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| Type: |
M520 Goer |
Armament: |
None |
| Built: |
January, 2004 |
Armor: |
None |
| Builder: |
Steve Tyng/Frank Pittelli |
Rating: |
0/1 |
| Status: |
Operational |
Battles: |
31 |
| Owner: |
Frank Pittelli |
Points Earned: |
81,938 |
| Call Sign: |
Bronco Buster |
Points Given: |
29,250 |
| Notes: |
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Joint Tyng/Tri-Pact ProjectCheap, Rugged, Easy-to-Build
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Click Photo For Enlargement (64 Kb) |
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The M520 Goer was a true work-horse in the U.S. Army, serving in a lot
of different configurations, including a basic tractor/trailer, fuel tanker,
rocket launcher, etc. It had a very simple design, rugged suspension and
it was cheap to produce. All good qualities for an R/C supply vehicle
as well.
Photo courtesy of TanxHeaven.com,
which provides
a wealth of photos and information about armor modeling, including a number
of M520 Goer photos.
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The basic frame for the M520 was designed by Tyng Labs, using their
advanced CAD-CAM system and patented wooden construction. A single
piece of plywood serves as the frame for the tractor and a piece
of pine serves as the trailer frame.
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Click Photo For Enlargement (50 Kb) |
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Click Photo For Enlargement (45 Kb) |
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The M520 isn't very wide, so Tyng Labs developed a simple solution
for mounting two kiddie car motors back-to-back. The motors, shaft,
wheel couplings and wheels are all held in place simply by a cotter
pin on both ends of the axle; remove either pin and the entire assembly
comes apart for maintenance or repairs.
The tractor body, windscreen and canopy will be built separately
and will sit over top of the frame, concealing the motors. The
batteries will be mounted in front, to keep weight over the drive
wheels.
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The trailer design is equally as simple, yet effective as the tractor design.
Two standard door hinges allow the trailer body to tilt to either side,
relative to the trailer frame, which is keep in-line with the tractor.
This provides the vehicle with a simple, yet robust suspension that is
much like that on the full size vehicle. That is, the front and
rear axles can be twisted relative to each other, allowing the wheels
to travel over rough terrain.
The rear axle may be powered in the future if extra traction or power is
needed on the battlefield.
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Click Photo For Enlargement (35 Kb) |
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Click Photo For Enlargement (38 Kb) |
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The tractor and trailer are connected by a coupling that allows them
to pivot from side to side, but not up and down. It is made from a block
of wood, with a large bolt serving as a hinge pin. Springs attached to
both sides of the joint allow the pair to turn when power is applied to
only one of the wheels, while bringing the tractor and trailer back
into alignment when power is applied to both wheels.
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Even with only the basic frame and systems installed, the M520 Goer
is put through some initial tests to ensure that the design will
work as expected. Although some tweaking of the steering and suspension
is needed, overall it worked well (in the shop) and should prove to
be a reliable supply vehicle on the battlefield.
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Click Photo For Enlargement (263 Kb) |
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Here are the plans developed by Steve Tyng for the prototype vehicle
with all of the critical measurements. Click on the photo for a
much larger view.
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September 2004:
The Goer proves its value during Operation Coxsackie Freedom where it hauls
supplies through thick grass without any mechanical problems. Although it
did bog down once in mud, everyone agreed that it performed very well despite
the rough terrain and that it's simple design and construction has been
a success. All of the controls are contained in the tractor, with a
clear plexiglass windshield to allow a video camera to be mounted
in the future. A large 26Ah battery is carried in the trailer to provide
all-day run time, as well as additional weight to help with traction.
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Click Photo For Enlargement (130 Kb) |
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