This is a vehicle I was assigned to in the US Army, along with the Erector Launcher. The XM474 was a modified M113 Armored Personnel Carrier and designed to transport the U.S. Army Pershing Missile System. There were 3 additional M474’s in the complete system, one to carry the gas turbine Power Station and the Programmer Test Station (PTS), another for the 200kilo-ton Nuclear Warhead and one carrying the Radio Terminal Set. The Pershing Missile was a 34’ long, 40" diameter 2 stage missile launching vertically with the nuclear warhead re-entering the atmosphere to the target about 400 miles away (probably was even greater).
I converted a Tamiya M113 APC for this model, just as the Army did. This is for the Pershing 1 Missile I was assigned to in 1967-68. Later versions of the Pershing, the 1A and the II, rode on special wheeled vehicles.
The images below were taken at the White Sands Missile Firing Range during practice firings. The tracked vehicle in the photos is the one I modeled.
And, here’s a few shots showing the M474 better
and, now the model …
For all you armor modelers out there, these vehicles were kept spotless with no weathering allowed. Also, the markings are correct … no identifying numbers on the front or rear and no stars or U S Army on them! These tracked vehicles and our trucks were driven on German roads and no identification was allowed. The bumpers had a 1 or 2 digit Battery number and a 1" colored circle identifying the battery,
I recently acquired a Topping model of the Missile and Erector Launcher and will be posting a work-in-process of that build in the near future. I also am starting on another M474 that will carry the ER, this one will get the PTS and Power Station.
Hope you all can bear with my glacial builds which will end up in a diorama of the complete Pershing Missile System ready to launch.
Foxer - Nope, never on the missiles…always a cannon guy!
The duct cable was made using 24 gauge wire wrapped around a tube to make the internal spring. Then the spring was covered with airplane (jap) tissue. It was shaped while the glue soaked tissue was drying. It took a couple attempts to get the final product including some colorful metaphors!!
Thanks for the peek. Nice to see someone else modeling the big boy!!
I/m going to have to look into that “airplane (jap) tissue”. I did plan to wrap some kind of spring, but the wire sounds good. My first thought was to use shrink wrap tubing like I use for hoses in my car builds. The tissue that can set in place as the glue dries sounds better!
If you need more info on my build which may give you some ideas for yours drop me an email and I will send you some information. You can get me through the website!
