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This was supposedly in "Die Hard With A Vengeance". I didn't know it even existed.

I remember a bridge like that mounted on a M-113, on a Vietnam era photo.

New one on me. 2/11th ACR-Vietnam (when it was all light armored cav) had an AVLB, but it was MBT based (don't recall if it was a 48 or 60).

This has got to be a pure movie prop. Its actually used in the movie, laying an access ramp into the bombed out basement of the Federal Reserve building, by 'the bad guys'.

it is in a couple of 'quick' scenes arriving on a hauler, then drives off the hauler. No scenes of it actually 'dropping' or emplacing the ramp (or bridge).

I had thought about an idea of compiling an AFV register for 'movie use' AFVs, with photo capture & perhaps 'back lot' storage photos, if available. S

Sadly this idea is buried under a pile of other projects, that won't get done anytime soon either.

Anyone else had that idea??

Don

Hi guys
Actually the Sheridan design was to encompass a bunch of different functions one of which was to be a bridge layer according to the Hunnicutt book. But I don't know if it was just a paper tank or they made a prototype.
Seeya Shane

- Dontos

I had thought about an idea of compiling an AFV register for 'movie use' AFVs, with photo capture & perhaps 'back lot' storage photos, if available. S

Sadly this idea is buried under a pile of other projects, that won't get done anytime soon either.

I just came across this blog you might find interesting, if you're not already familiar with it:

filmpanzer.squarespace.com/

- Dontos

This has got to be a pure movie prop. Its actually used in the movie, laying an access ramp into the bombed out basement of the Federal Reserve building, by 'the bad guys'.
Don

Open mouth & remove foot

The existence of the AVLB Sheridan is tested by Hunnicut and Crimson in their publications, it carried a class 20 folded bridge hydraulically operated.
That showed in the Die Hard serie movie is a true rig, most probably the only prototype even completed.

Ciao
Giacomo

- 3R22R

I remember a bridge like that mounted on a M-113, on a Vietnam era photo.

You remember where the image was? Apparently there were two M113 based AVLB. One laid over the front of the vehicle and the second laid over the rear of the vehicle. Never actually seen any images of the rear layer.

I remember seeing a picture of an M113 based AVLB in one of the armor orientation booklets we received in ROTC at VMI back in the earlly 70s. I might actually still have it down in the basement (err Archives ) I'll see if I can dig it out and scan it in

Bob I'm beginning to suspect that you have saved everything that was ever given to you

- JimWeb

- Dontos

This has got to be a pure movie prop. Its actually used in the movie, laying an access ramp into the bombed out basement of the Federal Reserve building, by 'the bad guys'.
Don

Open mouth & remove foot

I just had the misfortune to watch about 30 minutes of what legendary reviewer Leonard Pinth Garnell* would call this "stunningly bad" waste of celluloid and noted a scene where Samuel L. Jackson character enters the bowels of the Federal Reserve building down a ramp consisting a convincing bit of AVLB bridge section that looks like this picture. It looks to have come off of the vehicle in screenshots of the trailered M551 as well. In typical Hollywood fashion, it is installed as a ramp....upside down (that is to say, arch down, flat bit on top).

I'd guess that someone has or recreated this vehicle from/with a ~20ton AVLB section and the film engineers removed the original/recreated bridge section, assembled it in place....installed in the way that seemed most intuitive (flat section up). This is not the way AVLB's I've seen worked (they typically arch across the top, cresting in the middle) and are "hinged" at the bottom (where the flat bits come together), giving arch support to the structure (or a cantilever, or whatever the proper engineering term is). Anyway, here it is....

OMG, I'd forgotten how bad "Die Hard" movies are.



*Saturday Night Live-Dan Aykroyd, for those generations to whom this reference does not ring familiar.

Hey Guys!

We actually saw this mythical beast just the other day in Anderson, IN at the McClain Military Museum! Wanted to post these ASAP - we will have the full gallery up in the next few weeks.

In the meantime enjoy the photos and savor the irony of the M551 AVLB from “Die Hard with a Vengeance” with the character of John McClane in a museum owned by Joe McClain.

Cheers,
The VBs

Hi,

I'm sorry, but I immediately had an image of the M551 tipping over nose-first when I saw that first post.

I can't imagine that the M551 chassis had enough mass to balance that bridge in a stiff breeze. I'm sure it worked in concept, but so did the M60 AVLB and I remember how well...or actually how often...they actually worked in the field.

And how typical of Hollywood to manage to get the bridge upside down!

Chuck

- vagabond

Hey Guys!

We actually saw this mythical beast just the other day in Anderson, IN at the McClain Military Museum! Wanted to post these ASAP - we will have the full gallery up in the next few weeks.

In the meantime enjoy the photos and savor the irony of the M551 AVLB from “Die Hard with a Vengeance” with the character of John McClane in a museum owned by Joe McClain.

Cheers,
The VBs

Did you ask, or could you ascertain from close inspection if this thing could actually deploy the bridge (at least, at one time)? Any info on the weight class rating of the bridge if it was actually ever functional?

This thing always struck me as something those familar with Sheridans desparately thought of a way to use Sheridan chassis that wouldn't involve having to do anything unduly risky like actually fight the vehicle. And I say that as one of those who actually attended Sheridan school as both a trainee and an assistant instructor and operated them in test and combat operations with live ammo. I don't think I'm alone in saying the crewmans POV was a love/hate (fear) relationship with the M551.