It's been well over a year since I started this project, and I've done a number of other things as well in the meantime, but I've finally finished rebuilding my M-578. I had originally done the Verlinden conversion, but was never happy with their solid resin cab, so last year I bought the PSM cab kit.

I added quite a few additional details to the interior as well as making all the hatches and a number of other parts moveable. I preferred most of the Verlinden exterior parts which were PE including the boom, so this is a real kit bash.

I seem to be out of room in my photo space, so I've uploaded the entire build history of this conversion starting with some photos of the originally completed build here.

Enjoy.




http://s360.photobucket.com/user/thathaway3/library/M%20578?sort=2&page=1

Just checking to see if this works properly.

I don't know. Start'er up and we will find out!

Looks like an outstanding model! Had the pleasure of driving one of these on some recovery jobs. Handled easy, good pulling power. When towing a tank I couldn't really tell any difference from driving it without a load. (I guess it depends on the load!)

Action with the M578 around the Patton Museum, Ft. Knox, KY. May, 2003


Towing


Replacing the Staghound turret onto the turret basket.

Thanks, it was a fun kit to build although I made extensive modifications to the inside to match what I could see in the photos I found on line. The whole history is on the photobucket site at the link.

Congratulations Tom! Great build (and paintjob)!!!

And it's such an interesting vehicle!!!

There is one thing maybe...the cables from the boom are not "straight" if you see what I mean. If you look at Michael's photo "towing" it should become clearer

I am aware that these cables are hard to depict as "heavy", but you could have hooked them in (like in the photo).

You do that and you provide a real background for the photo..and it would be near impossible to tell if it's a model or the real thing!

Well done!!

Cheers

Romain

Romain, I thought exactly the same thing however, look at the second photo. When the lift cable is not under load it is stiff enough to take on its own shape and does not hang straight. I was as surprised as you! Mike

GREAT model! The complexity of the cab interior that you have achieved is outstanding and right on the money!

One more:


(All Photos Mike Koenig - Patton Museum)

Thanks! I was really glad when PSM came out with just a cab to replace the solid resin block from Verlinden. With all of the extensive photos available on the internet, it provided the ability to scratch build any of the details not already in the kit.

These vehicles are such an important part of any armored formation and fun to model.

This vehicle is part of a collection of vehicles from my first active duty unit, all of which are going to be mounted diorama style on landscaped bases which will put them in context.

Great looking model Tom. I did a similar conversion using the PSM Cab set and the Italeri M110A2 SPG chassis.

I added a full drivers interior and upgraded the cab interior also. The engine load is a modified Tamiya M113 engine. I plan to add a couple of figures and a base at some point in the future, but for now I am working on our current club project.



Dave

Great build, Dave.

BTW, which Battalion of the 16th INF were you in?

I love the MASSTER camo!

Amazing details!

1st Bn, Stationed in Beoblingen FRG 77-80

Dave, get a sheet of resin cobblestone or brick paving to put under it and you are DONE! Great work!

My uncle Bill (William S.) commanded 2/16 in Vietnam.

Great job. I did the hunka hunka burning resin version from Verlinden. When I was in Germany, we had one pull our powerpacks from a tank one year during a q service. they could do the job.

I've always been fascinated by the recovery vehicles which are a real combat multiplier for our armored units. We used the M-578 all the time to pull packs from our M109A1s. (The fact that we HAD to is a different story!!). More fun was watching the process when a vehicle got stuck somewhere it SHOULDN'T have been and you had to use the winches and pulleys to pull it out.

I was really glad that somebody actually made an M-578 and there are some really great parts in that Verlinden kit. To have multiple options is fantastic. (Same now with the Gamma Goat). But that solid resin block also made the vehicle really unbalanced when you picked it up.

It's tough going back and doing significant re-work on a kit you've already "finished" but I'm really glad to have the open cab version.

The M-728 happens to be my favorite recovery vehicle (love that its is based on the M-60) but I have to admit the M-578 is more practical, flexible AND quick to setup.

M-728 towing a Navy beach recovery Sherman with a multi-bank engine at the Patton. (All photos Mike Koenig)

The M728 is a cool track, but it was not a recovery vehicle. The M728 CEV (Combat Engineer Vehicle) was an engineer support vehicle. The boom, blade, and short gun were for reducing obstacles, not pulling engines and other vehicles.

All true and yet it was pulling engine packs a lot of the time.

I admit I like a boom with some boom.

You're right of course. At the Patton we were using both vehicles interchangeably for recovery and vehicle movement but I should know better.

OK then back to the topic:

Well, not intended as a recovery vehicle anyways. Many vehicles have been pressed into service for purposes they were not designed nor intended for.

One of the hallmarks of the American soldier is the ability to come up with "field expedients" to solve the problem at hand.

I can't tell you how many times I've seen something being done and walked away saying, "I'll bet that's not covered in the TM." But as long as it's (probably) safe.............