It's time for a vehicle quiz

[toadmanstankpictures]

Does anyone know what this thing is?





The winner gets their choice of three photo CD's from my website. Answers must be posted on this thread. Please don't email me your answer.

Good luck!

[Roy_A_Lingle]

Hi Toad Man! Hi Folks!

That is one of a number of different mobility test beds the Army checked out during the early 1960s, pre-Vietnam funding era.

Hey Toad Man, any photos of the one with the two screws along the sides?

Spot Report!
Sgt, Scouts Out!

[Jens_O_Mehner]

Uh-oh,

could this be PCF's XM759 Marginal Terrain Vehicle, designed for use in Viet Nam, originally ordered by the US Army, seven purchased by the USMC, and never actually in active service?

Cheers,

Jens O.

[JimWeb]

Nearly right Jens - its the XM759E1!

Produced in 1966 by Clark Equipment Company.

[toadmanstankpictures]

- Jens_O_Mehner

Uh-oh,

could this be PCF's XM759 Marginal Terrain Vehicle, designed for use in Viet Nam, originally ordered by the US Army, seven purchased by the USMC, and never actually in active service?

Cheers,

Jens O.

Based on the following pic, I think Jens is the winner:



Damn! You guys are too good! Jens, please PM me your information regarding which CD's you want and where I should send them.

[JimWeb]

Based on the following pic, I think Jens is the winner:

aaargh yes I see my mistake - the E1 was slightly longer and had seven tyres along the top run of the track...

[Doug_Kibbey]

Were the individual wheels powered? Otherwise, I kinda' see them freewheeling (spinning) when in contact with the ground as the "track" rotates. What a complex arrangement that must have been...

[bsmart]

I wonder if the M7V on the plaque is a 'typo' or misinterpretation of MTV?

My guess is that they were powered. I seem to remember old Popular Science articles about this line of vehicles and if I remember correctly on 'good ground' The weels would drive the vehicle forward without the track rotating. There was another vehicle that had wheels set in triangles where the wheels could drive the vehicle or the triangle units could rotate acting like paddle wheels or it could use a combination. The twin screw vehicle has been mentioned.

as he hums -
"I want my MTV"

sorry it slipped out

[JeffStringer]

Now that's something you don't see everyday or in any book!

[toadmanstankpictures]

- Tumbleweed

I think I may have seen one of these at the museum at Camp Pendleton, California. They've got some oddball stuff there.

The vehicle belongs to a private collector here in Northern California. I believe he picked it up from Camp Pendleton several years ago. The sign board came with it. I took these pics last Spring. When I go back for another visit in a month or two, I'll see if I can get more pics of it.

[David_Reasoner]

Maybe I'm just a little slow (OK, I know I am!), but what advantage was this arrangement expected to offer over a conventional tracked vehicle?
Less rolling resistance? Higher road speed? Seems like ground flotation would be worse than for conventional tracks.

David

[bsmart]

'Like the Egyptians did to move blocks for the pyramids. If that makes any sense '

But in the Egyptian example the power is being supplied from a source off the vehicle that is anchored firmly to the ground (1000 grunts pulling on ropes)

In this case as the chain pulled towards the rear of the vehicle if the wheels freewheeled the vehicle would just sit on top of the spinning wheels. (Or maybe move backwards, I have to think about this some more, maybe the chain moves in the oposite direction from what a conventional track would, hmmhh)

Where are the 20 years of Popular Science my mother threw out, I told her I would need them one day!

[Doug_Kibbey]

- Tumbleweed

I think I remember seeing one of these at Camp Pendleton. The wheels were not powered. They could not free-wheel while on the ground because the top of the wheel was in contact with that big, square block of metal above them. In fact, this would have supported all of the weight. So as the chain drive moved it would make the wheels on the ground roll forward. So basically the vehicle was rolling forward on the tires. Kinda like if you laid a bunch of logs down next to each other you can roll heavy weights on them. Like the Egyptians did to move blocks for the pyramids. If that makes any sense

If they couldn't free-wheel while on the ground due to friction with the square block of metal, how is it that they could roll forward?
I can only see this working if the wheels "ratchet" in such a way that they roll forward, but not backward, but this will create big friction when they are on the forward run over the top.
Other than floation (like in loose sand or swampy conditions) what possible advantage could this have over regular track, which will have less ground pressure?
This whole getup only seems worthwhile if all wheels are driven somehow...and that's hopelessly complex.

[Dontos]

- bsmart

There was another vehicle that had wheels set in triangles where the wheels could drive the vehicle or the triangle units could rotate acting like paddle wheels or it could use a combination. The twin screw vehicle has been mentioned.

Bob.

That sounds like the weird post-nuclear war vehicle in 'Damnation Alley' .

And it came out of an Air Force Silo storage room!

[Jinx]

I found some images of the XM759 online. These are captures from a PDF document. I hope they are not too big (the original document is about 8MB in size). Hope they help.

Here is a link to the original document. Warning, though: it took a bit of conjuring to get it to load. There might be some corruption in the file.

www.almc.army.mil/alog...6_69so.pdf

But everything in there is in these captures. And in a more manageable size, too.