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Armor/AFV: Guntrucks!
Guntrucks of all nationalities and flavors.
Hosted by Darren Baker
5 ton gun trucks
ammo
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Texas, United States
Joined: May 24, 2002
KitMaker: 10 posts
Armorama: 10 posts
Posted: Tuesday, April 17, 2007 - 12:59 PM UTC
I recently built a 5 ton M54 gun truck for a former crew member of the gun truck Play Boys. I have started another truck and plan on building Iron Butterfly also a Vietnam gun truck. Finished assembling a home cast M54 truck cab.Will be converting a M925 5 ton into the M54 5 ton truck. For those interested in Vietnam gun trucks check out guntrucks in MSN groups and Vietnam_Guntrucks in yahoo groups.
WilliamDeCicco
#161
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New York, United States
Joined: May 03, 2010
KitMaker: 392 posts
Armorama: 373 posts
Posted: Friday, December 14, 2012 - 06:11 PM UTC
What other trucks were used in Vietnam US trucks were used other then the ones mention. I got a Chinook 47 from that era an want to use it to show the truck being loaded with men or materials and was wondering if that would look right for that era maybe a m925 or M35. I might even through a jet from that era showing it as a airfield. What did they use in Vietnam for runways and hide the jets in and what manufactors would make a bunker or something they use to hide them the jets.

Happy Modeling
William DeCicco
[:::]
HeavyArty
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Florida, United States
Joined: May 16, 2002
KitMaker: 17,694 posts
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Posted: Friday, December 14, 2012 - 06:24 PM UTC
During Vietnam, the M35A1 2 1/2 ton truck and M54 5-ton truck were used. The M35A1 is available from AFV Club as the Nancy Guntruck, but can be built as a standard cargo truck as well. There is no M54 kit in plastic, but Hobby Fan and Real Model have them in resin. Another option is to convert an M925 using a modified M35 cab, as in this article by Dave "Animal" Willet.

The M925 was a 1980s to early 2000s 5 ton.

Aircraft were protected by revetments that looked like metal corrigated walls on 3 sides with the front and top open. I don't know of any AM ones in 1/32 or 1/35 scales.

Frenchy
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Rhone, France
Joined: December 02, 2002
KitMaker: 12,719 posts
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Posted: Friday, December 14, 2012 - 11:11 PM UTC
Here's the type of revetment Gino is talking about (Verlinden 1/72nd scale stuff) :



and here are dimensions that should help if you decide to scratchbuild it :



from this photo album : http://public.fotki.com/tsumner/scale-modeling/revetments/

Frenchy
WilliamDeCicco
#161
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New York, United States
Joined: May 03, 2010
KitMaker: 392 posts
Armorama: 373 posts
Posted: Tuesday, December 18, 2012 - 09:13 AM UTC
Thank you, for the help,It is very appreciated.

Happy Modeling
William DeCicco
WarrenD
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Connecticut, United States
Joined: September 23, 2010
KitMaker: 83 posts
Armorama: 80 posts
Posted: Wednesday, December 19, 2012 - 01:49 AM UTC
The use of M151s, M37s, M35A2s and M54s as guntrucks is well documented in the James Lyles books on Guntrucks in Vietnam, Hardride Vol 1 and 2 and his latest, Guntrucks in Vietnam. Other vehicles were armored for a variety of uses, M151s had 106 recoiless rifles mounted, 50 cals, 30 cals, etc. The term guntruck is usually associated with the convoy escort trucks as used by the transportation units. Their purpose was to protect the transport convoys, though they also did some base defense/security as needed. While there may have been an instance or two where the guntrucks offered protection to an airbase, I would think it rare enough to fall into question for historical accuracy without having some sort of tangible photographic proof.
The smaller vehicles (M151, M37, M38) seemed to see the most use on the bases and had many variants of weapons, but for the most part lacked the armor that made the guntrucks guntrucks.
Cobrahistorian
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Oklahoma, United States
Joined: November 11, 2006
KitMaker: 710 posts
Armorama: 553 posts
Posted: Monday, August 12, 2013 - 01:51 PM UTC
There are three great photo albums of gun trucks here:

https://picasaweb.google.com/100891020754889610478

I'm solely interested in the independent Air Defense Batteries that operated Quad 50s on gun trucks as well as in the firebase defense role. Currently working on an M35 with a quad on the back (AFV club kit with super-modified Tamiya M16 quad-50 turret) to represent Sgt. Bob Lauver's truck from G/65th Artillery (Automatic weapons) at the Perfume River Bridge on 31 January 1968.

I'm now looking to do an E Battery 41st Artillery (Automatic Weapons) M54 to accompany this one.
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