Bridge Launcher

M47 AVLB.  The hull is from a Japanese company called some thing like Kawai.  They made the worst 1/87th scale vehicles ever.  I ordered one of each direct from Japan, many years ago.  Excellent quality molds, no flash, every model totally useless.  They made about a dozen.  The only thing I kept was the hull from the M47.  I used it for this model.

I took the bridge, launcher, machine guns, bridge rest, and tracks from the Roco M48 AVLB.  My assumption is that an M47 AVLB would have essentially the same launcher, just as the M48 and M60 series have similar launchers.

With the use of a little sheet styrene I was able to make the AVLB fully functional, just like the Roco.

Bridge is employed and the launcher backs away.

It was a time consuming conversion and it required an M48 AVLB to make it happen, so I only made one of them.

The AVLB drives over the bridge, turns around and picks up the bridge to head for the next obstacle.  It gives my Pentomic Army unprecedented mobility.