1/48 Aurora MBT-70 on the workbench. Help, Major Rob! (And all other MBT-70 fans)

Modeling Subjects Armor
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Howdy, 1/48 prototypical armor fans! [:D]

There have been a few topics posted recently about building older or “rare” kits, and here’s a good example of one.

I was lucky enough to run across Aurora’s 1/48 MBT-70 at a big modelling event in Shizuoka last weekend, and after some haggling (the guy originally wanted about $100 USD for it [:0]) I picked this kit up for a little less than $50 USD. Still pretty pricey, as I’ve seen them going from between $10 to $30 USD, but considering the price of shipping to Japan, I felt it was a good enough deal, so here it sits on my workbench. (Oh, I’m definitely gonna build it!)
Some pix of what I brought home:


The box top.


The box side


The turret, main gun, hull parts, and a track.


The vacuform base.

I’ve specifically paged Major Rob here because I know he’s a big fan of the MBT-70 and of this Aurora kit, but of course if anyone else has any info or opinions about it, please chime in.

I’ve done some research on the Internet about the vehicle and the kit, but I still wanted to talk to our resident experts here at FSM before I get started on the build.

Rob, as I recall, you have four of these kits, yes? And I think you’ve mentioned that there are two styles: the one I have here, in the big square box with the vac base and smooth hull and turret, and the other in the long box with no base and a textured hull and turret.

Which is the older kit? As you can see in the pix above, this kit is marked 1969. If I recall correctly, however, the kits with the vac bases are later issues than the long-boxed kits. I’m not sure.

I’m still debating which way to go with the build. I recall Major Rob saying that the kit is quite accurate as far as shapes and dimensions go (and after looking at references, I agree), so when I picked it up, I was all set to correct any small problems and lack of detail with the full accurization treatment, but after getting the kit home and analyzing what would need to be done, I believe it would be quite an involved project. Not impossible by any means, but even the changes to the suspension alone would require a great deal of hacking and scratching.
Aside from the fact that I’m lazy and don’t really want to do that much scratchbuilding, nostalgia has also tugged at my heartstrings, and I’ve thought about doing it straight OOB, aside from drilling out the 152mm main gun and 20mm auxiliary cannon. But then I consider adding accurate lifting lugs to the turret…more periscopes…and the next thing you know, I’m back at doing a complete accurization!

Major Rob (and all!), can you offer some insight as to how you have approached this kit? I realize that the final decision as to how to build this kit rests solely with me, but hearing some other ideas might help me decide which way to go.

Also, the kit is complete except for three wee parts: one “hub cap” and two “grab rails” (one long-pin, one short-pin). If anyone has a “hanger queen” MBT-70 out there, please email me and let’s work out a “cultural parts exchange!”

Thanks for any and all opinions about this old kit of a fascinating vehicle. [:D]

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Wow, I have never even seen that kit before. My memory goes back to Monogram and thats about it. I do look forward to seeing what you do with it, though!

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That’s the original issue, the second retooled issue came in a small white box that showed the assembled modeled as box art with a red and blue stripe along the top edge. The MBT70 never made it into the original Aurora long box line. It was among Aurora’s second wave of kits. The small box was about 1973+.

Aurora had three styles of boxing, the long rectangular box with artwork, the square box with artwork and the small box with a photo of the built kit. The MBT70 was only issued in the last two types of boxes.

There’s also a white mailer cardboard box version that was part of the Young Model Builder’s Club (or something like that). It included the later textured version but had a sticker with the artwork of the square box applied to the box (I have one of those).

In total, I have two square box issues with vacuformed base, one small white box and a white cardboard mailer box version.

The hubcap could be cast fairly easily or fabricated from a round piece of sprue or styrene rod. The grab rails can be replaced with wire (what I did to my original). One of mine came with incomplete molded grab rails, a common occurance.

I walk by an XM803 every day on my way to work. That is the name of the paired down version of the tank that the US continued to develop after the Germans dropped out of the MBT70 project. There’s also another MBT70 about a mile or two away from my home or office.

I took some photos of the MBT70 at Aberdeen when I was there last summer: http://www.armorama.com/modules/photopost/showgallery.php?cat=12992&password=

I have some photos of the XM803 but I’m not sure if I’ve uploaded them yet.

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I just checked, the XM803 photos are in the MBT70 album listed above.

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Major Rob, you da MAN!
Thank you so much for all that information, and the link to your pix.
Coincidently, this month’s issue of Panzer features the MBT-70 and Kpz. 70, with some good pix and diagrams of both of those vehicles plus the XM803.

