"Military Vehicles" #4, oct-nov 1987 by T.E. Richards (picture on front of
issue)
One of the least known versions of the American military jeep is a
unique 3-wheeled vehicle built for the U.S. navy in the early 1950's. A fair
number were built for use on aircraft carriers, and many were later sold as
surplus by dealer Harry Reiter in Ohio, and by dealer Ed Compton in
California.
The vehicle's Navy purpose was to be a mobile electric power plant for
starting jet fighters. The modification for the Navy was by O.E. Szekeley
Associates of Philadelphia.
The jeep-Szekely vehicle had front wheel drive and steered by a single
rear wheel. Overall, it weighed 1,750 pounds and it was only 36 inches high
and 52 inches wide.
The purpose of these vehicles was to replace the power lines formerly
strung across flight decks and the generators on hand-drawn dollies that
were too slow and cumbersome. It could supply either AC or DC.
Russell Hill
La Plata, NM
I watching the "Bridges at Toko Ri" the other night and noticed two three
wheeled jeeps being used on board a carrier. Not being a Jeep person, I had
not seen anything like this before. Can anyone enlighten me as to what they
were?
Deryk Walker
1944 WC-56 Command Car "Baby"
Mission Viejo, CA
(Last outpost of the British Empire)
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Sun Dec 03 2000 - 20:29:53 PST