M1126+merkava mk1 turret (Israeli service)

[arkon]

Ok I am putting this in the idea category because I have an idea of what I want to do with a old tamiya merk and a trumpater or afv ( not sure which one , don't think it really matters with what I have planned) m1126 Stryker .i want to put the merk turret on the Stryker to make a sorta heavy recon, tank hunter kinda thing , no idea of backstory or if it's evan possible RW. But I think it would look REALLY neat! 😃 and the reason for the turret addition is the merk hull is going to become a spg along the lines of the two prototypes the Israelis tried on the merk hull. I have found about twenty or so different pics of the spg but no line drawing or details of the turret to try to scratch build one. So any help there would be appreciated . Next month is the local model show , so if I can't find good info on the spg turret I will look to buy a suitable modern day spg kit to use, only problem with that is that I then have a spg hull with no plans for it and funds are low now that we have just finished signing for a new house( yay!!🎉🍻).i think I have plenty of plastic sheet to make a turret and a m-2or3(not sure which) bradly to rob for hatches and other do-dads.
Now about the Stryker , I want to put the turret from the merk mk1 on it but not sure about exactly where along the hull it should go. If someone here on the forum has some line drawings of the two and good make up some ideal placement drawings that would help a bunch.me not being an armor buff helps this project in the least but I think I have a neat idea, that I would like to see brought to life in plastic.
 The only backstory that I can think of with my severely limited armor knowledge is Israel goes ahead with the spg gun conversion of all the merk mk1 hulls and some how gets some m1126 hulls to drop all the leftover merk turrets on.i know not the best of story's but I think the end models will look really good and be worth it. Any help would be greatly appreciated .
I can take some pics of the m1126 kit I have if it would help in any way.

Mike

[LemonJello]

Sounds cool.  I have similar plans except I'm going to use the Revell GTK Boxer and Leopard 2A4 turret.  My early backstory is that West Germany sees a need for a rapid response force/unit that can utilize the autobahn system and can work in urban areas in place of MBTs (those are all busy on the German plains and Fulda Gap facing the Soviet hordes) It would basically be a Germanic Centauro, though my plans put the turret more centered on the roof and not as far back as the mentioned Centauro.

For your Stryker, I would suggest looking at the MGS version as to possible turret placement- or get one of those kits and use the gun system on something else?  Then you'd have a ready-made turret ring that would just need some mods (minor? not sure.) to accept the Merkava turret.

However you decide to go, I'll be watching and rooting for you!

[GTX_Admin]

Might want to build up the suspension a bit (or lighten the turret) to do this.  Should look cool though.  Kind of a Israeli equivalent to the Centauro or AMX-10RC.

[arkon]

thanks LemonJello,with the kit I have I ill be looking to place the turret in the "area" as I have done in the superb line drawing shown,
gtx- I am not sure how to show a beefed up suspension , lets just say from a 1" rod to a 2" rod ,to make it stronger,i don't think I can do that with my skillset.so I will just say it made of stronger stuff
same with making the turret lighter.....I want to add the chains on the back of it , other than that I do not plan on making any outward  changes to it. ( not a big armor buff,so..... )
as for the spg ,did not make it to model show so I will have to come up with new turret for it.maybe net year at model show.

pretty sure scale of turret is wrong, .....no sure of scale for any drawings.

[Kerick]

This sounds like an interesting idea. I do think the turret in the line drawing is too small. I would try to place the turret as close to the center of the vehicle as possible while leaving enough room for the engine and exit room for the driver. I'm sure looking up the Stryker MGS as suggested by LemonJello will give you some ideas.
Keep us posted on this as I think this will be fun to see come together.

[GTX_Admin]

If you are really adventurous, you could make the vehicle a 10 wheel version.

[Frank3k]

You could always add side skirts to hide the "beefed up" suspension...

[jcf]

Stryker
Length    6.95 m (22 ft 10 in)
Width     2.72 m (8 ft 11 in)
Height    2.64 m (8 ft 8 in)

Merkava I
Length   8.30 m (27 ft 3 in) rear to muzzle
             7.45 m (24 ft 5 in) without gun:   
Width    3.70 m (12 ft 2 in) (without skirts)
Height   2.65 m (8.7 ft) (turret roof)

The base Stryker hull is half a meter shorter and a meter narrower than the Merkava hull, so I don't
see how the Merkava turret would even fit dimensionally, let alone the fact that it alone probably weighs
as much as the entire Stryker.

Perhaps take two Stryker hulls and make a lengthened and widened 10 wheel vehicle.