35365 Tamiya 1/35 American tank M551 Sheridan. Vietnam war. With three figures

Additional Information

In August 1959, the American army expressed a desire to have a new armored vehicle superior in its combat qualities to all existing tanks, both the us army and any potential enemy. The following year, Allison, a member of General motors Corporation, was awarded a contract to develop a vehicle called the armored reconnaissance airborne assault vehicle. It was to replace the M41 Walker Bulldog and the M56 90mm anti-tank self-propelled artillery. The first prototype, which received the designation HM551, was ready in 1962, followed by eleven more prototypes from the walls of the Assembly shop of the Allison plant, one after another. At the end of 1965, the company "Allison" received a contract for production, and the first production machines were released in 1966 under the designation M551 "Sheridan".

But barely deployed serial production of these tanks, as the surface began to emerge their numerous problems. As a result, all descended from the conveyor machine immediately fell on the preservation as unsuitable for adoption. Later the whole program "Sheridan/Shillelagh/M60A2" was the subject of a thorough investigation by a special military Commission, one of whose members was legendary, supposedly saying at one meeting that "from these "Sheridanu" we have so many problems that we've had enough of them.

a Characteristic feature of the tank, which led to the layout of the combat compartment, is the use of combined weapons - guns of low ballistics of large caliber, through the barrel of which an anti-tank missile can be launched. The ammo rack is designed to accommodate both guided missiles and conventional ammunition with a partially combustible cartridge cases. On the stern of the tower there is a large metal basket for transportation of equipment. On the sides of the rear of the tower are fixed boxes of ammunition for the machine gun - 9 boxes on the left and 6 boxes on the right. Along the perimeter of the body there is a folding device of the screen type to overcome water obstacles. It takes about 5 minutes to bring it to the working position (lifting and fixing to increase the displacement volume).