Steel Soldiers MV of the month 2022 - November VOTE HERE!

[patracy]

Welcome to the MV of the month poll sponsored by Consolidated Press. If you need decals, magnets, stencils, or anything printing related, please give them a call!




Now, onto the vote! Please vote for MV of the month! Feel free to campaign in this thread, but please keep it here and not via PM.

1. 71deuceAK

2. eric67camino

3. suzukovich

4. Mad Texan

5. fuzzytoaster

 

[kendelrio]

Let the politicking begin! Great group of MVs this month!

 

[Guyfang]

Lets see now.....................................................................................................

 

[Robo McDuff]

Fuzzitooster, what kind of tracked box I am looking at, bit of history?

 

[fuzzytoaster]

Fuzzitooster, what kind of tracked box I am looking at, bit of history?

She was the first M113A4 produced by FMC Corp/BAE Systems as a proof of concept and later set up all the tooling to produce the A4 family. She was literally the box that all the ideas were combined to see if it worked and it did very well. I've come to name her "Stacy's Mom" being the mother of all the M113A4s.

Her hull was lengthened by 4' to accommodate more troops, unmanned weapon systems, or support equipment as desired. An additional set of road wheels was added so the ground pressure exerted is less than that of a M113A3. The lateral controls were replaced with a modern yoke and the operator controls are all cable driven unlike all following models which went digital. The whole power terrain was redesigned to handle the 6v53 TA DDEC that has been tuned to somewhere between 400hp-450hp. Full rubber tracks with carbon fiber drives were installed to further displace weight if the unit were to take on additional armor packages and increase fuel mileage. If it wasn't for the screaming Detroit she would be incredibly quiet while in motion.

Here's a recent video of her escorting the Traveling Vietnam Wall Memorial. Since she's not at battle ready weight she rides a bit stiff but my god does she sing!

 

[Robo McDuff]

So its rather a unique vehicle. S5trange that the company or the army did not keep it as historic testing prototype

Interesting sound of that engine, not as loud or low as I would expect.

Any more interesting details, or do you have a restore thread about her?

 

[Robo McDuff]

My vote brought you even, more nice pics and info should enable you to draw away and win the race

 

[Guyfang]

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. The sound of a 113! Love it!

 

[Robo McDuff]

You drove them while in the service?

 

[Guyfang]

A few times. I also drove a few other tracked vehicles.

 

[Robo McDuff]

That's my big regret of not having been in the service; never got the opportunity to drive tanks or very big rigs through the sand.

 

[suzukovich]

A few times. I also drove a few other tracked vehicles.

Having driven both the A2 and the A3 I was not a big fan of the A3 steering. Much preferred the Lats as it was easer to control and not hard on your Jaw when you stopped. On the other hand, in the Bradley because of the weight. The yoke was easier especially when maneuvering through the mud or hard Teran when conducting breeches. Really surprised that it didn't find its way to the Armor collection at Benning. Not mistaken but the A4 was aimed at the foreign sales market. The extra road wheel was needed due to the various packages being offered, weight distribution and making it a stable platform.

 

[suzukovich]

Once again, I find myself up against two 5t, a modified 1010 and A4. My A2 is a daily driver and not a driveway queen. Its not uncommon for me to drive it to displays with round trip mileage of 100 plus miles. I also use it for school runs and other trips. getting anywhere from 22-25 MPG, lately it get used more than my HMMWV. Parade duty is great as I just put it in granny gear and just idle my way through parades. It defiantly gets attention wherever I go with it. It set up as mid 80s cold war, Germany based unit 8 ID 5/68 Armor out of Mannheim Germany. . I was at a show not too long ago. This guy walks up and starts checking out the MUTT. Takes a picture of the front and gets on his phone. Comes back with his wife and some friends. points to the bumper numbers and tells them he was in C Co. Turned out after talking to them that they had all been in 3rd Brigade together. He and another were in 5/68 the other had been on Coleman with 4/8 Infantry. I heard a few interesting stories about my unit. I arrived in Mannheim in 92, three months after the deactivation of 8th ID. 5/68 became 3/77 Armor 1st AD

 

[Guyfang]

Love it!

 

[fuzzytoaster]

So its rather a unique vehicle. S5trange that the company or the army did not keep it as historic testing prototype

Interesting sound of that engine, not as loud or low as I would expect.

Any more interesting details, or do you have a restore thread about her?

My vote brought you even, more nice pics and info should enable you to draw away and win the race

Thank you and I hope so. I don't have any nekkid ladies hanging off her yet to sway other voters yet. My understanding is that this vehicle was an A3 in its previous life (unconfirmed) but was purchased back by the OEM to make the modifications for this new variant. It was explained to me as if hiring an attorney and giving them a buck to have attorney/client confidentiality. They couldn't cut and modify a vehicle that Uncle Sam had on the books so it was legally sold to them for this contract. As for the initial 6 built to finalize the A4 series, only #1 exists stock, 2 and 3 continue to exist in modified form, and 4-6 were sent down range and are long gone. Why they they didn't get refit for service is a question we my never get an answer to. I'll do a write up one day when I have more firm documentation on everything.

Having driven both the A2 and the A3 I was not a big fan of the A3 steering. Much preferred the Lats as it was easer to control and not hard on your Jaw when you stopped. On the other hand, in the Bradley because of the weight. The yoke was easier especially when maneuvering through the mud or hard Teran when conducting breeches. Really surprised that it didn't find its way to the Armor collection at Benning. Not mistaken but the A4 was aimed at the foreign sales market. The extra road wheel was needed due to the various packages being offered, weight distribution and making it a stable platform.

You're right on the target market. The US Army was the first to look at it and bought about 200 for field ambulances due to speed and lower profile than the Bradley. Canada and Australia bought thousands of them and still field them. I know of two Canadian units floating around in civilian hands but they've been rebuilt wrecks. I can say this unit has stayed domestic which makes me like it all the more. Since it was a private contract development the Benning Museum couldn't have obtained it without FMC/BAE's consent anyway. It was in their boneyard for future projects parts and pickings.

 

[Mad Texan]

Once again, I find myself up against two 5t, a modified 1010 and A4. My A2 is a daily driver and not a driveway queen. Its not uncommon for me to drive it to displays with round trip mileage of 100 plus miles. I also use it for school runs and other trips. getting anywhere from 22-25 MPG, lately it get used more than my HMMWV. Parade duty is great as I just put it in granny gear and just idle my way through parades. It defiantly gets attention wherever I go with it. It set up as mid 80s cold war, Germany based unit 8 ID 5/68 Armor out of Mannheim Germany. . I was at a show not too long ago. This guy walks up and starts checking out the MUTT. Takes a picture of the front and gets on his phone. Comes back with his wife and some friends. points to the bumper numbers and tells them he was in C Co. Turned out after talking to them that they had all been in 3rd Brigade together. He and another were in 5/68 the other had been on Coleman with 4/8 Infantry. I heard a few interesting stories about my unit. I arrived in Mannheim in 92, three months after the deactivation of 8th ID. 5/68 became 3/77 Armor 1st AD

I wouldn't worry about the M1010... . It was built for a purpose and not the purist which I'm fine with. Just threw it in for fun...

 

[hambone]

Congrats to Fuzzytoaster, that's a cool MV.

 

[Migginsbros]

Congrats to fuzzytoaster and thank you to all participants.

 

[papabear]

Congrats to fuzzytoaster!!

The nomination thread for December is open so everyone get started!!

 

[fuzzytoaster]

A thank you to everyone who voted and who keep the hobby alive! I'll share more details about the M113 and a wild life story when I get a moment to breathe.