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iainmaoileoin

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Everything posted by iainmaoileoin

  1. It may be design and mfr. On the ptarmigan front (not the same but similar to the AH1/AH7/9 conversion), the conversion from an FV432 to an FV439 was totally documented - including drawings for the new plates and thing like the mountings for the driver and commanders weapons. I guess I was kind of hoping to see something that. I have not tried Westland yet - did not think of that ;-) I have just started the chase. The work will start spring/summer next year at the earliest. If Westland hold the IP I doubt if I can ever get within 2e4x10^9 miles of it? That wont put me off - so thanks for the thought. On a different topic I have been trying - on and off - for 3 years to get somebody at GEC to give me permission to use some of their technical (public) publications in my bunker. After 3 years I still have not found a contact who can "that is my job and I say YES/NO"!
  2. A phone call did not get a lot of joy - I am not sure what sort of division/dept I am looking for. Any suggestions? Would it be easier to write to "Middle Wallop, Stockbridge SO20 8DY" and see what sort of response I get?
  3. Sloppy Link: thanks for the contact. The beast is XZ218 built about 1979 I believe. AH1 at that age, converted to AH7. It is in a devil of a mess. The pilot and observer instrument panel is in place and some instruments are present. The central warning panel is in place. The overhead console and engine control is missing but I have some of the engine condition levers etc. Cyclic and collective are present. The interseat console is gone. I have some instruments for it, but the metal work is just not there! Many of the wee the drop-down composites on the outside have been removed and replaced with alu plates. So, a mess. I do have the gearbox and the rotor head and the rotors. To start with I need to try to get hands on the plans for the internal metalwork for the interseat and for the overhead console. It will never be more than a gate guardian at the bunker (you can see it coming in to land at the bunker here: www.behind-the-radar.co.uk) but it would be nice to allow folk to get inside and see what the beast was like. So, I guess "concentrate on Army Air Corps". Thanks
  4. Thanks David, the reg number is written on the METAL of the seat frame, so I thought I was onto a winner- the seat does go up and down - a mystery. I was unaware of the hull number, I will go look for that later today.
  5. MatchFuzee+Rootes75: thanks for that info I will get these places onto my Christmas chase list. I was trying to find a more direct military contact, since they are likely to be able to release (or not) the manuals. The kind of info I am looking for is the sort of stuff that andym prised out of the armed forces - see (http://www.fv432apc.com/fv432manuals.html) for ptarmigan FV43X series.
  6. Does Historic Military Vehicles Forum cover flying things? or 'just not defying gravity' sort of things? I have a nearly scrap Lynx Helicopter airframe and need to find out where to go to find plans and/or descriptions of the beast. I have picked up lots of info about my APC/FV439 already - buy cant seem to find the same level of detail/interest on helicopters anywhere on the web. Any thoughts? Andym - you did a great job getting FoI for the FV43X series. How would one do the same for a helicopter?
  7. Contacted them - been busy for a few days - I await a response.
  8. Wally Dugan: How does one get in touch with Bovington - an email? A letter? a FoI?? Clues welcome. thanks.
  9. eddy8men: I wont be going far - just the car park at the bunker! I was thinking about doing a bypass job - assuming that is the trouble. I doubt if I will be running for more than 15 mins at any time. If you do attempt the bypass surgery can you let me know how it goes pls? Photos would be great ;-) I am sure more than myself would be interested. If I get there first I will take photos too. BTW have you ever seen the stainless part in my photos of 6.12.21 about 10 postings up?
  10. Ah, the "28-Sep-2004 ABRO BOVINGTON PLANNED REPAIR. " confused me. Can you help me with what "UKXX" means? JSCS ASHCHURCH was a store/repair facility in 2008?
  11. So the beasty had two mods/services/whatever in Germany Can you explain what you mean by Rarden Turret for Berlin? This FV now appears to have radio racks and no Turret. I have seen some army docs about converting an 432 to a 439. So you are saying that this machine MAY have started as a 432 then been modded. Sorry to repeat data available elsewhere. Merlin says 17-Oct-1985 1 UKXX 10-Feb-1987 HQ 1 (UK) ARMD DIV 211 SIG SQN 06-Feb-1991 1 UKXX 28-Sep-2004 ABRO BOVINGTON PLANNED REPAIR. 16-Mar-2005 215SSQN 01-Dec-2008 JSCS ASHCHURCH 13-Aug-2009 WITHAM (SPECIALIST VEHICLES) LTD I cant see how that ties into any of the dates on the plate? Who would know if not and why not?
