Pershing Guided Missile System 3/3/14 painted the Launch Pad OD

Motor Pool SGT & Foxer - The model of the Pershing 1A is a rare 1/32 kit actually made by Martin Marritta, the actual missile manufacturer, for the plant employees. I see one on Ebay about once a year or so. If you looking for a built display, you can find models made from wood for desktops. These were also made for Martin Marritta. Again you will find these on Ebay.

You can see photos of my build of the Pershing 1A on my web site here

http://www.redleg2scale.com/model%20gallery/M757.html

HTH

Rounds Complete!!

Redleg wasn't in existence when I was there .. think they were done for the 1A's .. a different launch plan than the 1's. There are models of the 1A's .. member redleg12 did one ..  this is his page to the build  but there's no photos there now. He might see this and give you some info in model.

Mike - I served in the same unit and worked in the motor pool.  I achieved the rank of sergeant during my 3 years in the Army.  However, I was stationed at Badenerhof Kaserne from March of '71 until October of '73.  Do you remember the times we spent at Redleg or Kleingartach - or even Graf?  I would love to obtain a completed model or kit of a 1A including the EL and the 757 tractor, since I used to drive and repair the tractors, and the trailers.  Do you or anyone else know where I might be able to locate what I'm looking for?  Thanks, Mike

Looking good. I am sure once you work on the tires a bit they will fit in much better. The scratch work on the launch stand looks great.

Rounds Complete!!

Spectacular Mike 

Looks great and sounds like you plan to use brass will  pay off in accuracy for your self.

Re: as a "non solder-er"  myself, I feel your trepidation.  A few test pieces, should give you the feel for soldering  in short order.   use flux,  read,reread soldering posts  and if practical, you can glue brass with CA 

Hello!

Nice progress! Good to see you back on track - good luck with your project and have a nice day

Paweł

Things have been getting in the way but the launch pad got a coat of OD for evaluation in other than white styrene! I'm happy with how it's shaping up. There's lots little items and mounting tabs to go on the pad .. mostly to attack the rear jack.  I'm going to have to build the jacks from brass tube so they extend correctly. The extension tubes are molded into the modeled jacks. Only thing I'm concerned about is soldering the brass couplings as I never had much soldering luck and have never tried it on a model. I'm considering buying a resistance solderer but most of the prices for good ones are tooo high for the limited use I'll have. Maybe a lower wattage unit will suffice for what I need.

The tires I'm considering using are in these photos. They are from a Mini Cooper kit (!) but are the correct OD. The wheel is a bit large and the tread needs sanding to smooth and round out to resemble aircraft tires but I've found nothing else to use. Only two are mounted on the Launcher when mounted to the Tracked carrier so these should work close enough ... for Government work  ..

all kidding aside

Keeping up with what I last posted I "had" to notch these braces to fit properly as structural pieces should! ( I AM a Structural Engineer). These are about the last pieces to be mounted for the blast deflector, so I feel like I'm making progress! :)

"See? aren't you glad you took up modeling a subject you know so much about- all those missing details the the rest of  us wouldnt know about - You  get to create! "

ahaha ... you GOT me! Over detailing is the bane to my modeling .. why I never seem to finish anything!

See? aren't you glad you took up modeling a subject you know so much about- all those missing details the the rest of  us wouldnt know about - You  get to create! 

ps Great job! it looks very good.

Thanks for the comments ... and good to see some Pershing people watching here! :)

Still working on the blast deflector ... there's gonna be a lot of pieces here and it's starting to get a bit tedious. I have to scrap all the cuts with the knife and sandpaper to clean up the saw cuts. Here's a shot as I'm gluing the ends of the I-beams on ...

This is gonna be wicked when it's done!

Hello!

That deflector looks like a complicated part - good luck with it! Have a nice day

Paweł

As a former member of the 56th FA Bde. (on the grunt side of the fence), I'll be checking in on this build. Altho during my time '72-'74, they were truck/trailer mounted, the tracked version had always fascinated me but never got to see it.

Looking great so far!

Looks outstanding. Great scratch work

Rounds Complete!!

Slowly, but surely ...  I've been working on making the missing blast deflector under the launch pad. Some sheet cut to shape and ten I-beams wrap around front to back. The beams on the underside are in place but I need a trip the my LHS to get some small Channels for along the edges. Then 20 short beams for the edges. There are some shots of the deflector in the photos posted already.

Looking good....keep it coming

Rounds Complete!!

A small post getting into the cutting and dis-assembly. The missile came apart easily after soaking in the purple pond ... automotive degreaser. It seems the model was molded in styrene as regular Testors liquid glue works on it.  The glued joints all pretty much came apart after a day's dunking.

