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Dave,
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Greg
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just a couple thoughts on this subject, and then you can take it where ever you want.
* nobody liked the "cupola" as it restricted the TC's vision. I have seen M48's with it removed altogether. So that mod was very common. I might also add that they most often used the largest ammo can they could lay their hands on.
* A fifty mounted on a tripod and then welded to the turret roof is cause for your own personal body bag. It puts you up in the air, and with the other fifty you have a very limited shooting arc. Sounds more like "show and tell."
* a fifty tripod welded to the grate over the engine deck!!! Can you imagine the heat generated off the motor a few inches below you? Do you know what happens when all those cases fell thru the grate? (think changing the power pack while being visited by the local neighbors). What do you do when you have to change the power pack? Torch the tripod off? Once again show and tell or a part of the head quarters dog & pony show. Then if you did add this fifty to the deck, you would become the center of attraction while standing there naked over a 150 degree engine grate. Life expectancey of maybe a minute and a half
* minigun? OK I guess you could find away to mount it, but what for when you got the greatest sweeper on the planet with a "Can Round." I ran this one by my brother inlaw as I thought maybe I was missing something. Where do you get the electrical power hook up? The searchlight? That could happen if the voltage is right I guess (but the cable's pretty short), and of course half the searchlights were shot up anyway. I'm gonna put that one in the dog & pony show as well.
** now here's what you often saw
The fifty mounted above the cupola with a big ammo can (real big), and a large can of transmission grease right beside it to help cool the barrel. Nothing else in the way except for smoke grenades and possibly a couple flares
An M60 with a bipod was often place in front of the loader's hatch, but never left there on a 24/7 basis. He often would have an M79 grenade launcher next to him to help spot loations for the fifty & vise versa. When breaking jungle an M16 was always up there as well.
Very little else would atop the turret except for beer, and that often came from the Merrimite can they stole a month ago. Reason the roof is kept clean is simple. If you gotta exit a tank in a hurry you don't want anything between you and the ground except God. Could you imagine being the poor driver and having all that hot brass rolling down your neck while trying to avoid a recoiless rifle aiming at you?
Suggest you look at the 3/4 CAV's website, or 1st of the 1st CAV's. Those two units were about as serious as it ever got.
not trying to be mean
gary