  12. It would sound like the HE is the most likely. I guess I need to leave the rad cap off- to break the vaccum(sp) and see if the water level drops and other things rise I guess? I did not pay a lot for the beast, so I would expect to have to spend a bit more to get it to a running state. It will never do much more than trundle about the yard in my WW2/Cold War Bunker. I could always take the power plant out and replace it with an electric motor driven my the batteries. Perhaps a call to Tesla! (I jest). I have not - yet - studied the plans for the engine to see what goes in and out of the HExchanger. Clearly the gearbox oil, you think the lube system too? I better have a poke at those levels and what sort of material is in that tank. Thanks for the input. I am not a mechanical engineer but I do look after my tractors and heavy things.
  13. No, I am not sure. When I took the driver seat out to check the batteries, I came across that 'registration' written on the metal under the seat. I assumed it was the correct number. Are the seats interchangeable between these models? Let me go and read the number again - the seat is not yet back in situ. What other numbers could I (easily!) get to in order to identify the ptarmigan? I answered my own question! Somehow I did not see the reg on my plate. I have no idea why the 98FK80 is written under the seat! Merlin (did not know about that site) appears to agree with the reg, but none of the dates on merlin appear to tie up with the dates on the plate? Anyway the original question sort of still stands. Does anybody know anything about the history of 04 FA 36
  14. Andym you waz right - after churning the beast over, yes I have chicken soup - just like my little fergie has ;-( Water in rad is not down, but probably 5L of chicken soup taken out of the GB to get the level between the danger markers. This will be fun!
  15. Ptarmigan FV439 (RR). Trying to get some history of it. The 98KF80 was written on the underside of the drivers seat - it now appears to be nothing to do with the Ptarmigan.
  16. Good idea - one on order. If I can get deep enough into the oil tank it also means that I can see if it is full of water. Are you the andy from the fv432apc.com that used FoI to get the manuals?
  17. The oil is about 6-8 inches above the high danger mark! I cant crank the engine over if that reading is to be believed. I am keen to assess what is good and what is bad in the power pack, Any thoughts if can I disconnect the drive train with that lever near the commanders seat and see if the engine runs? Or is that just a bad idea! My fault if it all goes wrong, but I welcome clues ;-)
  18. NOT radio related ;-( Can anyone (terryb or andym??) identify the stainless part in these photos. I have the engine oil level filler cap - but a "bit of gap" down to the pipe below. I dont know where the stainless part should fit and if it is part of the engine oil filler chain. I have scanned the 1100 page parts-list for the ptarmigan but can see this part. It foes not appear to have a NATO part number stamped on it. I have tried asking the fv342 website, but - despite having great notes and links - it does not appear to be very active - just like my ptarmigan ;-(
  19. terryb+andym: Thanks for the suggestions. water level in the radiator seems fine. It was well up and did not appear to have any floaters. The oil was oil (at least to the depth of the dip stick!) - not the creamy mush I have in my old fergie tractors! But yes, there could be water below the level of the dip stick I guess. I can drain some - as terryb suggest - but "some" always gives me troubles. I never can get the plug back in the hole before gallons run down my arm! Or worse, I drop the plug! I will go check the manuals and see where the drain is - underneath with a blanking plug no doubt! If I disengage the gearbox at the "transfer box" - with the level near the commanders seat - can I at least see if I can crank the engine. Or will that do damage too?? One of the things I remember reading was dont run the engine for too long with the "something" disengaged or the oil level in the gearbox will climb. Damned if I can find that phrase again ;-(
  20. I know this is opening a long-lost thread, I also know it is not about radio (yet) but I am a new owner of an old fv439 (RR). Done the batteries, checked the electrics and things as best I can. Planning cranking over shortly, but I have found that the gearbox oil level is a few inches from the top of the stick - as is well above the high-danger oil mark. Yes I am on a level park. The beast has not been run for a while. But it has been towed on and off a transporter. Does anybody have any clues/thoughts/plans for what I should best do before cranking the beast - yes, governer(sp) fluid checked, water checked. Any suggestions welcome.
  21. Thanks for the links. Yes, the crypto units have gone ;-( Land lines? I assumed the "RR" meant radio relay. As in radio in and radio out? I will go read these links. I have time as I am awaiting delivery of batteries to get the engine cranked over at speed.
  22. I am MM7IRM - a baby ham - so yes, they wont be let loose and they certainly wont be connected to the antenna. Also I am missing a few cables and things to interconnect them. Parts do seem to power up on the flat batteries. I need to get some more detailed info than I can find online fV432apc.com has a lot of info on the Ptarmigan, but I have not yet found any radio specifics
  23. so who do I deal with? Can you get me a price? Or do I message somebody else?? My FV439 (RR) turns over - but I need new batteries. The firewire control box is removed - but all else for fire seems in place. Once I get the gennies running I can start to look at the radios. They seem to do 220-440Mhz - is that NATO band B? I know I cant use them, but I can see if they light up and drive a dummy load.
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