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----- Original Message -----
From: "Rob Dabkowski" <robdab@better.net>
To: "Military Vehicles List" <mil-veh@uller.skylee.com>
Sent: Monday, May 22, 2000 6:35 AM
Subject: Re: [MV] Fw: Test Message / Saracen Questions ?
> Richard, Thanks for taking the time for a detailed reply (I think ?) Based
> my questions on a 10 minute examination of a Saracen seen loaded on a
lorry
> that was passing through town two weeks ago.
>
Ah, that explains it.
I did overlook the possible inference about simply removing the hubs but
this is a non-starter also since inside that huge sticky-out lump in the
middle of the wheel is a five pinion epicyclic reduction box with the outer
tracta drive shaft coming to within 1/4" of the very outer flange that you
see.
>Didn't look look like that big
> a problem and I was planning to ship two drums of OM-13 anyway. Just
> thought that I'd consult the "experts of the List" before getting into
> trouble. Glad that I did. Received an education on the technical details
of
> a future part of my fleet. Maybe I should actually read those maintenance
> manuals instead of just looking at all the pretty pictures ?
>
You will need the manuals below the common ones to really see what it
comprises of, unit and base repair would be a good read.
>... P.S. Why is it that the UK seems to design
> everything military to be more complicated than it needs to be ? Canada
> managed to produce several models of CMP armoured cars during WWII that
> just used simple basic truck technology and were field repairable. Other
> than giving overhead splinter cover is a Saracen that much better at
> carrying troops than a C15TA was ?
>
The whole of the Alvis 600 chassis vehicles are this complicated. They all
are designed to afford a low and flat floor line with totally independent
suspension and solid 6 wheel drive for high mobility being primarily
intended for off-road only. The dreaded and much talked about transmission
wind-up was of no consequence therefore in the design brief.
The bevel box arrangement affords minimal encroachment into the interior
space but to alleviate excessive torque loads for their size the final
reduction (4.25:1) is done at the wheel hub.
The Saracen will travel with impunity where a C15TA would be hopelessly
bogged and happily traverse 5ft trenches, it will also operate with a wheel
station blown off each side like the other FV600 vehicles, although land
mine resistance is something the private owner has little need of.
At the time the price for this was a complex transmission as you now see it
and a design that affords over 1 metre fording unprepared, the envisioned
battle scenario leading to these designs was the plains and woods of eastern
Germany against an invading Russian army, the actual design started in late
1940 against the "General Staff Policy Statement No.66" of 1947 and this was
the result of WWII APC experience. Working prototypes appeared in 1951 with
actual production deliveries in December of that year.
Richard
Southampton - England
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Thu Jun 01 2000 - 22:37:12 PDT