US M48 Chaparral

Scott Bregi | AFV Club #35002

The M48 Chaparral was a U.S. Army self-propelled short-range air-defense missile system based on the tracked M730 carrier, derived from the M113 family. Its rotating launcher carried four MIM-72 Chaparral infrared-guided missiles, with additional missiles stored aboard. Introduced in the late 1960s, it provided mobile protection for ground forces against low-flying aircraft and helicopters. The Chaparral commonly operated alongside the M163 VADS, combining missile and rapid-fire cannon defenses. U.S. Army service continued into the 1990s.

Additional Accessories:

• Eureka XXL tow cable

• Eduard photo-etch

UPDATE 2026-09-25:

It’s mostly out of the box, with an Eduard photo-etch set and aftermarket tracks. I’ve tried five or six track sets, and none fit the drive sprockets correctly, the width or guide-horn spacing is always off. There are two Eduard sets; the newer one adds more detail, including the side bow brackets. One of the biggest headaches was relocating the radiator cap and filling the original grille opening. I still need to add interior work and the front OVM, then it will be ready for paint. I haven’t decided whether to finish it for REFORGER or Desert Storm. The kit has a full interior, so the clear gunner’s window must be masked inside and out around its molded structure and photo-etched parts. I also scratch-built the rear tilt cable with Eureka XXL tow cable. The Sidewinders are removable and pinned with brass, as usual. This later version has the added optical sight box on the left. I think this was one of AFV Club’s early kits, which may explain some of the errors. CRS now offers a track set, and I have Skybow tracks that include sprockets.