M41 Walker ''Bulldog'' Light Tank

[GTX_Admin]

More info here

[ysi_maniac]

Oh yes! I do love TAMOYO!

[Frank3k]

I might have to buy a Bradley and Bulldog then do some mix and matching. Although I'm guessing a Bradley turret would be too small to fit on either of the other vehicles.

Thanks to the wonders of CAKB (Cheap-ass kit bashing) here's a Tamiya 1/35 M41 with the turret from an Academy M2 Bradley. It would fit with minor surgery to the Tamiya kit.:





This is the base of the Tamiya turret vs. the Academy turret:


Bonus - M41 with the turret from a Hobby Boss LAV-150 Commando AFV with Cockerill 90mm:

[Crbad]

 :) I'm very familiar with CAKB! Lol Most of my kit bashed planes come from model expos and cost about $5 each. Now I have a decision to make. Run out to the Lhs tomorrow or wait 2 weeks for another kit show and look for tanks, possibly saving 50-75%...

[Kerick]

That LAV 150 turret looks tiny to be holding a 90mm gun!

[Frank3k]

That LAV 150 turret looks tiny to be holding a 90mm gun!

It's a low pressure gun, with less recoil, so it's smaller than you'd expect:

[Zaskar24]

I am wondering what the feasibility, and practicality for that matter, of up-gunning with a French CN 75-50 in the late 1950 to early 1960's time frame would be. In part to try and gain better anti-tank capability and also for ammunition compatibility to lower logistics requirements. Please note, the AT capability is to allow recon elements to be able to get away from heavier tanks by killing one from ambush or in a surprise situation. Not to use it in stand up fights against said heavier tanks.

[Kerick]

I have a leftover 105mm gun from an Isherman. If it can fit in a Sherman turret how about an M-41 turret? Worth checking out.

[Zaskar24]

I have a leftover 105mm gun from an Isherman. If it can fit in a Sherman turret how about an M-41 turret? Worth checking out.

I do believe that the M41 has a turret ring diameter that is 4" greater then the Sherman so it should work. Not sure what the actual turret size difference is and how much rrom there would be in the M41 turret to maneuver and load the 105 rounds.

[Jacques Deguerre]

I am wondering what the feasibility, and practicality for that matter, of up-gunning with a French CN 75-50 in the late 1950 to early 1960's time frame would be. In part to try and gain better anti-tank capability and also for ammunition compatibility to lower logistics requirements. Please note, the AT capability is to allow recon elements to be able to get away from heavier tanks by killing one from ambush or in a surprise situation. Not to use it in stand up fights against said heavier tanks.

My understanding is that the M32 76mm was no slouch and that the two guns are close enough in performance to make the swap unnecessary. Having said that, I've found it a bit difficult to find good information on the specific performance of the M32.

[Volkodav]

Thread necromancy...….

Having just bought my very own Tamiya M-41 I am wondering what regunning options would be realistic assuming a long service life for the type in a Commonwealth military (i.e. Australia).


The reason for the regunning would be logistics not performance persay, i.e. the post WWII ADF adopts the planned Comet (77mm HV) and Centurion (20pdr) tank fleet plus retains the towed 17pdr AT gun.  In my alt history the ADF also make use of upgraded M-10C (17pdr) and a 17pdr version of the M-18, as well as a 77mm HV casemate TD replacing towed AT guns in regular line Infantry Btns.  My original thinking was for Cavalry / Armoured formations to make use of Comets in their reconnaissance elements and the Infantry to use M-24s (with their 75mm and HE) along side their TDs and 95mm, 25pdr, or 105mm assault guns in their armoured support Companies. 

Anyway, back on topic, I am thinking now to the mid 50s and post Korea and the need to upgrade and/or replace the WWII vintage turreted TDs, assault guns and light tanks.  Think HVSS M-10s with 20pdrs, or even modified M-36 with same or 105mm L7 and the still lethal 17pdr with its improved propellent (dramatically improving accuracy) or 77mm HVs cascaded to M-41 acquired to replace the M-24.

As an aside it would be interesting to see apples for apples comparisons of penetration as well as size, weight, recoil etc. of the various late war, post war HV tank guns.  The various US 76mm, 90mm 120mm; German / French 75, 88, 105mm; British 77mm, 17pdr, 20pdr, 05mm, 120mm.  Anyone know of an available (not to hideously expensive) source?

That aside, I am planning to build my M-41 tomorrow and use it as an airbrush project.  I have 77mmHV nd 17pdr barrels available for conversion, any ideas which would be best?

