For years I have had the MBT 70 on my bucket list for a potential scratch build project.. I think it has a terrific looking turret. Thanks to forum member Tanque, who made mention of it in a previous post, I got all fired up about it again and moved it up to #1 and decided to give it a try.

About a year ago I got some ZTZ 99 track just for "spare stuff that I might use someday". Well, someday showed up. and in researching the MBT 70, I discovered the ZTZ track looked to be real close to the MBT 70 track design, length and width.. Also, I had a couple of spare Pershing road wheels that look exactly like the road wheels on the MBT 70. The thought of building a working suspension occurred to me and my box of springs provided what I think will make a workable suspension. I also found a good line drawing that I was able to scale up to 1/16 scale for dimensions and details. A Google search turned up a bunch of reference photos that are great.

It ain't much, but it's enough to make a start with. The turret is gonna be a bugger, so I gotta do the lower half first, and then I will be at the point of no return and I will have to finish this project no matter what ...... no excuses ..... death before dishonor !!!!!!!!..

Now that I have shot my mouth off, I gotta shut up and get busy .............

I must admit, I'm not one to want what others have but THIS is one tank I have loved all my life!

So in admiration there is a tiny bit of jealousy too! Looking forward to this Rex.




Jeff

Here are three photographs I took of the mild steel prototype MBT-70 that was a range target before being rescued as an exhibit for the Military Museum of Southern New England. NEAD will be headed over there in a couple months and if you need specific photographs I could try to get them for you during their open turret day.

Hurray for another Cold War tank build!!

Looks like a M41 Bulldog to the left of it. Grab photos of both!

That was one heck of an expensive range target.....

Jerry

Those are actually M48/60 main battle tanks, they're all in the same corner of the museum, having them all side by side shows a great evolution of tank design. You can still find M26 Pershing features on some of these tanks which highlights the design legacy, right up to the M60.

When I was a kid in the 70s I built a 1/35 static model of the MBT70 and I remember thinking it was a really cool tank, but I never saw it in action. Did the MBT70 ever actually make it into service?

According to my research, that model was made by Aurora. I think only 15 MBT 70s were produced, and happily, there are still a few in museums.

I agree. Pictures of derelict tanks is a sad sight to me, especially they the rare and unusual ones. The saddest photos I ever saw was of a big barge loaded with tanks, and the tanks were being pushed off into the Pacific ocean.

[QUOTE=cleong;11880508]Here are three photographs I took of the mild steel prototype MBT-70 that was a range target before being rescued as an exhibit for the Military Museum of Southern New England. NEAD will be headed over there in a couple months and if you need specific photographs I could try to get them for you during their open turret day.

Thank you for the offer to get photos. Fortunately, a Google search for reference material produced a ton of 1:1 photos, scale model build threads and walk around photos. I have more than I need for my project. I appreciate your offer to help.

[QUOTE=Panther F;11880455]I must admit, I'm not one to want what others have but THIS is one tank I have loved all my life!

So in admiration there is a tiny bit of jealousy too! Looking forward to this Rex.

Jeff ...
I'm going to give this model my best effort. I am not going to hurry through the build. I am going to plan my work, and work my plan. I am going to measure twice, and cut once (I am going to wear my glasses when measuring and cutting). I will not take shortcuts. I promise, trust me, I never lie.

The one thing that amazes me is that there are no hatches or vision ports on the glacis for a driver and co driver. I found the following explanation very interesting.................The MBT-70 was designed with a low silhouette, unlike the M60, one of the tallest tanks ever built. The MBT-70 ended up very low, just over 6 feet (1.8 m) from the floor to the turret-roof. This left no room in the hull for the driver, who had to be moved into the turret. He was located in a cupola which was geared to rotate so that he was always looking in the same direction even if the turret turned. He could also spin the cupola around, so the tank could be driven backwards at full speed.[SUP][2][/SUP]The tank's low silhouette, which could be lowered from 2.59 metres (8 ft 6 in) to only 1.99 metres (6 ft 6 in), was also a big advantage. Compared to the M60 tank, the MBT-70 had a lower profile. With the hydropneumatic suspension lowered it was also smaller than the Leopard 1, which gave the MBT-70 a better hull down position.

