fv1609

Although I like Land Rovers they are not my first love that is reserved for HUMBERS of FV1600 series especially this peculiar vehicle the FV1620. But I always include my name, why are some people afraid to use their own name?

do you have any idea what the weight was unladen or laden ?

The User Handbook quotes the "Operational Weight" as 7800lb (3545 kg) allowing for 8 crew @ 200lb each, 2 x 11 gal fuel tanks full.

Have a look at this thread:

http://www.hmvf.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=2492.0

I notice in the second pic there are two types of can, the American and German design of Jerrycan however I'm sure some of you will be able to shed more light on to when the allied forces took on the more recogniseable German design.

In August 1941 the 8th Army captured some reusable fuel cans used by the Germans that were far in advance of anything the allies could envisage. Although these cans were of an Italian design, they were extensively used by the German forces and inevitably became known as “Jerricans”. They were the obvious replacement for the flimsies. In September 1941 some jerricans were flown home for evaluation by the War Office, immediately a programme of mass manufacture was envisaged. But the introduction of the jerrican was delayed by the difficulties in obtaining presses and making the dies. One such press sent from the USA was part of the cargo of a ship that was sunk in the English Channel. So important was the cargo that the press was retrieved, refurbished and installed in Birmingham so bringing the monthly output of jerricans to a million from just this one factory.

Can this be obtained from somewhere wike a motor parts shop.?? :evil:

Nope you will find it very difficult/impossible to obtain sulphuric acid in these Health & Safety/litigation days. I tried several battery dealers & there was grunting & head shaking at first, we only put acid in our batteries & won't accept liability etc. Just depends on attitude of bloke behind counter.

Toilet??

Yup well done. It dates from 1940 you can see how standing on the pedals opens the shutters, then automatically closes when you get off what is optimistically called "the seat". The user appears to be standing, which raises issues of accurate aiming.

For accuracy of aim & for procedure no.2, I assume that a crouching position would have been best but that would mean the shutter opening is not best positioned. Furthermore this would be difficult as the user seems to be wearing pyjamas. :whistle:

Unless someone with experience of this formidable apparatus can enlighten me as to the details of use?

Did you have any luck at all tracking down any photos ?

Not looked yet, I have about 300 pictures of RUC vehicles to sort through

The main info I have at the moment is the registration which is JXI 1763.

It would have been JXI 7163. It went into service on 29/5/87, Engine no 10G07588, Chassis No ..195189. Shorts No SB401/RH/P/132. Unlike the LHD one which was converted this was a stock vehicle & was originally painted Light Slate grey from the factory. Oh the ignition key no. is 908, I don't have the door numbers I'm afraid.

The RUC I am led to believe had very few of these and were using lots of different variants at the same time. I am not entirely sure whetehr to do it up as an RUC vehicle or as a Shorts demonstrator model.

They had three SB301 & five SB401. Have you got a chassis no, engine no, Shorts no, or RUC no? If you give me one of these I can give you the other info. The 401s went into service 1986-early1987 some were withdrawn 1995. One was originally LHD & was plucked from an order to Sri Lanka or Lebanon & converted to RHD for the RUC.

On delivery the RUC demilitarised the thing & removed visors etc. So a demonstrator would not be without the visors etc. So a vehicle is what it is so do it as RUC. The original colour was a dark slate grey this often faded to a bluey colour resembling Light Admiralty Grey of very early RUC vehicles. I have some genuine paint & can put some on a card if you want to get a match. It is very dark, but I have the Land Rover badge off an early Hotspur & that is the same dark grey, although some photos & lighting conditions make it look much lighter. There were various attempts to brighten things up & I gather this was looked on by officers with suspicions as they felt ridiculous driving round in what has been called an armoured ice-cream van. Indeed it made the vehicle a much easier target for attack.

BTW I still have the forum on http://groups.yahoo.com/group/shorland/

If they are not eating irons, then what about mess tin, or what ever the terminology of it was at that time. Richard

Yes Richard well done they are indeed mess tins, so that wraps it up. I won't prolong it by asking what C.T.C. stands for at the end of the bed roll. It isn't the soldier's initials, it is Commissariat & Transport Corps.

Yes Richard you've obviously been eating brain nutrients over Christmas. Yes

E is a stable bag, I suppose for carrying accessories for the horse, brushes etc

T is box for carrying a clay pipe

Hint V they are square these days.

Paul. The Shorland site was pulled by the chap who set it up for me, for reasons I don't understand & I have been unable to communicate with him. There was a parallel problem with the collapse of Ferret Heaven.

There are plans to set it up elsewhere with copies of all the previous photos & data which have been passed over. I have a copy of the SB401 handbook which was on site but I have the scans somewhere. What degree of rebuild is required automotive or fittings & fancy bits? I have quite a lot of Shorts & RUC pictures. Is this SB401 an ex-RUC one?

That NSN gives the manufacturer as Chloride Industrial, Manchester, 0161 794461.

