slat armour to protect the exhaust for the gas turbine engine, reactive armour and stand-off "shell" armour to protect against RPGs and other shaped charge weapons, as well as thermal sights for almost the whole crew. Underneath is a large keel-shaped section of extra armour that deflects the blast of an IED away from the crew compartment to reduce crew casualties in the event of a strike. The Kit There have been a couple of resin update sets for the TUSK and TUSK II Abrams for a while now, but this set is mostly Photo-Etch (PE), which I feel will give a much cleaner finish, and allow the parts to achieve a more scale representation. The set arrives in a flat brown box with a picture of the set on a kit pasted to the top, and immediately on picking up the box, you realise that this is going to be something special, because it weighs over 300 grams in the box. There's a reason for that though - There are TWENTY sheets of PE of differing gauges and four small bags of resin within the box, and a five page A4 instruction sheet that is printed on both sides. I doubt I actually need to state this, but I will - This set is not for the PE novice. It is for the experienced modeller, and a lot of folding or bending will be required to give a good finish. You will also need an M1A2 Sep kit from Dragon to put it all on, and bear in mind that this set ONLY provides the parts to convert the basic kit to a TUSK II vehicle - any additional kit improvements will have to be scratch-built or sourced from another set, such as ET Model's own that is available under the code E35-067. Construction begins with the keel for the hull, which is made from one single thick gauge part, with the edges folded up to mate with the sides of the hull like the real thing. Then it's a case of building up all of the reactive armour blocks for the side-skirts, which are formed from thinner gauge brass, and made up of the basic reactive block, and the curved shell-like outer section. This part will need annealing before being rolled to match the template shape on the instructions, and you will need to do thirty two of them! There are four slightly different shaped blocks for the front sections, which are assembled in separate diagrams. The front of the kit fenders is removed, and a new PE section is installed full length, with two PE suspension "hinges" for which you will need some 0.6mm rod to complete. Various slotted mounting rails are added to each side-skirt, and a triangular block is added to the front of each one, as well as a number of strips that install at the top of the skirts, ready for the armour blocks to be added. There is a diagram of how to lay out the blocks, which shows where to put the different front blocks, as well as some locking mechanisms that stop the blocks from getting lost if they are knocked off the vehicle. Next are the bullet-proof screens around the commander's hatch, for which you'll need a sheet of 1.5mm thick clear ABS sheet, which oddly isn't supplied with the set. It's easily obtained from model shops or from discarded packaging though, so it's nothing major. The commander's cupola has a three window section on the starboard, with a two window section to port with a high single panel, and a central section that is mounted on the gun pintle. The gunner's hatch is provided with a front bullet screen and two side-panels - he's clearly not as important as the well protected commander! The TUSK upgrade kits have an additional .50cal remote station mounted above the main gun barrel, and this isn't in the base kit, so is built up from a combination of PE and resin parts. Two of the bags of resin include breech, gun barrel and hand grips for this purpose. Its mount, ammo can and the bullet resistant conduit for the control systems is all made up from PE, and a spare ammo box on the front side of the turret is also provided with a mounting bracket, presumably for quick ammo replenishments of the new gun. The side baskets of the turret are covered in the shell shaped armour panels, which are mounted on two frames each side, onto which the individual curved parts are added. Another seven parts for each side will need forming to the afore-mentioned template, and their attachment brackets folded to fit. The final acts are to create a jammer for IEDs that sits between the two top hatches on a plate, and the rear mounted infantry telephone, which is made up from mostly PE parts, but with a resin handset inside allowing it to be posed with the door open displaying the interior. Conclusion This is a truly amazing set, and represents a huge undertaking by ET just in making it. Building it will require focus on the task in hand, otherwise I could foresee the modeller becoming over-faced with the sheer weight of parts. Take your time, relax and get used to handling large quantities of PE, and you'll do fine. It's one of those projects for long winter nights that will pay dividends, and when you've finished building it, you won't want to paint it and lose sight of all that lovely metal. Highly recommended to the PE competent. Available soon from White Ensign Models in the UK Review Sample courtesy of

