BRDM Driver Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 Took the little green beasty out yesterday. L plates attached, beacon on (once I found some ferrous metal to stick it too...) and off I went. I'm fortunate to have access to a field which is only 300m from the house, so my first foray on the road wasn't too far and the locals are used to tracked armour on the roads around here. I was very conscious of the very low ratios in 2, 3 and 4th gears and the interesting changes in turning circle depending on what gear you are actually in!!! Sometimes the gearbox seems a little hesitant on going into 5th but maybe I just need some more practice. 25mph felt very quick when you're stuck out in the wind! Once in the field I was able to experiment with gauging the turning circles in different gears and getting the 5th to 4th changedown sorted to avoid bucking. Low speed maneuvering is very easy in a CVRT, certainly a lot easier than the BRDM which loses power steering when you dip the clutch. Visibility is brilliant compared to the BRDM and it's much easier to make sure your road placement is correct. Just need to get my fuel gauge fixed so I know how much I've got left! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willyslancs Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 sounds good mate , any pics ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theredkite Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 Once in the field I was able to experiment with gauging the turning circles in different gears and getting the 5th to 4th changedown sorted to avoid bucking. Ah yes, I think the people who really "enjoy" changing down in a CVR(T) are the passengers, who suddenly find their faces slamming into the hardware in front of them... Great to hear you're enjoying the new toy so much, my poor Scorp just sits looking unloved since we moved from Northumberland (and access to fields) 6 months ago Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matadormike Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 On a similar note, I had my first proper run out in my Spartan last Sunday You're right about the gear changes, I nearly wounded my dad a few times! This was it after changing 6 road wheels, I'm not so bothered about the amount of diesel its using in comparison! Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRDM Driver Posted September 14, 2012 Author Share Posted September 14, 2012 Nice looking Spartan Mike! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChasSomT. Posted September 15, 2012 Share Posted September 15, 2012 When I was taught to drive a Spartan, O.K. it was 20 odd years ago :-( I was advised to 'Clog the loud pedal' at the same time as the gear change pedal, when changing down, in the top half of the gearbox. It worked for me, even with my size 12s :-) 'Chas.' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timbo Posted September 15, 2012 Share Posted September 15, 2012 Mike Snap! Well almost anyway... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theredkite Posted September 15, 2012 Share Posted September 15, 2012 2 v nice Spartans guys. I was advised to 'Clog the loud pedal' at the same time as the gear change pedal, when changing down, in the top half of the gearbox Cheers for the tip Chas, that makes a lot of sense. Just goes to show the perils of letting civvies drive CVR(T)s without any training Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cpltomo Posted September 15, 2012 Share Posted September 15, 2012 If i remenber correctly in the bottom of the turret near the back by the fuel tank there should be a "gallons to fill" gauge which tells you how much fuel you don't have. Or was it behind the battery master switch in the drivers pit. That should keep you going till you can get the fuel gauge fixed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theredkite Posted September 15, 2012 Share Posted September 15, 2012 Yup there's a gauge dead centre on the bulkhead behind the turret (i.e. at the front of the fuel tank). Iirc from when I emptied my fuel tank it's a floating mechanical thing (technical term) and therefore works completely independent of power supply. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matadormike Posted September 16, 2012 Share Posted September 16, 2012 Mike Snap! Well almost anyway... Very nice, hopefully I'll get mine looking that good one day... I shall experiment with treading on the loud pedal, I'll get the knack eventually. Any pics of your outing in the scorp? Cheers Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRDM Driver Posted September 16, 2012 Author Share Posted September 16, 2012 No pics of my trip out. Spent today getting the rocket turret back on my BRDM2, which was an interesting challenge without a gantry! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlienFTM Posted September 19, 2012 Share Posted September 19, 2012 Ah yes, I think the people who really "enjoy" changing down in a CVR(T) are the passengers, who suddenly find their faces slamming into the hardware in front of them... Great to hear you're enjoying the new toy so much, my poor Scorp just sits looking unloved since we moved from Northumberland (and access to fields) 6 months ago I once managed to start a phase of a regimental training exercise off two hours early because of a poor CVR(T) high-low range gear change. A week into the exercise and it was the weekend (must have been 1981). Our squadron of Scorpions had been tasked with running OPs over a nominal IGB. Our two-car section's OP was from a tree-line looking down over a plain (it was near Nordheim iirc). At our 10 o'clock was a low hillock which obscured the road heading toward us before reaching a T-junction and the two alternates heading toward our one o'clock and our eight o'clock. Because it was the weekend, there was no track or heavy movement permitted (until the early hours Monday when the FTX was to explode back into life). We had been in OPs for two days. this was a rarity cos they normally tried to pack something in to keep us busy even if we couldn't move. We'd often leaguer up as a squadron and practise drills. But this time we'd had two solid days in OP routine: bread and butter but something we rarely got to practise. We were also under electronic silence (like radio silence but quieter). Only people we saw were the SQMS coming up to our rear at night to carry out a replen. I happened to be on radio stag about 0200, having just finished verifying the code and frequency changes carried out by my predecessor at midnight, when I heard the unmistakeable sound of a CVR(T) thundering down a road. It clearly was not using either the one o'clock or the eight o'clock road or we'd have seen it. As the noise grew, it was clearly coming toward us on the ten o'clock road. The the driver must have realised he was approaching the junction far too quickly as he threw a handful of down-changes into the gearbox, lost count and changed from high to low ratio at far too high a speed: the sound was unmistakeable. Since the nominal border was the one o'clock - eight o'clock road. Our IntSum had led us to expect a major border incursion at 0400: I determined this to be Orange Forces' recce screen on the move. I antenna tuned the 353 (first call after a frequency change) by pressing the pressel then called "Hello 2 this is 24C contact wait out." The book said that when breaking radio or electronic silence, you must offer up the appropriate codeword and expect to be authenticated. However by calling "contact" it woke everybody up and focused their mind to check the headset is on right, find the pressel and codes ready for what was to come. Especially since we all knew the Orange forces' recce screen (our own A Squadron as it happened) wasn't due until 0400. I got grid references from the map and sent the full contact report. Because I'd had the foresight to send an initial contact report, FHQ had got the OC into a headset by the time I came back. He queried whether I could see that junction from my location: no but I could hear. So we were up and ready for them when they came over the border. Well if I had to be up and on radio stag, why shouldn't the rest of the battle group? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exrock Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 Nice ex RAF Regiment Spartan , good to see some pictures ...........diesel mentioned ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timbo Posted September 25, 2012 Share Posted September 25, 2012 Mike's is the diesel not mine which is J60 all the way - i know coz i spent 3 days putting the flippin thing in. Goes well now though... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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