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Revell Reissue of Renwal Mace Missile/Teracruzer/Translauncher kit


Fred Horky

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I'm not even sure if "aircraft" is the right category for this thread, since the model includes military ground equipment but NOT armor, and a missile is sort of an airplane, but....

 

So here goes....

 

Over fifty years ago Renwal issued a 1/32nd kit of the TM-76A "Mace" missile. (In the 1962 DOD-wide realignment of designations, it became the MGM-13.) Perhaps more important was the ground support equipment included in the kit, which built the FWD Corp MM1 prime-mover truck, readily identified by its eight huge Goodyear super-wide "Teratires", and a Fruehof-built semi-trailer transporter-launcher which rode on a four wheel bogie with the same tires.

 

From 1958 to 1962 I spent four very intense years with that missile system, including live missile launches in the New Mexico desert at Holloman AFB, and soon thereafter participating in the deployment of the first squadron to Sembach Air Base, Germany.

 

In about 1961 I bought an original-issue of the kit in the Sembach Base Exchange (for less than five bucks) and eventually built it. The model was incorporated into an elaborate display for the "I-Love-Me" wall in my den, which besides the models on a custom plastic shelf, included the framed missile range "flight plot" and the safety/fire arming plug from the first of the missiles I launched at the White Sands Missile Range. It/s been over forty-five years since the model was completed.

 

Unfortuntely along the way since the whole shebang took a Humpty-Dumpty crash from the wall when a person-that-I-live-with-but-who-shall-remain-nameless was "dusting" it. Most damage could be easily repaired: but the bad damage was really bad: the already fragile "walking beams" on the outboard ends of all wheel bogies were shattered. In my ealy exampole, those very delicate (in 1/32nd) parts had been crystlized "cold shots" to begin with. I've never figured a way to repair them adequately. Ever since I've carted all the pieces around in a box.

 

My plea is to any of the many "cottage industry" types out there, especially to those specializing in white metal landing gear struts for large scale airplane models. The bogie walking beams should be an easy part to replicate in metal. Such a part might even be a big seller since Revell is reisssuing the kit again.

 

While I have lots of pictures, I can't include any until I figure out this "URL" business ....

 

If you do white metal or know a cottage industry guy that does, let me know.

 

If not, but you just want to commuicate about a fascinating system from the early days of missiles and which cost me many long hours and took a toll on my hearing, let me know that too.

 

Anybody interested in the old missile and its unique support equipment might try to find find two old IPMS Quarterlys (Vol 21, No 3&4, 1986) which have my extensive, two part article about the Mace and its support equipment. Lots of pictures and drawings. Don't ask IPMS for back issues, there aren't any.

 

From the rosy viewpoint of a half-century plus, the memories are all fond of those days in Germany! Long hours; worked hard, played harder, and had a ball! Didn't sleep much. Ah, bachelor life in Germany fifty years ago....

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Mace was developed from Matador, which when first introduced, had the designation, B-61, so I would guess the aircraft area is just fine.

 

This scale of this model just calls out for extra details. The prime mover cab is very spacious and has large windows. There's got to be lots of plumbing and cabling that can be added as well. However, be prepared for lots of filing, filing, and sanding. There are mold seams all over it as well as injector pin marks. It builds up nicely, however, and is very impressive.

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At least 20 years ago, Revell reissued the Teracruiser with Mace Missile kit #8628 in the first History Makers series (maroon box). The box art was a photo of the completed model. Since I already have that version, I see no reason to drop $70 on a new reissue that has the original Renwal artwork and nothing else new. It is way down on my list of kits to build, however.

 

Ed

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My dad was in QC on the Mace at Sembach when I was born in 1965. Came across Fred's article in an old copy of the journal that I picked up at a library sale at the San Diego Aerospace Museumback in the mid 80s, went home and bought the History Makers kit while in college and got started modifying it. Converted the doghouse on the end to a production end, painted it a zinc chromate and silver scheme that Dad recalled from the 38th birds, started on the MM-1, and then for some reason put it away (think it might have been from a crack that developed in the converted, painted, decaled rear fuselauge or painting all of those vinyl two piece wheels a color that resembled actual tires). Maybe it's time to pull it out and finally finish it. (Was even inspired to build working wing hinge attachments from Fred's articles). Some great websites out there as well and found some photo cds from the Air Force Missiliers Association as well.

Dave Henning

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I bought and built the Revell History Maker's version while stationed in Germany (Dec 87 to Dec 90), probably in 1988 or 1989. I picked it at one of the bigger PXs from where I was stationed. As a kid, the Renwal Blueprint armor series were out of my range. My friend's older brother had many of them and if I happened to be around when he was working on the kit, that was my only chance to see it. I remember being amazed at working features on either the M41 or M47 tank. Once he finished the kit, it went up on a shelf way out of reach of us little kids.

