Old Military vehicle locomotion trials

[Torisco]

I thought it would be interesting to see some of the methods tried out for military vehicle locomotion in the past.

I like the cylindrical tires by Firestone for the Willys MB to use in jungle terrain during WW2, and the MB / GPW WW2 Jeep halftrack to mention a couple.

 

[glassk]

 

[Torisco]

View attachment 510813

Now that is really wild!

 

[andy3]

The Russians had several variants like this. Great over snow, mud, trees, etc.

 

[amgeneral72]

Check out these US ARMY land trains. Actually saw on on GL once in Alaska.

 

[Torisco]

Check out these US ARMY land trains. Actually saw on on GL once in Alaska.


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These trains built for the Alcan Alaska venture have always amazed me. The military can come up with some really wild forms of locomotion.

 

[Torisco]

Check out these US ARMY land trains. Actually saw on on GL once in Alaska.


View attachment 510829View attachment 510830View attachment 510831View attachment 510832View attachment 510833View attachment 510834

These trains built for the Alcan Alaska venture have always amazed me. The military can come up with some really wild forms of locomotion.

 

[sigo]

Those land trains weren't built for the ALCAN, they were built to resupply the DEW line. I tried to get up close to the LCC-1 (1st photo), it was in a scrap yard out the back gate of Ft Wainwright, but the yard was sold and liquidated before I could track down an owner. Fortunately I just read that it was saved and now resides at a museum in Whitehorse. A land train trailer still lives in Tok, AK and another Letourneau land train is parked on private property just north of Fairbanks. The owner has a 'mog too.

 

[Torisco]

Those land trains weren't built for the ALCAN, they were built to resupply the DEW line. I tried to get up close to the LCC-1 (1st photo), it was in a scrap yard out the back gate of Ft Wainwright, but the yard was sold and liquidated before I could track down an owner. Fortunately I just read that it was saved and now resides at a museum in Whitehorse. A land train trailer still lives in Tok, AK and another Letourneau land train is parked on private property just north of Fairbanks. The owner has a 'mog too.

Thanks for the correction.

 

[amgeneral72]

This was developed by GM for military trials. It was called the Sidewinder. Kinda looks like a Gamma Goat.

 

[amgeneral72]

The AGL-4 (Articulated General-Purpose Logistical Truck ) below was produced by General Motors Defense Research Laboratories in Santa Barbara, CA. A Marine Corp air station, National Reserve center, Camp Cook, and Vandenberg Air Force Base were in the vicinity, so it stood to reason that this Corvair-powered all-terrain 4×4 was built for military plus agriculture use. Unlike the Corvair, its engine is in an unconventional place–it’s in the front, under the cab. Power was sent to Chevrolet’s two-speed Powerglide automatic and transmitted through a driveshaft that could be decoupled. Modular functionality allowed different beds to be interchanged, with an accessory dolly rig developed to support the cab when separated from the bed.

General Motors’ motivating objectives for the AGL-4 were utility, economy, and mobility. At 15 feet long, with 44-inch tires, and rated for a 1-1/4-ton payload, its versatility would have served itself well on both a farm and a military base, but GM decided to not pursue the AGL-4 for production. Like any experimental vehicle, the principles learned through this concept were likely applied later in subsequent vehicles that eventually reached production.

 

[Another Ahab]

/QUOTE]

Now that is really wild!

You think?!

I say, "Screw It"; i'll do you one better:

 

[steelypip]

I saw a GM promo film on this years ago. The 'decouple and drive the cab around on its little rear landing gear' trick was pretty clever. It did seem like it would be awfully underpowered hauling 1.25 tons around on uneven ground with an 80 HP Corvair engine, although I suppose that's not dramatically worse than a loaded deuce pulling a trailer.

 

[Another Ahab]

Ran across these photos, while recently looking into Rommel and his gear, and this excellent thread here by Torico now gives me a good place to post them:

- Idea was: roll steady where you had roadway, and then drop onto the tracks where you ran out of road (and needed it).

- Evidently only experimental, and never went beyond testing.