Two MOD specs show up SPEC 264 also I assume a later one DGLES SPEC763.

Have you been using them ok up until now or just come across them? If I am thinking of the right oes, usually from dealer they are sold without acid. I think it cost me £25 to get a battery supplier to fill two up. The best price I have seen on them at shows is from Andy Lane I think, also LMS had them, prices vary from £20 to £40 each

Clive,

 

I have been having another think about your Kit Inspection quiz, and have come up with a few other things. Probably wrong, but here goes;

a towel

bar of soap

cover for helmet

 

Richard

 

Yes very good.

A The helmet cover looks a bit small but it must be a stretchy one.

H & I Towels

R Soap

Hint for E, think about his horse

Hint for T think about something to help the soldier relax (apart from the horse)

Hint for V think about something to help the soldiers nutrition (apart from the horse)

A few years ago Withams sold noise level meters. I bought one, occasionally useful to get a db(A) reading to see if something is as noisey as you thought.

So what did these Ferrets do in 1966?

Used for police duties

Sorry Clive I don't know of any of those Ferrets, there is a 2/4 that sometimes visits Duxford, and on one of the road run rallies there is another 2/4 so next time we see them we shall have to see if the owners have any older pictures of them.

It was those specific Ferrets I was interested in because of their unusual role in 1966.

Foot warmer? :-D :-D :-D

Bunion remover :-D :-D :-D

A New Reebok trainer? :-D :-D :-D

 

Medieval indian shifte house :-D :-D :-D

 

I'm baffled

 

Funnily enough this apparatus is described as an Indian Pattern & described in a 1940 Indian Army manual, if that helps.

Any ideas now?

If I may join in please? I am looking for pictures of the following Ferrets Mk 2/4

00 CE 60

07 CA 19

00 CA 04

08 BB 69

00 CA 74

01 CA 54

86 BA 77

01 CA 10

01 CA 55

00 CA 77

01 CA 61

I found one of these is owned by a chap on "Ferret Heaven" yahoo. But I am after in service pics of 1966 era as they had a rather unusual role that year.

Hi Guys. Anyone know where to go when Bovvie does not have the vehicle record. I have FOX 01 GM 00 which had been misregistered as 01 CM 00 in the past but I still cannot find a service record ?All the best Mark

Mark try a search here for £25

Attn. Erica Spencer

Royal Logistic Corps Museum

Princess Royal Barracks

Deepcut

Camberely

Surrey

GU16 6RW

or be being a member of EMLRA I think its £2 to have a search done on the MERLIN system. I have had a search done on a Pig with no problem, but the info for this was basic, not a record card as such.

If you only want internal vehicle communications. I remember as I boy if you got 2 pairs of headphones & 2 moving coil microphones wired them all in series with a 6volt battery. Then you could both speak & listen to each other, if the volume wasn't sufficient then increase it to 9v or 12v.

Or if the wasn't enough volume & you didn't like hearing yourself in your own headphones then make two rigs ie Your mike wired in series with other persons headphones & 6volt battery, then an identical system for the other person.

But I would use torch batteries, I wouldn't connect this lot up to the vehicle wiring as the earth side of the mikes may short out to the chassis.

CB radios are mainly 12 volt and all you would need to do if running a 24 volt system is connect the CB to just one battery but make sure you check the voltage first to make sure it is the right one you are connecting to. CB radios are proberly the cheapest option and its easy if friends get them then they can keep in touch with the convey. But for all those rich people out there then clansman sounds ok depending on frequency/licensing and staying within the law.

 

I would advise against getting your 12v supply by tapping into the "lower" battery. That battery will end up flatter than the other one. The vehicle charging system delivers its charge to the two 12v batteries which are connected in series which are assumed to be identical in capacity, age, performance etc. The charging system has no way of being able to send a higher charger to the 12v battery nearest the earthy end of the two. What you suggest will work ok but at the expensive of shortening the life of one of your batteries. Then when you have to buy a new one there will be an imbalance of batteries with different properties.

I always buy two identical batteries & treat them as a pair. If I want 12 volts I use a 24-12v regulator. At its simplest it is a power transistor held down by a zener diode or regulator IC. I have found chopped power units which are more efficient very prone to radiate radio interference. For FM broadcast/CD play I use a 24v player which makes life easier. But if you use a 24-12v regulator many of the have quite high standing currents of 100ma which can after a few days leave you with flat batteries.

Clive,

 

I thought that was odd for a Vixen to be on GM, all ones seen are SP, then saw caption to Chris's pic in following message, it was a Peak turreted CVR(W).

 

Richard

 

Yes sorry a slip of the tongue. I last saw it at Bovy June 2000, why did it go to Scotland? wasn't it interesting enough for the Tank Museum :dunno: It's as if the RAC didn't use wheeled armour, its always tanks :cry: :cry:

Did they make many turretless Fox's and did they all look like that?

 

No not the same thing, these turretless one were at Ludgershall 1995. I assume the turrets went onto Scorpions to make them into Sabres.