 

I could never figure out why he didn't play with them in the sandbox with us. :smiley13:

 

In the 1980s when Revell reissued these kits, I grabbed every one I saw. The one that I used to love was the M50 Ontos, because of the coolness factor. The Ontos and the M42 Duster are the only ones from the 1980s I still have, but I remember buying the M47 Patton, M41 Bulldog, 5 ton wrecker, and the awesome Mace.

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Anybody interested in the old missile and its unique support equipment might try to find find two old IPMS Quarterlys (Vol 21, No 3&4, 1986) which have my extensive, two part article about the Mace and its support equipment. Lots of pictures and drawings. Don't ask IPMS for back issues, there aren't any.

 

 

Actually, these articles ARE available (in PDF format) from IPMS/USA, to IPMS/USA members

 

Just drop an e-mail to IPMS-Q@ipmsusa.org. Specify that you want V21 #3, pages 5-16 and V21 #4, pages 38-48, include your name and IPMS number in the e-mail, and I'll send it to you.

It takes 4 e-mails, as each article runs to about 3 MB, and the e-mail guys get upset if you try to send anything bigger than 2 MB at a time.

 

Jim Pearsall

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Thanks, Jim! Not knowing that old "Q" articles are available shows how far outside the IPMS mainstream I've strayed.

 

In his first post on this thread, Ron Bell noted that .." This scale of this model just calls out for extra details. The prime mover cab is very spacious and has large windows. There's got to be lots of plumbing and cabling that can be added as well. " Actually, having spent several years working with these things, I respectfully disagree. There are a few things that could be added beyond the instrument panel itself, but the MM1 cab was remarkably barren, considering its size. I recall gas and brake pedals (the Allison transmission was an automatic), a fore-and-aft shift lever between the driver's seat and the engine cover, windup cranks on the windows, a couple of "Thou-Shalt-Not" placards, and all four seats having the first seat belts I ever encountered on ANY vehicle, civilian or military ...remember, this was in 1959. And that was about it!

 

BTW, the thing NEEDED seat belts: with no no springs or "shocks" of any kind in the suspension beyond than Gooodyear's big "pillow" tires, if the MM1 was moving at a speed where the natural spring rate of those tires ever matched the harmonic of the road surface it was on, the thing could start (and continue) bouncing like a bucking bronco. My memory from over a half-century ago tells me that caused a 35mph speed limit to be imposed, although it was capable of speeds quite a bit faster.

 

Like most veterans' groups, the wonders of today's internet has allowed we old "Tac Missileers" to share and reminisce about old times, German beer (I never met one I didn't like), and of working hard and playing harder while in the 38th TacMissileWg. If you'd like to get a flavor of what that duty was like, check out our website at http://www.sembachmissileers.org/ . Don't be surprised if you find some of my stories about duty with the Mace! One thing that helped was that while military pay was still remarkably low before the era of the "all-volunteer-force", the dollar was still king. This made the dollar to Deutschmark exchange rate very favorable, and our few bucks could stretch pretty far.

 

One thing seems certain: all the Missileers agree our tours in Germany were among the most pleasant memories of a lifetime!

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In my earlier post today (above) the "missileer" veterans' website was mentioned. For probably more than you'll EVER want to know about the Mace system and its deployment to Germany (including photos), try these links to articles I provided to that website ....about all of them include pictures. Contact me privately with your email address if you'd like to correspond or have questions about the Mace and its support equipment.

http://www.sembachmissileers.org/2012/01/training-daze-at-orlando-afb/

http://www.sembachmissileers.org/2008/02/oh-the-memories/

http://www.sembachmissileers.org/2008/03/single-missile-43-minute-launch/

http://www.sembachmissileers.org/2008/03/single-missile-continued/

http://www.sembachmissileers.org/2008/02/moving-missiles-from-sembach-to-grunstadt/

http://www.sembachmissileers.org/2008/06/mace-switcheroo/

http://www.sembachmissileers.org/2008/04/the-original-c-flight/

http://www.sembachmissileers.org/2008/02/even-more-memories-of-sembachs-tiger-stadium/

http://www.sembachmissileers.org/2008/02/558/

 

(As an aside, the "Mace Switcheroo" link above concerns various missiles-on-a-pole being replaced by an F-86 as Sembach's "gate guard" after the Mace program ended. Since that piece was written, Sembach has been turned over to the U.S. Army to become "Sembach Kaserne" (barracks). And now that same concrete plinth that started off with a Matador missile a half-century ago and then had a Saberjet, now has an Army tank perched on it. Fame is indeed fleeting!)

 

 

In regard to mobility, the Mace and its support equipment was similar to the Army's famed M65 280mm "Atomic Cannon", also of 1950's vintage. It was a real behemoth! Renwal also made that big gun into a model kit in the same scale and series, and is now also being re-released by Revell with the original packaging. See http://www.theatomiccannon.com/home and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M65_Atomic_Cannon

 

 

 

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