- Love to hear otherwise though if anybody recognizes them and knows something about them

 

[NMC_EXP]

I worked at Caterpillar Inc. My department developed Cat's "Mobile Track System" (MTS). MTS is a steel cable reinforced rubber track. It was developed for the "Challenger" series of ag tractors. The advantages of MTS rubber track over Cat's steel track were: (1) ability to road the machine, and (2) top speed.

We worked a couple of DoD development contracts. We added MTS tracks to 5 ton trucks to make half tracks. Also put them on tandem axle cargo trailers for flotation in mud and sand.

The most interesting MTS application was the Hardened Mobile Launcher (HML) system for the Midgetman ICBM program. After Soviet warheads became accurate enough to take out fixed ICBM silos the idea was hatched to put small ICBMs in mobile launchers and move them around.

Cat partnered with Martin Marietta to make a test vehicle. Both the tractor and trailer were on MTS rubber tracks. Fully loaded the rig weighed close to 250K lbs. One requirement was a top speed (on pavement) of 60 mph. The test rig topped out at over 65 mph. It had a Cat V12 diesel engine (as I recall) which was equipped with propane injection if you really needed to bug out in a hurry.

We were not sure the rubber tracks would hold together at in excess of 60 mph. To find out a motor grader was regeared to run 70 mph and fitted with a set of rubber tracks. It was tested at the facility where I worked. They had the grader up on jack stands running 70 mph. No way to balance the belts which probably weighed 1000 lbs each. The grader was really rocking on the jack stands. As a safety precaution in case it shook off the jack stands they had a rope tied to the engine fuel shut off lever with the other end tied to a column post.

I cannot put a photo in the thread but here is a link to an article with a photo of the rig:

http://books.google.com/books?id=pT...bility mobile launcher midgetman icbm&f=false

 

[Bighurt]

The prototype HML for Midgetman MGM-134 was bid by a few companies, unfortunately the CAT/MM version was didn't win. The wheeled version built by Boeing won out it was tested in Mt until 1991 when the MGM-134 was canceled. The HML like the Rail Garrison where canceled due to advances in the SLBM realm. Although the initial fear that drove the HML programs still exists today.

 

[NMC_EXP]

The prototype HML for Midgetman MGM-134 was bid by a few companies, unfortunately the CAT/MM version was didn't win. The wheeled version built by Boeing won out it was tested in Mt until 1991 when the MGM-134 was canceled. The HML like the Rail Garrison where canceled due to advances in the SLBM realm. Although the initial fear that drove the HML programs still exists today.

As I recall the only other prototype that was actually built and tested was the wheeled version by Boeing and Goodyear. You are correct, the Boeing/Goodyear version won the trials and went on for further test & evaluation.

In house Cat propaganda claimed Cat/MM lost due to the MTS rubber tracks being to radical a concept plus it was Boeings "turn" to get some taxdollars. As I recall our rig suffered a fire which disabled it for a couple of days. No doubt that cost a few points.

 

[Another Ahab]

! ! !

Fully loaded the rig weighed close to 250K lbs. One requirement was a top speed (on pavement) of 60 mph. The test rig topped out at over 65 mph.

QUOTE]

 

[Another Ahab]

As I recall the only other prototype that was actually built and tested was the wheeled version by Boeing and Goodyear. You are correct, the Boeing/Goodyear version won the trials and went on for further test & evaluation.

In house Cat propaganda claimed Cat/MM lost due to the MTS rubber tracks being to radical a concept plus it was Boeings "turn" to get some taxdollars. As I recall our rig suffered a fire which disabled it for a couple of days. No doubt that cost a few points.

That's interesting, because I am recalling that was the same outcome with the Wehrmacht testing of the first Tiger Tanks during WWII:

- I think it was Dr. Porsche's model (with high-torque electric motor drives) that burned-up during the trials (and so sank their shot at the contract). This even though many agreed that his concept was the best for the task at-hand. History can be harsh (and maybe, in the long run, it was best for us, the Allies).

 

[Torisco]

View attachment 525805/QUOTE]



You think?!

I say, "Screw It"; i'll do you one better:

View attachment 525804

ONLY the Ahab could do one better like this!