Italeri kit No. 6390 Abrams M1A2.

This review is not going to be an in depth what's wrong what's right, as there are better people out there who are far better qualified than me to do that.

The Kit:
In the box you will find 4 large spur’s and one small spur of tan coloured parts. A small plastic bag with a section of nylon mesh, the clear plastic sheet for the periscope glass and a small decal sheet.

The lower Hull:
The lower hull is made up of 3 parts, with the suspension arms moulded to the hull sides. The sides and hull floor will need to be carefully aligned and glued together, there is a prominent step on the front and back where the sides meet the floor this will need filling. The wheels are next all fitted with no problems, the tracks are of the link and length type with ejector pin marks on ever other link these are only light and easy to remove.

The Rear Hull:
The rear hull has the engine access doors moulded as separate parts (could we see a engine pack as the access hatches on the top of the hull are separate as well). The light clusters are moulded into the round guards so you can see through the back of them. Italeri also supply the APU for the right hand side.

The Upper Hull:
The upper hull as all the anti-slip coating moulded in place, this looks over the top but when its painted it looks OK. The top engine access hatches are moulded separate as are the battery hatch so it will be easy to add a engine pack Italeri have even included the bulk heads but these don’t have any detail on them. The side skirts have been moulded in 2 parts so it is possible to show them open.

The Turret:
The turret comes in the usual 2 main parts, the top has the anti-slip coating on and also the sight housing in front of the commanders cupola, this means that there is a slight lip at the front of the sight. The CITV is a four part assembly including the clear lens material. The barrel is of the 2 piece type and with some care removing the seam. The turret basket is made up of 8 parts and the mesh for the bottom. Also included are the flash simulator and the flashing light for peace time operations.

Decals:
Markings for two Vehicles are supplied. One set for the 184th Brigade Task Force 1-70 AR (I found that the C22 does not fit the panels supplied) and one set for US Army Central Command Kuwait.

Conclusion:
Moulding is a bit softer than Tamiya but better than Trumpeter. The parts are flash free with just a slight amount on a few of the finer parts, and with only a few sinkholes to deal with. With the price being half a Dragon or Tamiya I think Italeri have a winner here.