Abrams M1A2

Construction should have been straightforward on this well engineered kit.

I used  for improving Eduard PE set (36006).

The featureless anti-slip surface structure was improved by using a sand. I dispose two types of sand the first taken at the Baltic beach and the other I picked up on Sahara desert years ago. Scrutinized in detail a reference pix I opted for Sahara sand seemed to me as close as possible at the reality.

Most of the built Abrams models presented by Internet keep either NATO or Desert camouflage pattern. In the course of browsing my references I noted a photo in Carl Schulze’s M1A1/M1A2 SEP ABRAMS TUSK book where the Abrams under mix of both aforementioned camos. I liked it at the first sight regardless more demanding task.

The exterior three-color NATO camouflage was apllied using as the first color XF-67 NATO Green followed by XF-69 NATO Black and XF-68 NATO Brown. For later use of sand color shade I mixed Tamiya XF-78 Wooden Deck Tan with XF-55 Deck Tan in ratio 50:50%. Four filters were applied using 502 Abteilung oils.   Having intend to give the model more diversity I used randomly AK 074 Rainmarks, 024 Dark Streaking Grime, 067 DAK Vehicles Streaking Grime and 013 Rust Streaks.  For local wash I chose AK Wash for NATO camo vehicles. Next weathering steps such chipping, speckling hairspraying etc. are well known so needn't to be described closer. According to my habit I hung a chain ( as called been by admin DandN фетиш )  on the back but seems to me too long so will have to be shorten. Finally a coat of Mr. Topcoat Flat-Matt clear finished the painting and weathering process.