Rick W Posted January 12, 2007 Share Posted January 12, 2007 Thought I would share a few pics (if Ive mastered photobucket right) I took at the Isle of Wight Tank Museum. One day in the week they run a few of the tanks around, and for a few pennies you can have a go at driving them. http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o72/rik242_2006/2006_0821stuff0034.jpg[/img] http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o72/rik242_2006/2006_0821stuff0033.jpg[/img] http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o72/rik242_2006/2006_0821stuff0030.jpg[/img] http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o72/rik242_2006/2006_0821stuff0029.jpg[/img] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick W Posted January 12, 2007 Author Share Posted January 12, 2007 ...a few more.. http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o72/rik242_2006/2006_0821stuff0028.jpg[/img] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joris Posted January 12, 2007 Share Posted January 12, 2007 Nice! And what a fantastic museum that you can drive them yourself! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Posted January 12, 2007 Share Posted January 12, 2007 WOW!! nice one Rick when was this done and how much to drive those bits of kit, and more importantly did you drive them :schocked: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick W Posted January 12, 2007 Author Share Posted January 12, 2007 I was tempted to drive the Ruski tank, but didnt :banghead:. We'll be going back this year when I will get in one. It was dirt cheap I reckon though. FGrom what I remember about £25 for the T72(?) and about £10 for the recce vehicle. They bring the tanks out one day a week, drive them around and offer out rides. We went there in 2006, and want to go back there! Its a great little museum as well, and you can wander round their workshop/scrapyard. Its a good place for bits especially, Churchills, Sherman and Stolly's to name a few. :-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Posted January 12, 2007 Share Posted January 12, 2007 SO............................... where abouts on the Isle it it, come on name it :dunno: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karoshi Posted January 12, 2007 Share Posted January 12, 2007 http://www.isleofwight.com/militarymuseum/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick W Posted January 12, 2007 Author Share Posted January 12, 2007 Military madness days on 16th and 17th of September, just when Ive got a week off too! :-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcspool Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 (edited) Here is a nice selection of pictures of what can be seen at this museum: Might also satisfy some people's quest for range wrecks . . . Edited October 13, 2010 by mcspool Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyFowler Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 Here is a nice selection of pictures of what can be seen at this museum: Might also satisfy some people's quest for range wrecks . . . Wow ! Looks like a great place to visit next year I think ! Thanks for the link ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Johns Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 Here is a nice selection of pictures of what can be seen at this museum: Might also satisfy some people's quest for range wrecks . . . As seen on TV's "Tank overhaul" series Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnwardle Posted October 14, 2010 Share Posted October 14, 2010 They have some unusual vehicles in the storage area including a prototype S.P.G based on a Centurion with the gun in a fixed structure facing backwards over the engine deck, when you go to visit have a chat with Bob and he may take you round yhe storage area if he is not too busy (I had a tour a couple of years ago). They also have a collection of Conquerors including ARVs. Definitely worth avisit. Please remember that this museum is not open Fridays or Saturdays unless there is a special event on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meteor mark 4B Posted October 14, 2010 Share Posted October 14, 2010 Presumably this SPG is "Major Picton's Palace" named after a gunnery officer, I believe. The gun isn't actually facing backwards if it is the vehicle I'm thinking of. The gun is facing forwards, as the vehicle is driven around engine/transmission first. The driver sat to the side of the gun and level with it looking over the back (front?) decks. I've got it in my head that it had a Conqueror gearbox to make it all possible. I'll find a picture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meteor mark 4B Posted October 14, 2010 Share Posted October 14, 2010 This the one? I've got my own photos somewhere, this is from a book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnwardle Posted October 14, 2010 Share Posted October 14, 2010 Yes that's the one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meteor mark 4B Posted October 14, 2010 Share Posted October 14, 2010 Interesting item. I saw it around the back at Duxford years ago. Major Picton was the gunnery trials officer at Shoeburyness who used it as a mobile office, and the logo "Major Picton's Palace" was painted on the back, (front??). There was a large hatch in the superstructure at the rear, and a set of steps to gain access to the inside. The driver sat up high to the side of the gun, and apparently this was a good driving position. I can't find any reference to a Conq gearbox, so perhaps I thought wrong. Perhaps SteveO can help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stone Posted October 15, 2010 Share Posted October 15, 2010 I went a month or so ago, interesting place! Bob mentioned using their T55 as much as possible as it was the cheapest to run... I had to decline a ride on time grounds (and it'd be a lot more fun if they let you drive!) but they still had plenty to look at. £5 well spent! Stone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yoony Posted October 17, 2010 Share Posted October 17, 2010 T-55 cheap to run:cool2: intresting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveo578 Posted October 18, 2010 Share Posted October 18, 2010 (edited) Meteor mark 4B I can't find any reference to a Conq gearbox, so perhaps I thought wrong. Perhaps SteveO can help. Sorry mate I've never come across any reference to a Conqueror box being used in this vehicle, I can't see any advantage in fitting either of the Conquerors boxes Z52 or Z52R over the standard Z51R of a Cent both have 5 forward and 2 reverse, a Conquerors box would obviously be much stronger but how important this would be in a SPG is debatable and as it was the limiting factor in the Cent. was the relative strength of steering and main brakes. Had one or other of the Conquerors boxes been fitted I suppose as the output shafts run in opposite directions it may alter the output of the final drives. I would have thought the method to get the FV3055 to drive in the opposite direction would be most likely a modified final drive/spocket unit to a single reduction (which was a component alteration re-visited by the Dutch/Israelis to utilise the AVDS-1790 CD850-6 combination) or perhaps intermediate reversing box (which is unlikely because of space considerations). Steve Edited October 19, 2010 by steveo578 addition in italics Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveo578 Posted October 18, 2010 Share Posted October 18, 2010 Stone Bob mentioned using their T55 as much as possible as it was the cheapest to run...:-D I had to decline a ride on time grounds (and it'd be a lot more fun if they let you drive!) I'd much prefer to be driven around unless I had to sit in the gunners seat -then I'd prefer to walk. Yoony T-55 cheap to run:cool2:intresting It must be one of the most economic and robust (therefore cheap to maintain) of any MBT. the IofW one sat on a range with its hatches open, in one of the wetest areas of the UK for 10years, with an internal tide mark of rain water up to the turret ring and apart from a burnt out starter it was comparatively easily restarted and recovered- lots of smoke initally. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveo578 Posted October 19, 2010 Share Posted October 19, 2010 assuming it is the OTA tank it's a T54 not a T55 -but then i'm a pedant:D Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stone Posted October 19, 2010 Share Posted October 19, 2010 Interesting - it had a Czech roundel painted on the turret so I assumed it was imported from one of the large storage yards. It doesn't surprise me that they're robust, that's how they build everything! My only concern would be trying to get it through the DVLA (and somewhere to park it...but there's always the front garden) otherwise I'd be on them like a shot. For what you get they're relatively inexpensive too. One day Stone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveo578 Posted October 19, 2010 Share Posted October 19, 2010 Stone - it had a Czech roundel painted on the turret so I assumed it was imported from one of the large storage yards. My assumption it is the one that was recovered from OTA but that was 8 years ago for all I konw it could have been sold on and another one acquired. The OTA T54 was a National Volks Armee DDR tank and had a barely visible NVA marking on the turret (hammer, dividers etc). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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