fv1609

Make sure you get a domed head. On manufacture of the chair the heads are outermost which means that the nut & thread rub against the canvas base but this causes a hole to develop. I have reversed my bolts so that the dome doesn't do this.

1/4 UNF

Yes that & the line drawings came from FVRDE Report No. FT 2256 It is an awkward publication to handle it measures 13.5" x 8" contains many full size photographic pages which are glossy and slightly curled that make it difficult to photo without glinting. It is all tightly stapled together making holding pages open difficult especially if trying to take a photo. Sadly some of the photos have faded badly although they could be enhanced by increasing the contrast with some photo editing. You will see that on the first page the dates are given for 1965, yet on the next page it reiterates the dates of trial but states 1964. It is quite a detailed report on many aspects of the vehicle not just water performance compared with FV432 & M113 but the fields of vision for commander, driver & co-driver in daylight & IR. I bought it from the Tank Museum many years ago, whether they had lost interest in it or have a better copy I don't know.

Ok Wally thanks for looking. Mark at that Hovercraft museum there were a number of models of projects that included Project Prodigal for a vertical take-off fighting vehicle. Several companies submitted their ideas for creating such a thing. I used to have the paperwork for the Shorts version of how it might be achieved with a jet engine mounted vertically in the centre of the vehicle. There is a model of that at the museum. I have photos of a wind tunnel model I don't know if that is what is on display or whether there is a more comprehensively structured model.

That was a good video although it didn't have time to mention some criticisms from the FVRDE report. 1. Vibrations from 6 inch pitch track link and the engine and track noises were high. 2. Only one external fire handle on the left hand side of vehicle & no portable small extinguishers on the outside. 3. Excellent vision through periscopes was nullified by absence of any wipers. 4. Servicing of wheel hubs was difficult. The filler caps were hard to remove & oil hole was very small. 5. There was no ventilation equipment. A general criticism of the vehicle concept was that for the number of crew (3) & the armament, the vehicle was larger & heavier than it need be. The propulsive efficiency of the FV430 is substantially better than the FMC. Although the FV430 was considerably inferior to FMC & M113 when going astern taking some time to pick up way & very limited manoeuvrability. The field of the IR night vision was 26 degrees the British requirement was 40 degrees minimum was 'essential' but 55 degrees was 'desirable'. The field of IR illumination was downgraded by 20% due to the illumination from 100W bulbs to overcome this 240W would be required. Radio interference 30-60 Mc/s averaged 35 dB above 1 microvolt that exceeded the acceptable level of 8 dB. 26th October 1965

FMC

No idea, haven't seen the film. The report refers to it as "FMC Command & Reconnaissance Vehicle (FMC C. & R.) uses many parts common with those of M.113" One prototype was doing the rounds of several European countries & FVRDE were allowed to have it for a month.

This is the private venture put forward by FMC as the Command & Reconnaissance Vehicle to tempt the US Army who chose M114 instead. It was trialled by FVRDE on 11th June - 14th July 1964. Swimming trials were at FVRDE site Horsea Island 29-30 June 1964

Another one that didn't make it.

A nice little find of a few years ago.

Mike yes that works a treat. Thank you for sharing your ingenuity.

Ah yes I see what you mean thanks.

Unfortunately it didn't do it for me Mike. The new tab took me to imgur.com showing the same watermark, do I have to join or sign up to imgur?

I wonder if that department is what appears in some ledgers as "MOD St Christopher House" looking at an old list of MOD departments located there this seems the most likely: Defence Analytical Services Agency Ministry of Defence Room 1/124 St Christopher House Southwark Street London SE1 0TD Following DASA website takes you to Abbeywood where presumably your FOI ended up Mark : ( I also have notes of a list I saw (at Bovington?) of the FVBOC located in Room 5114, St Christopher House.

The MS series was used for "Vehicle numbers issued for overseas customers" I have always understood that MS indicated Ministry Sales.

Mark that's a good link I've not seen so much of the collection before. These other sites that are defunct, have you tried looking for archived pages in : https://help.archive.org/help/wayback-machine-general-information/

Against all odds I managed to find it within 10 mins. There is data on the reverse, nothing I'm sure you don't know already. But I will do you some decent scans for your web site in due course. To be going on with:

I have a Budge catalogue somewhere, it is more of a folder with promotional vehicle data sheets. I know it includes Pig & Shorland as those are my primary interests. I'll see if there is a Stalwart sheet in there.

Found the Ferrets tucked away at an air show at Boscombe Down in 1990, far more interesting than looking at aeroplanes.

I remember seeing one in Pounds yard (indoors) & another with several other Ferrets at Boscombe Down partially filled with concrete used for payload trials or something.

Excellent stuff Wally. As is usual they get the spelling of Shorland wrong as Shoreland or sometimes it is Shortland. I note 26 BK 34 is chassis & driver's seat only. I wonder where the body went? Two situations spring to mind one of the 9 ex-RUC Pigs in the 27 BT ** series which were re-bodied as the locally made roofs were mild steel (being FV1609s not FV1611s) or the one Hornet that was re-bodied for NI or maybe it was just for a Pig with a smashed up body?

Wally I wish I had a friend like that who would bring me a box of such goodies! Yes those 4 SB401 Shorlands 92 KH 85 - 92 KH 88 are interesting with quite a short service life albeit with the USMC. I have not seen any pictures with the correct the ERM displayed, the pictures I have seen show RAF registrations that were to disguise the real users of the vehicles. I think they were based at RAF St Mawgan. I had a guided tour of AVD Ludgershall on two occasions. It was quite a while ago when we were shown the new Saxon Patrols that had just arrived & the Fuchs NBC vehicle but I just wanted to wander around the acres of Pigs, Ferrets etc lying in the fields beyond, then I ran out of film! Although I did snap quite a good number of variants I wish reliable & economic digital photography was a reality back then!

Excellent picture Wally, two of these rather odd trailers were built. But I wonder if in that album there are any pictures of a mock-up of the FV426 Orange William launcher? Although I have the FVRDE Design Spec for FV426 the drawings were not attached & it is hard to understand how the missiles were extended from the sides of the launcher. There must have at least been a mock-up somewhere?

I see it started out on an EMER.