Preview: M9 ACE
Manufacturer: Takom
Scale: 1:35
Type: Multimedia kit
Available from Takom distributors worldwide
Don’t know much about the M9 ACE? Well neither did we until recently – but it’s
the modern equivalent to a trench digging lightly armoured but fast tank that
can keep up with most of the other vehicles in the armoured brigade. Not armed
with anything but a big blade – dirt is its enemy and this ACE is on the
warpath…
Check out this video of Drill Sergeant R.Lee Ermey’s TV show to find
out more about it…
M9 Armored Combat Earthmover statistics…
MANUFACTURER - BAE
Systems
SERVICE - US Army, US
Marine Corps
ENGINE - Cummins
A903C diesel
SPEED - 30 mph
RANGE - 200 miles
ARMAMENT – none
Combat Engineer Tasks. The M-9 Armoured Combat Earthmover is
a highly mobile, full-tracked, air transportable armoured earthmover and
represents a significant enhancement to the combat engineers' capability to
support the MAGTF. The M-9 ACE can be employed in a host of engineer tasks,
such as clearing obstacles, preparing defilade and survivability positions, and
a myriad of engineering construction tasks including dozing, scraping, grading,
hauling, towing, and winching.
The M9 ACE is a highly mobile, fully tracked armoured
earthmover capable of supporting forces in both offensive and defensive
operations. It performs critical combat engineer tasks such as digging hull
defilade fighting positions for guns, tanks and other battlefield systems to
increase their survivability. The ACE breaches berms, prepares anti-tank
ditches, prepares combat roads, removes roadblocks and prepares access routes
at water obstacles. With the combination of its cross-country mobility and armoured
protection, the M-9 ACE is capable of both offensive and defensive operations
in the forwarded battle area. Additionally, with a cruising range of 200 miles,
air transportability, and the ability to swim, the M-9 ACE can maintain the
momentum of the manoeuvring forces.
The basic structure of the M9 is welded aluminium. The
engine, drive train and operator's compartment are laid out in the rear of the
vehicle, while the front features an 8.7 cubic yard bowl, apron and dozer
blade. Armor consists of welded aluminium with selected steel and
aramid-laminated plates. An armoured cupola containing eight vision blocks
covers the driver's compartment.
The kit has several features that mirror the original’s
specification. The suspension can be raised or lowered to match the profiles of
the M9 whether digging dirt or gravel – or travelling down the road at speed - just like the real thing...
Lucky for us the
tracks simply click into each other so no problems with multi part assembly
there!
The jaws of this
earth mover chomp up and down and the earth can be pushed in and out
You can see by this
picture the real thing at work with its apron lifted this ACE uses its ejector
to push earth out of its bowl in order to build up a heap.
This CAD drawing
shows the ejector able to be pushed forward and back…
The rear engine enclosure
and the turret hatch are seen in great detail here – not sure if there is a
full or part engine or not but we are sure that the turret hatches open and
close.
Take that fool! Think of the diorama possibilities.
Well more on this
cool looking kit when we know more we promise!
Keep an eye on the Takom website
for more on this and all of their other weird and wonderful kits coming out…