First, a few shots of a retired Erector-Launcher sitting on an X474 Missile carrier at some museum location.

I cut about a quarter inch or so off the front end of the EL frame of the 1/32 model to fit it to the 1/35 X474 I already built. I think I can use the 1/32 kit now and it will look close enough to 1/35 scale to use most of it. I will have to build the 3 Launch Pad jacks for better detail, build the blast deflector under the launch pad and replace the front wheels with something closer to scale. These are 24" diameter by 7.7" wide aircraft wheels. At worst, I have some tired from a 1/24 Mini that are close to the right size and might modify them by sanding in me Dremel.

I also cast the fins in some silicone casting putty.

Foxer - in the end it all ended well - no nuclear tipped launches, that's always good. As for the fins - I'd say don't cast them, I'd recommend building them out of sheet styrene - easier to glue and probably faster to do. I see you have a lot of scratchbuilding to do, I like the idea. Good luck with your project and have a nice day

Paweł

"It looks like the missiles and the launcher came from Martin Marritta. The missiles look exactly like the missiles from the kit I used. Where did you get your missiles??"

Martin Marietta was the prime contractor that developed the Pershing. The 1A on wheeled vehicles that you did was still the same missile with updated ground equipment. I never saw why they got rid of the tracked vehicles, but the wheels gave better mobility on roads where most of the movement took place anyway. I've seen video's of the 1A being erected and have to say it flies to vertical compared to the 1 that I worked on!

The kit I have was released by Topping, but it was developed by Martin Marietta, as was the one you did. I found the kit on ebay.

Nice stuff Foxer....love the information. It looks like the missiles and the launcher came from Martin Marritta. The missiles look exactly like the missiles from the kit I used. Where did you get your missiles??

Rounds Complete!!

"Great info on the misilie! They used to scare us with them in the Polish news when I was a kid - in the eighties. Good luck with your projects and have a nice day

Paweł"

Ack ... but that was the intention, I suppose. The Pershings were instrumental in removing the Russian Nuclear Missiles (and Pershings) from Europe.

Good to hear from you and thanks for the comments.

Here is the Topping model I got.

Hello!

Great info on the misille! They used to scare us with them in the Polish news when I was a kid - in the eighties. Good luck with your projects and have a nice day

Paweł

Following are drawings of the firing of a Pershing 1 Missile ...

b. The Erector-Launcher.

(1) The erector-launcher is normally transported on an XM474E2 tracked vehicle; however, it may be transported by helicopter. The erector-launcher performs the following functions:

(a) Serves as a platform for assembly of the missile body sections.

(b) Supports the assembled missile, less warhead section, during transit on the XM474E2 carrier.

(c) Provides a platform for warhead mating to the missile body section, for horizontal test and checkout of the missile, and for azimuth laying operations while the

missile is horizontal. (d) Erects the missile and, if necessary, recaptures it and returns it to a horizontal position.

(e) Rotates the missile to the heading of the guidance platform after erection.

(f) Delivers electrical power, conditioned air, high-pressure air, test and checkout signals, and control signals to the missile through the cable mast.

(g) Provides a level, stable platform for firing the missile.

(2) The erector-launcher has four major assemblies: the transporter, the erector, the launcher, and the cable mast.

(a) Transporter. The transporter is a four-wheeled, trailer- type vehicle that can be towed or can be carried on the XM474E2 carrier. The erector and the launcher are

mounted on the transporter. The transporter furnishes electrical and mechanical control for erector and launcher functions. During the firing sequence, signals

from the programmer test station control the functions of the erector-launcher. Hand cranks can be used to manually operate equipment on the transporter when power is not available or for maintenance purposes.

(b) Erector. The erector supports the missile during assembly operations, during travel while assembled (less the warhead section), during test and checkout in the horizon-

tal position, and during erection or lowering. Ramps along the side s of the erector boom support the body section trucks and provide a working platform for personnel

during assembly operations. The erector is raised or lowered by actuators mounted on the transporter.

(c) Launcher. After the missile is erected and the erector is lowered, the launcher supports the missile and rotates it to the firing azimuth. A blast deflector under the launcher deflects the missile exhaust away from the erector-launcher. The launcher is leveled by automatically operated jacks; however, the launcher can al so be leveled manually when necessary.

(d) Cable mast. With the exception of the cable connected to the missile tail plug, all connections to the missile during the prefiring sequence are made through the cable mast. Cables conduct guidance and burst selection signals to the missile, test and checkout signals to and from the missile, and electrical power to the missile until its own power system is energized. Conditioned air and high-pressure air are routed through air hoses. The cable mast is automatically separated from the missile an instant before ignition of the first- stage motor section.