US Army M1A2 SEP MBT TUSK I/II (E35-192) 1:35 ET Model The Tusk I/II from Tamiya is a beautiful kit in its own right, but, once again ET Models have found areas where it can be improved. It’s not as extensive as their Merkava sets, but there are still two large sheets, three medium sheets and eleven small sheets of relief etched brass, along with two lengths of metal wire, one small resin part, two metal aerial springs and a slab of thick clear ABS plastic. The set comes in two of the standard ET packaging of poly bags stapled together onto the card header. The main sheets are taped onto black card, whilst the smaller sheets are contained in a zip lock poly bag, as are the metal and resin parts. The instructions of twelve sides of A4 green paper. These are very clear and well laid out, particularly with reference to where the sub assemblies are fitted to the kit shown in a line diagram. They will still require careful reading before starting to assemble the etched parts, as some of the kit parts need to be altered or removed before these can be added. Plastic or brass rod of various diameters will also be required to use as directed. ET Models have also used various thicknesses of brass for the sheets, so that the small items, such as straps will be easier to fold while items such as the reactive armour brackets and thicker and therefore stronger to hold the weight of the kit parts that are attached to them. The first task is to build up three ammunition boxes for the M2 50 cal and M240 7.62mm machine guns and two further boxes for what looks like 40mm grenades, for the smoke launchers on either side of the turret. This last box is the trickiest in that the internal holders for the rounds have to be rolled into shape before fitting into the box and an internal division fitted around them. Of course if the box is to be modelled closed the holders won’t need to be used. The gunners hatch receives internal sight details and an external ring which covers the gap between the hatch and the turret armour. A large gun ring is then fitted around the completed hatch. On the forward end of the left hand turret storage box a new shelf and support brackets is fitted along with the associated straps for one of the ammunition boxes. The machine guns are detailed nest, with the commanders weapon being fitted with new barrel handle, perforated barrel hand hold, front and rear sights, cocking handle, parts of which need to be made out of plastic rod, ammunition box cradle into which one of the previously made boxes is fitted, a length of ammunition belt and two locking pins with chains attached to hold the gun to the mounting. The 7.62mm M240 is fitted onto a new pintle mounting and ring slide, perforated barrel fittings, rear sight, ammunition box cradle and ammunition belt. The M2 fitted near the front of the turret over the main gun also receives new barrel fittings, front and rear sights, a complete mounting with the pins and chains to hold the gun on, cocking handle, rear firing handles, and ammunition cradle, box and belt. The turret is then fitted with new brackets and supports to the rear, while the stowage baskets are fitted with new perforated floors, ID panels, new jerry can shelves and a new cable reel. The refrigeration unit is fitted with a new top box and several handles. On the turret sides near the front the smoke discharges are fitted with new support brackets as are the spare 40mm ammunition boxes just in front of them. Also on the turret sides the new brackets and supports for the kits reactive armour pieces are attached. Above the mantle cover another small flap is fitted to cover the gap and new flash suppressor for the co-axial machine gun is rolled to shape and fitted into position. There are several new handles fitted to the drivers hatch and other fittings, including the chains for the fuel caps, around the hull. On the rear deck all the engine hatch mesh is replaced with brass parts and the rear hull is fitted with angled exhaust plates, ID plate support bracket, and telephone box, which is a small kit on its own. The side skirts are fitted with new front and rear mudguards, whilst to the rear a new skirt piece is fitted to the rear. The front and rear angled shields for the hull reactive armour are fitted once the kit parts have been attached. Finally the armoured sections that make up the commanders and loaders protection screens and assembled. Each screen section s folded to shape and fitted with pieces of the ABS sheet, the templates for each screen is contained on the instruction sheet. The sheet is 1.5mm thick so represents well the armoured glass fitted to the screens. If you’re not confident with cutting the sheet, then the clear parts in the kit could most probably be made to fit. Engine & Turret Rack Grilles, (EA35-093). If you think this is all too much and you only want to add a little extra something to your build then ET Models have also released a small set containing just the perforated grilles for the engine deck and the floors of the turret baskets. Conclusion This is an amazing set that provides so much extra detail that it’s difficult to describe it all. ET Models certainly give the modeller their monies worth. Some may say why bother when the kit is already so good, but you can’t get the scale thickness of metal or the finesse of detail in most styrene parts no matter how good the manufacturer. If you want a highly detailed model in your collection this is the only way to go, especially as ET Models haven’t replaced kit parts that don’t need replacing which can be a concern with other manufacturers. I can’t recommend this set highly enough and will certainly be using it when my Tamiya Abrams gets on to the work bench. Review Sample courtesy of