- Thread starter El Toro
- Start date
Some poor info in the article. While the MBT70 did cost a little over 1 million the M1 came in at 5 million, not 750,000. The M60A1 was 750,000 dollars. They also failed to mention that the MBT70 was where we developed and refined the turret stabilization system that allows a tank to fire while on the move instead of have to stop, fire, then move again. It also was the test bed for the electronic computerized fire control system, laser range finder and the thermal night sight. Fast forward to the actual procurement of the M1 over 10 years later and the turbine engine, new armor and inflation drove up the cost to the 5 million dollar mark. The MBT 70 while expensive was worth every penny spent IMO.
Rick
Billy Shafer
Well-known Member
I remember seeing an M1 prototype at Ft Hood. Funny looking tank. Made it four miles from the test center. Before it sucked up so much dust it broke
down.
down.
I didn't get a good raise until I was asked to take over a Vibration Facilty. Chrysler hired a retired Colonel to open doors. Hal
PS: I made 5 trips to Elk Grove Village IL on this vehicle and it had a problem with differentials over heating during the acceptance tests. We were told to lower level in the differentials and it didn't help. One day I happened to walk along the tires and they were hot. They had installed Goodyear nylon bias ply tires. Our management had requested these even though we requested Michelin radials. I called a Goodyear dealer in Baltimore
and he wanted to know how fast we were running the vehicle. I told him around 45 mph, he said they had a max speed
of 25 mph. He came up after I asked him to talk to my supervisors and we ordered Michelin tires and no more overheating.
PS: I made 5 trips to Elk Grove Village IL on this vehicle and it had a problem with differentials over heating during the acceptance tests. We were told to lower level in the differentials and it didn't help. One day I happened to walk along the tires and they were hot. They had installed Goodyear nylon bias ply tires. Our management had requested these even though we requested Michelin radials. I called a Goodyear dealer in Baltimore
and he wanted to know how fast we were running the vehicle. I told him around 45 mph, he said they had a max speed
of 25 mph. He came up after I asked him to talk to my supervisors and we ordered Michelin tires and no more overheating.
Mel in SW Iowa
Member
Looks like it shared some features with the M551 Sheridan. The M551 with the caseless ammo seemed to me (I just loaded and hauled them and occasionally drove one a short distance off road.) to be under powered. I was in Ordnance in 1967-1969, but didn't realize there had been an MBT70.
When we tested the M551 it was very fast. Some soldiers had accidents when they were fielded and the power was reduced. That doesn't mean that some of the soldiers knew how up the power. They had to use a safety cable on them when climbing the 60% longitudinal slope at Aberdeen Proving Ground. That vehicle had high priority when it came to APG for testing. Hal
Billy: The M1 prototype was put together by hand. After that engine failure they went over it and found the bulkhead between the engine compartment and crew compartment was about an inch to far forward. With the air induction between the filters and the engine being mounted to it they were not getting a good seal and it ate dirt.
The MBT 70 did not have the same gun as the M551. The M551 fired it's missile through the gun tube and the gun was 152MM to accommodate the missile. The MBT 70 had a 120 MM gun and a rail system to launch the missile.
Rick
The MBT 70 did not have the same gun as the M551. The M551 fired it's missile through the gun tube and the gun was 152MM to accommodate the missile. The MBT 70 had a 120 MM gun and a rail system to launch the missile.
Rick
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