Mark Ellis

I'll ask the RAF types about the PD. If it was on MERLIN then it would be easy to say typo, because MERLIN is full of those. Do you have FV or contract numbers of the vehicles? Since I started looking at the Salamander, I'm amazed at just how many companies were making fire engines in the 50s and 60s. We always use the name of the chassis manufacturer, rather than the body builder of the fire engine - except for Dennis of course, who made both. Sun Engineering is yet another body builder that made fire engines. This one being in Feltham, which is where Plymouth based Tecalemit group set up a Foamite factory, which is where the Salamander / Foamite crash tenders were made for South Africa. I think there was another Sun Engineering in Coventry, but found this.

Wondering which other vehicles used this oil bath air filter, shown here on the Alvis Salamander. If anyone has them, I'm ideally looking for the maintenance pages, and parts list pages for the air filter, please. Many thanks

Many thanks, @wally dugan

MERLIN seems rather empty on the DP3, with no DP2 or 1 shown

Thanks for that, @ted angus. Would you know the full production figures for DP1 and DP2 please. I presume that Foamite made all the DP1 and Miles made all the DP2 - for Army and RAF. Apparently, Miles sold out to Gloucester Aircraft in 1960, who sold Miles to Dennis at a later date. Joined a couple of groups to try and find out any history on the Cheltenham factory. Early days.

Thanks for that, @wally dugan, much appreciated. If I've done that correctly, 185 DP1 and 60 DP2

@robin craig Just seen your post on Mapleleafup about the G19 http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/showpost.php?p=259309&postcount=10 Did you ever manager to reconnect with the new owner? Some photos would be appreciated. Thanks

Would anyone know roughly how many DP1 and DP2 were made, please?

Many thanks for clarifying that, @ted angus. Much appreciated

I thought Foamite made all the DPs It's been suggested that MILES made the prototype Salamader for Pyrene. Would you have anything on that, please, @ted angus ?

I think this is the LST trial. It's definitely PV2, shown by the lights. The outlets of the first Dowty units weren't very good. They pushed the water downwards when closing the outlet. They turned the outlets 90 degrees so they pushed the water out sidewards, which significantly improved the manoeuvrability.

Thanks, @wally dugan

I have a letter from the Royal Marines to John Rue, where they make it clear that the DUCK was a better vehicle, and preferred by them. We'll ignore that the Stolly could carry twice as much, and far superior off road.

In what years did Foamite start making the Dual Purpose DP1 and DP2 for the RAF? Video here of Foamite making the DP1 at their Plymouth factory. Whilst we're all familiar with the Alvis Salamander / Pyrene Mk 6 of the RAF, Pyrene also offered the Mark 6 on the Thornycroft chassis And we're all seen the Matchbox Alvis Salamander / Foamite crash tender, as Foamite supplied to South Africa. But they also offered the Mark 6 on the Thornycroft Nubian chassis Would anyone have a better image of the Thornycroft / Foamite Mark 6, please And would anyone have any of the Foamite DP sales brochures, please? You have to go in some 14 minutes, but this video shows the Alvis Salamander / Foamite Crash tender, with it's front opening doors. I have a webpage on the Salamanders here https://sites.google.com/view/alvis-stalwart-hmlc-files/alvis-salamander-crash-tender

Still a classified topic, but here's a set of IR lens for the FVs. The IR headlight's glass is flat to allow for these to fit over

Oh WOW. It's got twin headlights @wally dugan Thanks for that Do they ever say what the trials were for, without reading the actual document?

Many thanks for the info, @wally dugan I'll have a chat with Dave

Many thanks for that, @wally dugan It's most kind of you. I've added them all to the list. Have a nice break. I need to get a contact to take look at this photo. I'm not sure if that's a registration number on the back left side, or something else

Well that's added some information, @wally dugan Thanks for that. Do they give a description in the book of what the trial was for? Stalwart wing numbers.xlsx

I'm guessing that Alvis had a number of trade plates. Just looked, and DU was Coventry, so they're on Alvis' own trade plates

Does "THE COACHMAN" mean a model name, as in FV622 The Coachman - as in it was fitted with a canopy from factory. It's the only in service Stalwart that had a canopy - if you ignore all the REME 624s that had been modified in the field.

Thanks for this, Wally. Hope the eye flushes out ok, one of my pet hates is grit in the eye. I thought 22AG54 might be in there as a trial vehicle. I also forgot 03EM79, which is mentioned in trial reports. Trial Report 101620 Jan-June 1964 (Mk1 Stalwart 03EM79) Many thanks

Your post seems to bring people back to the same thread

Sorry for the late reply, @wally dugan I get that if vehicles are submitted for trials under a requested Specification, then they get a trial wing number and are "Trialled to death". But what happens when a known person or company says "Take a look at this for the day, and tell us what you think?" According to Alvis's Salamander brochure, the 6x6 fire truck was a private venture, the same as the Stalwart was. I've only ever seen the one Salamander with what I think is a Miles body, and wonder if Alvis waved it under FVRDE's nose. There must have been something for it to get the FV6001 number, and go into the catalogue, I guess. I don't have any Salamander wing numbers, but I have all these Stalwart "bits", which I've put on a spreadsheet. Excel sheet and PDF of the same as this image attached. Would be really appreciated if you had the time to take a look and fill in the blanks, please. Many thanks Stalwart wing numbers.xlsx Stalwart-Chassis-Number.pdf

But then there's this - from 1962 Foamite Ltd., Victoria Road, Feltham, Middlesex, recently obtained the order to design and develop an entirely new light crash rescue truck for the Royal Air Force. The prototype passed all rough‐driving tests at Fighting Vehicles Research and Development Establishment and operational tests and a production contract was awarded by the Ministry of Aviation. Citation (1962), "Auxiliary Equipment", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 34 No. 1, pp. 29-29. https://doi.org/10.1108/eb033511