As for the hubcap and rails, yes, they would be easy enough to scratch, and when I was in “full accurization” mode I didn’t think twice about doing just that. But when I think in “full OOB” mode, I think it’d be kinda nice to do it all OEM!
Still haven’t decided which way to go, but either way, I’ll probably just scratch those wee bits as you’ve suggested.

Major Rob, as the kit comes in the box, which vehicle to you think it most closely represents? I’ve noticed a lot of variation in ref pix, particularly concerning various equipment mounted topside on the turret. Actually, there appears to be a lot of variation in turret configurations in general. Were these different vehicles, or perhaps the same vehicles reconfigured for different tests?
Pix I’ve seen of the 1967 prototype show a very smooth, featureless turret. The kit has a bit more detail (the rails, smoke dischargers, etc), but none of the topside optical equipment. I suppose since the kit was sold in 1969, it must represent the test vehicles as they existed around that time (obviously!).

One more Q about the boxings: I found this pic:

That’s the “long box” I was referring to…any idea which release that is?

Knowing how the failed project eventually turned out for the real vehicle, it’s kinda sad reading the optimistic rhetoric in the instruction sheet!

Again, thanks for your assistance, Major Rob. [:D]

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I never had the MBT-70 until now, but I did (and still do!) have the 1/48 Aurora Panther, Sherman, M-46, and S-Tank.
Those, AND the 1/32-1/35 Monogram armor kits!
Toss in the ol’ 1/48 Bandai armor kits, and that’s how I got started building tanks! [:D]

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Brian,Rob,

I used to be in the 6th CAV and would wake up every morning to that XM -803 right across the street. It is a shame that the MBT-70 never realized it’s full potential. I got the leftovers, spent some time on the M60A2 in Germany. One can only imagine where we would be now if that tank had been fully debugged and fielded. I can still remember the arguments for cancelling the project, everyone blamed the Bundeswehr. I built this kit back in the seventies, man if I only knew it would be worth $100.00USD now!

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Brian, I’ve never seen the long box issue. First time seeing the box art and I even have the Aurora history book somewhere. That would be the first issue then.

The actual tanks differed quite greatly. There were tanks that had weights added to the turret to simulate the actual armor weight (apparently they were made of regular steel during development).

Some were just driver’s testing vehicles. Notice that there is no crew compartment in the hull. The driver was in a counterrotating comoartment in the turret. As the turret turned, the driver’s compartment would rotate in the opposite direction to keep him facing forward. Apparently, this set up gave the driver a case of veritgo.

I’ve got an old modeling magazine that reviews the kit and I believe the original price was $1.98. The MBT70 was one of the first (if not the very first) tank models I actually built by myself. I still have the very kit with vacuformed base. I found a junker kit during the early days of eBay for about $10 delivered and used it to rebuild my original kit. I’ve passed most of those extra (glue covered) parts on to other MBT70 owners.

If you give me the missing part numbers, I can see if I have any extra pieces still on hand. I’m sure I don’t have any extra hubs though.

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I don’t known about boxes and such, but this sure brings back memory’s! Thanks for sharing.[tup]

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Hey Brian, great minds think alike – and so do ours. [:)]

Last year I picked up two of these kits on eBay pretty cheap, and was going to detail them based on photos of the vehicles I’d seen online and put them in a diorama featuring a bit of alternate history – the US military intervening in Canada to put down a secessionist movement in Quebec. [;)]

As I often do, I got sidetracked, but I hope to get back to it eventually, and I will follow this thread with interest.

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Rob, I remember that an MBT 70 sat behind some wooden buildings that the Patton Museaum kept vehicles in awaiting restoration. That was in the mid 70’s. Are those photos of that same tank?

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Well, I don’t know if it’s worth $100 USD, but that’s what this guy was asking! (Didn’t get it, though!)

You’re too kind, Rob! My buddies at Panzer Works can recast the hub for me, and I’ll just scratch the hand rails (just for your info, they are part # 14, one short pin and one long pin, according to the instructions).
Thanks for your very generous offer, though. I’ll be sure to give you a holler if I melt the turret or something!
Thanks for the additional info, too. I’ve always wondered what those big box-like structures on the turret sides were…weights, eh? Now I know!

You know Larry, this leads me to the conclusion that maybe, JUST maybe, an MBT-70 GB is in the offing! [;)]
Just maybe…

Well, I’m building mine, anyway! [:D]

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No, the MBT70 was taken at Aberdeen Proving Grounds where the “mile of tanks” used to be. The XM803 is in front of building 1109 at Ft. Knox and overlooking the main parade field (Brooks Field).

The MBT70 at Ft. Knox is on Wilson Road, north of the intersection with Eisenhower Avenue. It is at the entrance to the Disney Barracks area.