Com-Central.net

TrevorLarkum

Very true, unfortunately.

Neil_Baumgardner

Of course its almost all "Storage" now....

Neil

TrevorLarkum

Now updated with supertsar's photo's:

preservedtanks.com/Loc...0&Select=4

as well as the obvious new SU-76, T-34 and Ho-Ro entries, there are extra photos if you follow the M3A1 Stuart, Ha-Go and location photo links.

Thanks again supertsar (let me know if you have a website you want me to add as a link on the photo pages).

TrevorLarkum

Ok, thanks.

supertsar · ***Power User*** Offline Joined: Jan 12, 2007 Posts: 38

Thanks for your kind words - I'll get on to it. Do you know the date the pictures were taken (or a best estimate)?

Well judging by my Aunt Stella's hair-do in one of the shots - I'm going to say 1979 or so...

TrevorLarkum

Thanks for your kind words - I'll get on to it. Do you know the date the pictures were taken (or a best estimate)?

supertsar · ***Power User*** Offline Joined: Jan 12, 2007 Posts: 38

Supertsar - is there any chance I could add your photo's? It would be great to show the vehicles in earlier times.

Absolutely - love your web site.

JimWeb

I've just updated the XM765 & Airoll pages on the web site if anyone interested.. JED app version is added as well.

I'm off to bed as its 2am...

blackdog · ***Power User*** Offline Joined: Jan 11, 2010 Posts: 58

- JimWeb

That one is an Airoll 1 prototype - they preceded the XM759 series and possibly was designated LVA-X1 but remeber that it may have had that painted on it after it became a museum exhibit. You know what museum staff are like for painting things on vehicles that aren't quite correct

Good point. I truly loathe the "oh, but no one will ever know" mentality that some organizations have, especially when they have the resources and ability to do better than that. I personally try only to present information that I know as fact, and when getting information from others I always take it with a grain of salt and rarely convey it to others before checking the facts. I absolutely hate spreading false information. That's one of the reasons why the Mechanized Museum - after 10 years - still has no signage for any vehicles - because we do not want to be "that museum" that puts a bunch of uninformed crap on their displays that is not true. That, and we have no time or money. Rolling Eyes

I took the pictures of it going on the trailer, but the only picture I have of it in the Mechanized Museum is from the back:

www.themech.org/brochure/pano.jpg

(yes, it is dusty)

JimWeb

- blackdog

Note: The vehicle in photo #5 and #6 are the same one. I know this for a fact.

er that isn't in dispute....

JimWeb

- blackdog

Upon further research, it would appear as though the one in picture #4 on the web page I linked to is actually designated as LVA-X1. If you look closely at the picture on the page linked to by Neil, you can see that this is also stenciled on the side of this vehicle. In conclusion, I think that it would be safe to say that this specific vehicle is actually an LVA-X1 and not an XM-759.

That one is an Airoll 1 prototype - they preceded the XM759 series and possibly was designated LVA-X1 but remeber that it may have had that painted on it after it became a museum exhibit. You know what museum staff are like for painting things on vehicles that aren't quite correct

Wink

BTW were those images taken by you?

blackdog · ***Power User*** Offline Joined: Jan 11, 2010 Posts: 58

I'm not going to say it is or it isn't because I don't know for a fact but considering the fact that it was in the Amphib Museum on Pendleton (as early as 1975) I'd personally lean towards it being one of at least two XM-759 prototypes that the USMC had. Remember, there were supposedly 7 XM-759's made. Plenty to go around for everyone.

Here's what that website has to say, courtesy of Google Translate...

1 - Airoll: The first working prototype simplified called Airoll (photo 3), was established in June 1962 by Ingersoll Kalamazoo Division of Borg Warner and the U.S. Navy. After testing, this system was considered the first vehicle outperforming the wheel and the caterpillar. Sixteen tires 'Terra Tires' attached to chains driven by large diameter sprockets rotate freely. The tires were less pressed between the 'docks' and the ground. To move through the deep mire half liquid, swamps, snow and sand, the rollers do not turn over but always moving in translation and act as wheels. It was reported that the device behaved better than any known vehicle in the mud almost liquid. Powered by a Chrysler V8 engine and weighing 9 T, it could travel at 50 km / h on land and 16 on the water.

Photo 4 - Airoll 1, 2nd prototype in 1965.

2 - Airoll I: The Borg-Warner Corporation and the U.S. Marine Corps in 1965 presented a more elaborate version, closer and more practice, I Airoll (photo 4), equipped with 13 tires on each side, mud guards , position lights and windshield. With a capacity of half a tonne and tested extensively on 15 000 km, this achievement was rather successful. With excellent skills on soft soil and water, the lateral stability and reliability should be improved. Known also as the 'Water Skipper' or LVA-X1, it is to our knowledge a copy to the USMC Museum in Quantico, Maryland.

Photo 5 - XM 759 at Pendelton Museum around 1975.

Photo 6 - XM 759 in a Museum of Northern California around 2005.

Photo 7 - XM 759 in tests in 1967.

Photo 8 - XM 759 in tests in 1967.

3 - XM 759: The U.S. Army took the idea and ordered the XM759 Marginal Terrain Vehicle (photos 5-6-7-8) to Pacific Car and Foundry. It weighed 4.2 tonnes for a payload of 1.4 tonnes, length 6.2 m, 2.8 m wide and 17 tires on each side.

USMC bought 7 more better equipped to test and manufactured between February and March 1967. The XM 759 could carry 14 fully equipped men plus 2 crew. The features are: ground pressure 0.15 kg/cm2, tank 223 liters and 260 km of autonomy, maximum gradient 60% and reached 30% Devers, crossing a vertical wall of 0.9 m and a trench 2 m wide. It was self troubleshoot with capstan heads bolted on the front sprockets or rear wheels. The engine was located behind the cab.

Note: The vehicle in photo #5 and #6 are the same one. I know this for a fact.

JimWeb

I'm even more convinced that the one at Pendleton is the Army prototype...

blackdog · ***Power User*** Offline Joined: Jan 11, 2010 Posts: 58

In terms of surviving ones, I'm seeing the two at Quantico, and the one that I posted pictures of.

www.oto6.free.fr/6roue...airoll.htm

Picture #4 = Quantico
Picture #5 = Pendleton Amphibious Museum
Picture #6 = Same As #5 In Private Collection - but now back at Pendleton

-----------------------------------
Edit:
-----------------------------------

Upon further research, it would appear as though the one in picture #4 on the web page I linked to is actually designated as LVA-X1. If you look closely at the picture on the page linked to by Neil, you can see that this is also stenciled on the side of this vehicle. In conclusion, I think that it would be safe to say that this specific vehicle is actually an LVA-X1 and not an XM-759.

This would fit with my having heard that there are only two actual XM-759 prototypes in existence: The one that is at Pendleton, and the other similar looking one which was also linked to by Neil which resides at Quantico.

JimWeb

Interesting... you will have noticed by now that we have images of four different vehicles?

I'm beginning to think that the USMC ended up with the army prototype as well..

Com-Central.net

Select Language

Login

`±`Recent Visitors

`±`User Info-big

Com-Central.net

Select Language

Login

±Recent Visitors

±User Info-big

`±`Recent Visitors

`±`User Info-big