Three new kits from US cold war stock on the way from Takom in May

The 1/35th scale T 57 & T 58 heavy tanks & 72nd scale M911 with M747 trailer are the US heavy metal on offer from Takom in May. We look at the vehicles & CAD features in our preview...

Three new kits from US cold war stock on the way from Takom in May

Takom continue to surprise with new idea and new scales. The 72nd scale kit lovers will appreciate the M911 transport & trailer, while the 35th scale crew will like to see new tooled kits of the T57 & T58 heavy tanks for their dioramas.

We will look at them quickly, with the CAD artwork showing us a few hints along the way...

T 57 Heavy Tank

From Takom

Kit No

1/35th scale

Photo etch included

Brass cable, clear parts & track jig included

The T57 heavy tank was an experimental heavy tank developed by the American military during the Cold War era as a further development of the M103 heavy tank. It was designed to replace the M103 in service with American heavy tank units in Europe, boasting a combination of heavy armor and a long-range 120mm rifled gun. The proposed armor on the hull front was expected to range between 5-8 inches (13-20 cm) in thickness, while the turret was intended to be a maximum of 5.98 inches (15.2 cm) thick on all sides. 

The Rheem Manufacturing Company was commissioned to develop and manufacture two pilot vehicles for the T57 project. Although the T57 was never completed, two turrets were constructed and mounted on T43 hulls for testing purposes. However, the US Ordnance Committee ultimately canceled the project on January 17, scrapping both turrets and returning the hulls to a supply depot for potential reuse. The T77 120mm Gun Tank project, which aimed to integrate the T57 turret with a M48 Patton tank hull, was also left unfinished. 

A diagram of the oscillating T 57 turret.

The T57 was slated to feature an oscillating turret, similar to the French AMX 50 project, and would be equipped with a 153mm gun. However, experiments were also conducted to explore the possibility of mounting a 203mm gun, which was ultimately deemed infeasible due to the excessive weight of the turret and gun. As a result, the project was ultimately discontinued due to the multiple problems discovered in the turret oscillation system. The failure of the T57 has been attributed to the evolving tank design philosophies of the time, which shifted towards the development of main battle tanks that combined the mobility of medium tanks, the armor and firepower of heavy tanks, in a more lightweight package, rendering heavy tanks obsolete.

The CADs show a metal barrel, with the choice of a gun shield for the turret mounted .50 Cal, also brass cable and clear parts included.

A diagram showing the oscillation of the kit's turret.

The suspension on this kit is workable, and the tracks are supplied with a track jig to assist the construction.

T 58 Heavy Tank

From Takom

Kit No 2204

1/35th scale

Photo etch included

Brass cable, clear parts & track jig included

According to the Army Development Guide of December 1950, the T43 and T57 tank prototypes were predicted to surpass military expectations and effectively counter Soviet tanks like the IS-3. However, a 1951 conference suggested a shift in focus to developing a tank equipped with a 155mm gun instead. A January 1952 document outlined specifications for the new heavy tank, with a proposal that called for the creation of two prototype turrets with autoloaders and 155mm guns, which would be installed on the T43E1 chassis, resulting in the 155mm Gun Tank T58. In April 1952, a contract was awarded to the United Shoe Machinery Corporation to design, develop, and produce the pilot turrets. The crew would consist of a commander, a gunner, a loader, and a driver. The gunner was situated at the front right of the turret, while the commander sat behind him, protected by a vision cupola. The loader was positioned on the left of the turret, with his own hatch providing access.

Photos of the complete 155-mm Gun Tank T58. Here utilizing the hull of a 120-mm Gun Tank T43E1, a precursor for the M103. 

The hull that was used for the project was the same as that of the 120mm Gun Tank T43, which would later be serialized as the M103. Despite numerous design changes and delays in obtaining necessary parts, work on the two pilot turrets continued into 1956. However, by this point, the military's priorities had shifted, and the T58 tank was no longer deemed essential. As a result, the T58 project, along with other initiatives, was canceled on January 17, 1957. Both pilot turrets were subsequently scrapped, leaving behind only a few photographs and government reports as remnants of the project.

The CADs of this kit show us the many features included, including the kit's metal-barrelled main gun, with photo-etch details, clear periscopes, and brass cable included for the tow cables.

The pivoting angles of the turret and main gun are shown here.

Workable tracks are included in this kit. They have supplied a track jig for ease of construction, with a workable suspension offered to make use of terrain in your diorama.

M911  C-HET w/ M747 Heavy Equipment Semi-Trailer

From Takom

Kit No 5024

1/72nd scale

Photo etch included

Many people are crazy about the rugged look and strong cross-country capability of the Russian heavy cross-country trucks. However, the most outstanding heavy trucks are from the U.S. Now, you can see heavy trucks carrying tens of tons of goods running on the roads, and their cumulative mileage has reached hundreds of thousands of miles. The Heavy Equipment Transport System (HETS) is a behemoth among the U.S. military equipment. In 1977, to meet the need of the U.S. military, Oshkosh released the M911 heavy tractor. It can haul the M747 semi-trailer for road transportation of heavy equipment, with a maximum payload of 68.95t. Before the M1070 tractor was put into service in 1993, the M911 was one of the most important HETS in the U.S. military service.

Prior to 1993, the U.S. Army employed the Commercial Heavy Equipment Transporter (C-HET), which consisted of either the M746 or the M911 truck tractor and the M747 semitrailer. The M746 was an 8×8, 221⁄2-ton tractor built by Ward LaFrance from 1975 to 1977. Approximately 125-185 were built. The lift axle, 8×6, Oshkosh M911, superseded the M746 after 1977. 

During operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, the M911 vehicles were employed primarily to haul M1 Abrams tanks. However, they demonstrated poor durability when loads exceeded 60 tons. Some are still serving as heavy transports of other military equipment, such as cargo handling equipment.

The kit: 

Moulded in 1/72nd scale, this kit of the truck and trailer will be appreciated by modellers, especially in the detail that Takom has seemed to create in the design. Photo-etch is used to create some of the thinner parts that would be problematic or unrealistic in 72nd scale.

That is all we have on these three for now—keep tuned for more info on the kits themselves. You can see more about Takom's kits on their website or on their Facebook page