[Rickshaw]

77mm although that would be only for ammunition commonality as it's performance wasn't as good as the 76mm of the M41.   The 76mm was good enough to be able to penetrate T54/55/59 MBTs frontally during Lom Son 719 in Laos (admittedly at close range).  The 17 Pdr. had a long recoil and a heavy recoil, which precluded it's easy mounting in most tanks.

[GTX_Admin]

Some inspiration:  M41 105

[Volkodav]

Ah huh, too lazy though.  Mybe I can dress up the current turret and add a suitable gun.  Got a few Verlinden 105s somewhere but they are warped from memory.

[Volkodav]

Need to start building this before it gets tidied somewhere that I:

a) can't find it
b) can't get to it.

[GTX_Admin]

Missile armed variants from Spain:

M-41E TUA "Cazador"  (TOW Missiles):






M-41E HAKO (HOT Missiles):




M-41E with Thune-Eureka turret  (TOW Missiles):



M-41E with K3S turret (HOT Missiles):



M-41E with Mephisto turret (HOT Missiles):

[Story]

Some inspiration:  M41 105
 

That's Caddilac Gage's turret for their STINGRAY tank. They'll pop that on just about any hull that'll fit (like an M551 Sheridan).

Three view drawing not embedded, so you guys can get the max resolution
https://i.imgur.com/QItkxVv.jpg

[apophenia]

Missile armed variants from Spain:

M-41E TUA "Cazador"  (TOW Missiles): ...

Interesting! And a nice bit of recycling    That Emerson TUA turret must be similar to that on the US Army's M901 ITVs.

[Kerick]

I should get on with my idea of an M-41 “Stug” assault gun vehicle with either a 90mm or 105mm gun. I want to do an engine change so I’ll have to scratch build a new rear end. I wanted to try transplanting an M48 or M60 engine housing in 1/48th scale but try to find one of those. You would think they would be common but it appears not.

[ChernayaAkula]

These missile-armed M41s are really cool.  The variety of turrets is also quite interesting.

I should get on with my idea of an M-41 “Stug” assault gun vehicle with either a 90mm or 105mm gun. <...>

You should!  Seeing the superstructure on those missile-armed tanks, they immediately reminded me of the German Kanonenjagdpanzer (gun-armed tank destroyer) that were rebuilt into Raketenjagdpanzer (missile-armed tank destroyers) when their 90mm guns were no longer up to date.

[Kerick]

Now that you mentioned it I do see the similarities. Interesting…….

[apophenia]

I should get on with my idea of an M-41 “Stug” assault gun vehicle with either a 90mm or 105mm gun. I want to do an engine change so I’ll have to scratch build a new rear end. I wanted to try transplanting an M48 or M60 engine housing in 1/48th scale but try to find one of those. You would think they would be common but it appears not.

Cool idea! Probably just as well that you can't find a 1/48 M48 and M60 kit. Other than the obscenely-expensive motorized Tamiya kit, most of these seem mostly to be over-priced (but under-detailed) repops of '70s Snap-Tite kits 

In any case, the rear section of a 1/48 Patton would be over .60 inches narrower than a 1/35 M41 (although I realize that doesn't account for the difference in track cover widths).

Anyway, love your concept. Maybe combining Bundeswehr M41 hulls with 'recycled' M47 90s for a direct whif alternative to the actual Kanonenjagdpanzer ?

[Story]

I should get on with my idea of an M-41 “Stug” assault gun vehicle with either a 90mm or 105mm gun. I want to do an engine change so I’ll have to scratch build a new rear end. I wanted to try transplanting an M48 or M60 engine housing in 1/48th scale but try to find one of those. You would think they would be common but it appears not.

Not necessarily - I'm not sure an AVDS-1790 (M48/60 power pack) would fit into that engine bay.

Scroll up to the Cazacarros drawings. They appear to show an unchanged engine deck, with the upgraded Spanish power pack.

I *think* this was a new General Motors 8V-71T diesel engine developing 400 hp.

For more details on upgraded M41 engines, see
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M41_Walker_Bulldog

[Old Wombat]

I should get on with my idea of an M-41 “Stug” assault gun vehicle with either a 90mm or 105mm gun. I want to do an engine change so I’ll have to scratch build a new rear end. I wanted to try transplanting an M48 or M60 engine housing in 1/48th scale but try to find one of those. You would think they would be common but it appears not.

One good reason to build armour in 1/35, especially as there's not that big a price difference.

[Frank3k]

The M41U/M41UR with a 90mm Cockerill gun: