les freathy Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 Heres somthing interesting for you tracked guys a pair of Chieftain hulls with large capacity NCK and Jones cranes fitted, i have some info on the purpose somewhere but cant lay my hands on it at the moment but one of you lot will have some details i am sure Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 Woha, now that is a bizzare use for hulls. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robin craig Posted January 15, 2010 Share Posted January 15, 2010 Ahah!! From the reading pile in the household library aka the can comes my copy of "The Chieftain Tank" by Simon Dunstan published by Arms and Armour Press in 1989 ISBN 0-85368-89-X in the series Military Vehicles Fotofax. Plate 93 "One unusual variant of Chieftain is this NCK Rapier crane mounted on an early production chassis.The vehicle is employed on the gunnery ranges at Kirkcudbright in Scotland to move heavy targets and gun mountings. Beside it is an earlier Centurion example." The picture you show actually has the two of them in different positions, the Centurion is on the right and the Chieftain on the left. You have made my day as my domestic Niner has been shown why I need to litter the can with such books! Robin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveo578 Posted January 15, 2010 Share Posted January 15, 2010 The Cenutrion with the Jones KL 11.7 crane was the second incarnation of the type. Previously the tank had a S7-10 crane fitted until the crane was written off when ithe tank fell into a hole. A photo of the both types are shown in Simon Dunstans Centurion book published in 1980 by Ian Allen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retriever Posted January 15, 2010 Share Posted January 15, 2010 I remember a Cent version in as new condition in a scrap yard at Abingdon Oxfordshire about 20 years ago, the yard owner also had several new engines he said it all came from the ranges near Southend and were used for lifting bomb cases Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveo578 Posted January 15, 2010 Share Posted January 15, 2010 Probably from the Shrewburyness range, there are/were some interesting turretless Cents at the DERA establishment near Seascale used for mobile mounts for weapons trials. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robin craig Posted January 16, 2010 Share Posted January 16, 2010 oh come, come chaps, cant anyone find more pictures of these dinosaurs? R Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antarmike Posted January 16, 2010 Share Posted January 16, 2010 No this is a dinosaur:- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antarmike Posted January 16, 2010 Share Posted January 16, 2010 Ausrealian Grant Crane conversion Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antarmike Posted January 16, 2010 Share Posted January 16, 2010 Does Captain Scarlet tank crane count???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antarmike Posted January 16, 2010 Share Posted January 16, 2010 (edited) SPK-5 was a ten ton crane convertion going into production in 1955 based on a T-34 tank. Caption says "The crane rotates on a mount that fits into the turret ring." but I don't see this myself. Edited January 16, 2010 by antarmike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveo578 Posted January 18, 2010 Share Posted January 18, 2010 antarmike Caption says "The crane rotates on a mount that fits into the turret ring." but I don't see this myself. Certainly rotates on the racer. see photo of SPK 5 from Soviet Tanks ....1946 to the present by S. Zagola and James Loop. 1987. Sorry that photos have developed a Mor problem. Additional photos are various other Soviet Polish and Czech cranes from the same source. Skp 5 ISU T are Soviet CSLA is czech and CW ISU is Polish. Steve skp 5.jpg csla.jpg ISU T.jpg CW ISU.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trooper2196 Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 (edited) Heres somthing interesting for you tracked guys a pair of Chieftain hulls with large capacity NCK and Jones cranes fitted, i have some info on the purpose somewhere but cant lay my hands on it at the moment but one of you lot will have some details i am sure The Chieftain shown is a MK4 one of only two produced tested by MVEE on Exercise Dryfoot in 1971 at the Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona, USA. I was on that trial as a troop Sgt the photo added is the same tank as produced with the turret and crane not yet fitted. Edited March 19, 2015 by Trooper2196 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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