I can't think of anyone who will do the subject more justice than you Rex. I'll look forward to seeing your work.

I remember seeing videos ( not these) of the machine in the 1970s and even though my fascination with modern armor isn't as great
this left an impression on me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PB_8iOCm92c
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDgUJ7xwwbE

The one I remember had the machine roaring down a road until it came to a cross road. At that time ( as I recall ) the crew spun the tank in a neutral turn keeping the main gun fixed
then stop and roared off down the road. Quite impressive to me at the time.

Jerry

You're BOTH wrong. To the LEFT of it is the M47 PATTON tank.





Jeff

This is correct, it was the 1/48 scale from Aurora. I still have a few of them unbuilt.

There is a resin kit in 1/35 from Commanders Model available and DRAGON has just released the German version of the MBT.


Do her up good Rex, I know you will! I might save your work to a disc just to have on those dark, cold nights! LOL

I'd die for her, the M551 and a M47 in 1/16th scale... RC'd. Then in a distant second, the Centurion tank. All of these are my must have's! LOL




Jeff

There is an outfit that lists old kits and what they are worth now ....... http://www.oldmodelkits.com/index.php ...... check it out just for fun. Your unbuilt MBTs are probably worth a fortune.

I live outside Fort Knox, KY. I think there may be one or two MBT-70s still on display there. As a retired Tanker, I am there frequently, so I'll try to snap some photos just for posterity and post them.

billrad

Your posting got me to thinking ----- what if I did a Google search for "MBT 70 tanks in museums"?

Sheeesh, I don't care what you search for on Google, it comes up a half a million search results !!!! Take a look , I'm going to save it to my bookmatks with all of the other stuff.

Hey billrad, the last time I went to the Patton Museum at Fort Knox was at the last Open House there. Now that most of the armor in the museum has been moved to Fort Benning, are they ever going to have any more museum Open House shows?

During that last Open House they had a GREAT battle with 'German' and 'American' soldier reenactors from all over. I talked with a few of'em (from Ohio) and they were bummed that there wouldn't be any more 'battles' there.

These days does the Patton Museum ever have anything going on to go and see? Any armor left in the museum? Hope Fort Knox isn't totally erasing it's Armor past...

At that last Open House I realized that us r/c tankers around here SHOULD HAVE taken our tanks there to have a display. Probably too late now.

Mike in Kentucky

Hi Rex
Ambitious project. Will you replicate the independant rotation of the drivers cupola? Think you might be able to achieve that with a split ring?

Mal

Yeah ....right .... no problem .. .LMAO

I've been trying to get the suspension to where it at least resembles the foggy pictures taken in shadowy light. Most of the photos I have found show the tank in bright sunlight but the track is usually hidden by the shadows. Anyhow, I am getting close with this effort. It needs a bit more work before I start to duplicate it for the other side.

Interesting. I'm thinking a 3-D printer for me. Cheat with a metal tub/hull, aluminum road wheels from a Leopard and print the rest.

I know I can get it closer than without.


But love watching you do it the old fashioned way Rex!




Jeff

hi

a few weeks ago i did some basic mesurments on that kpz70. sadly i didn t make more fotos, did i have knew the interest i would have taken more.







cu christian

Thank you! New photos from a different angle are always welcome. The one of the suspension confirms that I got mine at least halfway right. Building this suspension by hand (or the old fashioned way as some would say), is making me a believer in that 3D gizmo. If I could sell my 8 track tapes and player, and my VHS (Beta) and tapes, I might be able to make a down payment on one. I just gotta catch up with cutting edge technology ............!!!!!
Tyrannosaurus Rex