Model Forum / General / Models / April 2004

DML 1/72 scale Armor Series:

    Kit No. 7213; M1A1 Abrams with Mine Plow; 154 parts (110 in grey styrene, 28
grey acetal plastic keepers, 11 in grey vinyl, 2 in black vinyl, 2 steel axles,
1 screw); price about $8.98

    Kit No. 7226; M2A2 ODS Bradley Iraq 2003; 160 parts (126 in grey styrene, 22
in black vinyl, 11 in grey vinyl, 1 screw); price about $8.98       

Advantages: Nice, neat kits of their subjects, and the mine plow is very nicely
done

Disadvantages: Abrams betrays its motorized heritage; vinyl stowage is tough to
paint and install

Rating: (Bradley) Highly Recommended
    (Abrams) Recommended

Recommendation: for modern armor fans

    DML has now introduced two more vehicles from Operation Iraqi Freedom, a US
Army Bradley and a USMC Abrams with mine plow.

    The Bradley is the better of the two overall and has operating hatches at the
rear and on the rear deck, as well as all of the upgrades used in Iraq and
thermal identification panels. It is a current M2A2 – the "ODS" means
"Operation Desert Storm" and somebody seems to have misidentified it by that
term! (OIF is the "inside the Army" term for the current operation in Iraq.)

    Details are nicely done but the model comes with a standard sprue of grey
vinyl accessory stowage. I am not sure if this is the "glueable" vinyl some
companies now use in their tracks but it does not appear to be so, and also
will be hard to paint. This is a shame, as the parts cover most of the bulky
junk the Army forced to go on the vehicles – camo nets and poles, duffle
bags, sleeping bags, etc. (The reason appears to be that they can be made solid
and due to different pour/injection viscosities they can create better solid
objects and details in vinyl.)

    One finishing option is provided but the markings do not match the box
art/photo.

    The M1A1 suffers from the common problems of others in this series, namely a
"pregnant" lower hull to clear its original motor fittings and also the solid
bustle rack to avoid problems with thin rodding in this scale. That being said,
it is a nice kit and the mine plow is very nicely done, with the entire frame
and lower spade/teeth assembly done in one piece. It looks the part, but since
the hull has fixed roadwheel arms it will be hard to get the hull to slant
"nose down" as the real ones do thanks to the extra weight.

    Finish is that of the USMC 1st MEF with the "come as you are" three-tone NATO
scheme and the desert sand accouterments such as thermal identification panels.
It also has the same sprue of vinyl accessories in the kit.

    Overall, these are very nicely done little kits, with the Bradley being close
to top rung work. Once you forgive the Abrams for its motorized beginnings, it
is also a very nice and simple kit to assemble.

    Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review samples.

Cookie Sewell