So i found this older tamiya kit and i love the look of it.

http://www.cybermodeler.com/hobby/kits/tam/kit_tam_3626a.shtml

So problems aside, im not one to really get all bent out of shape over some dimentional inaccuries. Here is what i would like to do.

SInce this bad boy went out of service (actually was canceled in 1985?) i wondered what if it was around for the first gulf war?

Questions.

Should i install non slip surface?

What markings would be appropiate?

Any other ideas would be great.

Bill

Bill, I think you have artistic license to do what ever you want. I know that during DS we used the m163 as "air defense" (really as anti ground weapon) so why not put one with an armor or mech. infantry unit. I would think that units from Europe would have been fielding it first. Cheers.

YAY Artistic licence.

LOL LOL I have allready started the model, it is typical Tamiya, shake bok with glue and it falls together.

Bill

If you can find some reactive armour tiles from an M60A1 kit that would add to the Gulf War look.

Desert tan with some chevrons should do the trick. Load it down with stowed packs, bedrolls, water cans, rations, and a day glo orange air recognition panel and it should look pretty cool.

I think the Sgt York turret fitted to a Bradley would look cool, then, as Jason said,
load it up with extra kit.
Tom

The only problem there is that the turret is bigger than a Bradley. It was huge.

I have seen a couple "what could have been" builds of the turret on Abrams chassis. They came out pretty nicely.

I don't think it would have had teh ERA panels though. They were for defeating tank round. This type of vehicle is more of a support vehicle and would not be right in the front lines fighting tanks, but a little further back and not need the ERA.

A straight sand vehicle with the typical markings from the time; cherons and air recognition panels, with unit bumper numbers, would suffice.

The SGT York ADA systems was cancelled in December 1985. Only the prototypes were ever produced. No SGT York systems were ever fielded to any acitve or national guard US Army units.

One of the problems with the systems as designed was power. The M48 power pack did not generate sufficient electrical power to run the weapon and radar systems. It had enough power to bring it up, but then went the crew started operating all of the components in the vehicle, it would malfunctin and then one has the system locking in on porta-potties

In my discussions with other project officers in force modernization, it was suggested that if the SGT York turret was placed on an M1 chassis with its more powerful power pack, would it provide sufficient electrical pqwer to operate all of the SGT York's systems. But there were no spare Abrams chassises since it was all going to tank production/fielding.

The fielding plan was to replace the M163 Vulcan ADA systems with the SGT York. in divisional ADA battalions. We even had major construction on motor pool parking and maintenance bays for the SGT York done prior to its cancellation.

Normal fielding of a heavy combat weapons system was to III Corps units at Fort Hood (2nd AD/1st CAV), and then to Europe. In 1985/86 the divisions would be 1st AD; 3rd AD; 3rd ID; and 8th ID.

I have this kit in the plastic pile, but I do not recall the decals that come with the kit and what ADA unit they show. As stated, if it went to DS I, it would be in a sand color with any markings for that unit. If you are setting it in Germany, it would have a one color OD green. The Army did not have the three color camoflague pattern in CARC (Chemical Agent Resistent Coating) until around 1988.

That is some back ground of the SGT York. Any more help, please let me know.

You could paint it in Desert Sand, or you could paint it like this:



The example in the ADA Museum

The old MERDC Desert scheme would not be correct for ODS ('90-'91) timeframe. MERDC was a late '70s - early '80s camo system that was replaced by the 3-tone NATO camo and overall sand camo for desert environs in the mid '80s. It was no longer in use by the time of ODS.

If I remember correctly, the kit decals only had a couple logos and warning placards. There were no unit markings on it.

I think ERA panels on the glacis area would be applicable....the same set up as the USMC M60A1 RISE in 1991. In fact I would simply swap out the M48 hull for an M60 hull and add the M247 turret to the M60 hull.

It is a what if....if the Iraqi forces actually had their act together and actually went on the offensive or conducted additional attacks as they did in Khafji they could have broken through the Coalition lines and the M247 could have been used in direct engagements with Iraqi armour....an M247 engaging BMPs that were part of a Combat Recce Patrol could have happened.

no matter what they did to fix it they couldnt work out the bugs and it was canceled the other competeter to it was one from general dynamics there are a few pages in the m48 in action book about it

Hi Bill, I'm working on a York w/Blazer armor myself, painting it up in Israeli markings too!

My father-in-law worked on the project for Ford Aerospace. I built the Tamiya model for him in the eighties. He told me the "threat moved out of range" and the intended arc of coverage for the M247 was handled better by the Stinger/Avenger.

In 2003 I saw two SGT Yorks at Dugway Proving Ground in Utah on the test range there with some radio controlled M60A3s the Air Force was using. All vehicles were faded CARC green.
I concur with the Israeli idea. That would be cool.

I had heard but not seen, that the DEA were going to use the turrets on boats for drug interdiction.

Try adding a quad pack of Stingers or slap some "what if" VSHORAD missile tubes on it, like the IAF did with the Mach'bet.

I like the idea of the ERA tiles too.