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When I was a kid back in the '80's, I seem to remember a piece on 60 Minutes about a failed tank design. I don't think it was the Bradley. If I remember right it had a large radar dish on the turret or the top of the vehicle, and possibly an alternate weapon system like a missile or rocket launcher or machine guns instead of a main gun. Anybody remember this? I was just curious if it really existed and whether there was a kit of it. I think it started with a C. Anything ring a bell?
Chris
"Some say the alien didn't die in the crash. It survived and drank whiskey and played poker with the locals 'til the Texas Rangers caught wind of it and shot it dead."
I think your talking about the Sgt York.
That was suppose to be a close in anti-aircraft support to keep up with the M1A1's and Bradleys.
M247 Sgt York DIVAD (DIVision Air Defense) anti-aircraft system, perhaps?
http://www.military-today.com/artillery/m247_sergeant_york.htm
That's the one! You guys are awesome. Thanks. Has there ever been a model kit made of it?
Tamiya and Academy used to make models for them.
Tamiya made a 1/35 kit back in the day, but I believe this is no longer available. However, Academy cloned it as one of the kits they released when they were getting established, and this version should be easier to find. I can recall seeing several builds here on the forum.
Found some on Ebay. Reviews of the kit aren't too kind though, are they? Man, I hafta quit adding to my stash so much.
It was a poor kit cobbled together with an updated M48 hull and tracks. Very inaccurate compared to the actual thing, but resembles the actual vehicle when quickly glanced at.
A quick eBay searched turned up a few for around $20 before shipping. Check the trade and sale forums on various armor modeling websites. You'll probably find one cheaper.
If you do get one, remember that this kit utilises the hull from Tamiya's M48, which was modelled on a display tank from which the engine pack had been removed. Consequently, the kit sits high on its suspension (approx) 3mm). I'm sure I've seen instructions here or elsewhere online to correct this, and I believe alternate indy tracks are available from AFV Club.
The Tamiya offering of many years ago...
It does sit too high but other than that, it wasn't a bad kit to build.
Thanks,Kevin Keefe
Mortars in MiniatureA Scale Model (Plus!) Collection of the Infantryman's Artillery
Didn't this thing go into limited production? Or am I thinking of the version that had a gatling gun???
Shoddy kit or not, that's a sweet build, Minimortar!
Makes me want to drag mine out...
http://www.mycyclinglog.com/profile/dupes
A bunch were made, the hulls were M48A3 hulls remanufactured to M48A5 standards, but the vehicle series never made it through the trials nor was it ever fielded. The M163 Vulcan served for decades; from Nam to the mid 90s (the came out of service in 1st Cav about 1993-94).
I should clarify that the Tamiya Sgt York is a poor kit accuracy wise, but it typical Tamiya in that it builds well and looks pretty good when complete. I built one about 10 years ago but I put the turret on an M1 hull (near perfect fit) and called it the M247A1 Sergeant Major York. It looked good.
Rob Gronoviusbut the vehicle series never made it through the trials nor was it ever fielded.
Wasn't it said (rumour or hearsay) that during trials, the tracking radar on one test unit attempted to engage a nearby building in an automated response to a detected air threat?
dupes Shoddy kit or not, that's a sweet build, Minimortar! Makes me want to drag mine out...
I thank you! I built that a long, long time ago, right after it hit the shelves.
Do yours is what I'd say and have fun with it!
I believe the intended target was a tethered helicopter drone but the radar locked onto the porta potties or some sort of fixed field latrine. I do not believe it fired because there are men inside the vehicle who make the decision to fire. It's fairly easy to tell if you are pointing at an aerial target or a ground target.
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