Hi all,

I need all your creative minds here as mine seems to be taking a break.

I'm finishing my M88 ARV now and I want it to lift something.....



Now what would a M88 in Vietnam lift? What sorts of cargo/goods?

If possbile something heavy....I want to show the power of this tank!

Thanks in advance,
Martin

Not sure on the cargo but I would guess they use the crane to do engine changes.

Don't know about LIFT, but I saw one drag an M-60 with locked tracks out of a forested area, knocking down trees as it came along. :-)

Martin, if you want to go bold and I mean really bold, I have a pic of an 88 lifting an M109 completely off of the ground. Why they are doing it is anyones guess, but they are. Let me know and I'll see if I can get it scanned and sent your way. "Q"

http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/books/Vietnam/mounted/chapter7.htm

Saw this and thought it might inspire you there is a good section about two thirds of the way down the page.
Hope this helps Craig

Redleg's Pic:


Here's the pic of one lifting an M109 howitzer. (Actually an M88A1 with vented cover for AUX generator on right rear of crew area and a deisel engine as opposede to gas engined M88. Same lifting capacity though.)


M88 had a main hoist capacity of 35 tons. Perspective, the above M113 is around 12 tons.
M109 howitzer is about 27 tons.
Modern M2A2 Bradley is around 25 tons.

Hmmm...
Lifting a wrecked Huey out of a hooch? They're not that heavy, but it would be different. Lots of detailing options available as well.

I know you're posting in the Vietnam forum, and that your question is Vietnam specific, but...
Ever consider an M88A1 tearing down Saddam's statue?

Was that an M-88 or a CEV?

There is a resin M-60 series AVDS 1790-2c engine which would be a perfect sling load. (++) (++)

90 % of the time we used the 88's to pull the powerplants out of tanks. That's the load I put on mine that Verlinden M60 engine, and you get the compartment to plug into a cheap M60a1 kit too

Sadam statue was torn down by an M88A2 from USMC 1st Tank Bn.


M728 CEVs have been retired from service as of the mid '90s. None left out there in active service. Unfortunately, they have all become range targets and artificial reefs.

I want to built my tank as Nam version, so the Saddam idea is no good, but still it is a very nice idea for a diorama!

I have seen the pics of the M88 lifting the M113 and the SP gun. Still I think this wasn't much seen in the war....just demonstration or something like that.

The engine is a nice idea. Could someone provide me with pics of how this engine was being lifted....so I can see how the engine attached to the lifting arm (how do you call such a thing lol) etc.

Thanks!
Martin

No M60's in the Nam....sorry

use google and alltheweb search engines
type in m88 under a picture/image search
you will get tons of pics to choose from

reb

Well maybe you use a different google....already used that before I even bought the kit, not much usefull stuff around.

Martin

Martin:

Best I can do. Time 1974, place Hohenfels Training Area, FRG (the color/quality of the mud is a dead giveaway to old hands). Kodak Brownie quality pictures scanned & photo-edited. Armor unit is 1/32, I believe & of course mine is C/122 Maint Bn, all of 3AD.

1st pic show an M88 moving up behind an M60A1 to pull the power pack. Note the engine sling -- these were generally peculiar to a particular vehicle or at least powerpack family.



2nd pic shows the M88 bringing the pwerpack down to my DS maintenance shop for replacement of either engine or transmission.



In theory there should have ben a tie-down to stabilze that pack to keep it from swinging, but IIRC the driver just came on slow. This was preferable to the clowns who dropped it in the back of a 5-ton & let it slam around doing even more damage on the way over ....

The big OD can in front of the M88 is what the engines came in. Weight about 10,000 lbs. You could cram 3 of them in an M127A1 12-ton trailer, once the sideboards got some slop in them. Of course you had to lift 'em up & drop 'em in to make that happen.

I have a few pictures of the powerpack in shop, but they are really bad because we didn't work it until that evening, IIRC.

Hope this helps .... I might be able to find some more on the power pack & sling if you need it. Or at least point you in right direction (so you can spend the money).

John

PS: this is a "real" M88 -- gas engine, etc, not those wimpy diesels .... no flame, no fame !!!!

it could tow an AAV, theres one here in Quantico that I saw while visiting their AAV section.

The CEV was used in Nam. It is basically a modified M60A1 so the 88 could be carrying an M60 pack.

In John's second picture there is the rear wheel of something. Can anybody else identify this thing ?:-) I can and I guess I'm dating myself for being able to. Nice pics John. "Q"

That is a good ol' Gamma Goat. Gotta love those pieces of crap.

The CEV or M728 was a Combat Engineering Vehicle desigen to clear obstacles for the infantry or armor units. It was equipted with a 165mm gun with thirty some rounds. the boom bould lift 17,500 lbs and the winch in the bustle at the rear of the turret had a 25,000 lb pull. The dozer blad could be used to clear disabled vehicles from the road, remove obstacles or dig emplacements for other vehicles.

Major Ron I saw some M728's in Desert Storm. So what are the Reserve units using to replace them? The Grizzly or is it a Wolverine?

The M88 is a dedicated recovery vehicle, replaced with the diesel engine version the M88A1 and when the M1 tank came ou the updated M88A2 with a larger pulling capacity was developed. Like the German FAMO could not pull the Tiger I & II and Ferdinand/Elefants, so they developed the Bergepanzer (P) and the Bergepanther Ausf A/G.

I can't remember whay book I saw this in but a pair of M88 were lifting a damaged M-48 or M-60 onto a lowboy trailer. I will try to find it and let you know.

Brian

Nothing. Neither the Wolverine nor Grizzly were taken past the development stage and not put into production. Unfortunately, the Engineers have nothing heavier than M113s and the new Engineer Bradley that mounts a small blade.

You can find this picture in Concord Publication's "Armor of the Vietnam War Part 1 : allied forces" (it's a damaged M48A3). In the same book there's a picture showing a M88 lifting a replacement 175mm barrel onto some sawhorses near a M107 SPG.
This second picture can also be found in Simon Dunstan's Vietnam Tracks which includes several other "in action" pics of M88s (one shows a M88 lifting the back of a M48A3 for a torsion bars and roadwheels replacement)
HTH
Frenchy

Hey,

If you have that book, could you send me a scan of that pic?

Finding the book is probably already hard, but buying a whole book for 1 pic is a bit strange

Sounds interesting!
Martin

Martin,
Someone somewhere makes a cargo container, like what you see carried on trucks. Could your M88 be positioning this at a firebase?
Tom