Com-Central.net

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

- 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

- blackdog

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

- 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.

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.