Most Memorable Vehicle
Yes, Him
Join Date: Aug 1999
Location: West Sussex, UK
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I remember a young JT at Honington who broke his wrist trying to demo a "handbrake" turn in a Landie. It does not work on the wheels but operates a drum brake on the propshaft.
Maxburner do you mean a J2, orrible Austin minibus thing?
Maxburner do you mean a J2, orrible Austin minibus thing?
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Deciding whether I am retired or unemployed
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J2 or JU can't now remember but it was 'orrible'. Spent all day driving from Scampton to Peterborough to get 35 gallons of paint for a Royal Visit. The expected, 'job well done lad' on return was a, 'where the ell ave you been lad!'
Best car - getting collected by the Stn Cdr, every morning for 3-weeks, in his Morris Traveller Estate from a hotel in Ramsey to be driven to Jurby Head. Happy days.
Best car - getting collected by the Stn Cdr, every morning for 3-weeks, in his Morris Traveller Estate from a hotel in Ramsey to be driven to Jurby Head. Happy days.
Sat in a wooden box between two RR Derwents on the runway snow removal machine, propelled by an ancient bowser.
Did an excellent job of melting the snow..... and then leaving a glass smooth sheet of ice.
Did an excellent job of melting the snow..... and then leaving a glass smooth sheet of ice.
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Dorset
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RFCC,
There were a couple of those MRD death traps in use at Kinloss when I was stationed there in 1970-73, not used in anger very much, however we had to start them up every friday to check them out, always had difficult wet starts with great gouts of flame everywhere, if you opened them up you could push the bowser backwards, the h&s brgade would have a fit now.
One of the clapped out Leyland Hippos forming part of the lash up was flogged off, and I came across it again in the mid 80s in use as a maintenance bowser at Air UK Norwich.
I think this was an invention of some enthusiastic Chief Tech who was probably awarded ten quid for his efforts.
Best regards,
om15
There were a couple of those MRD death traps in use at Kinloss when I was stationed there in 1970-73, not used in anger very much, however we had to start them up every friday to check them out, always had difficult wet starts with great gouts of flame everywhere, if you opened them up you could push the bowser backwards, the h&s brgade would have a fit now.
One of the clapped out Leyland Hippos forming part of the lash up was flogged off, and I came across it again in the mid 80s in use as a maintenance bowser at Air UK Norwich.
I think this was an invention of some enthusiastic Chief Tech who was probably awarded ten quid for his efforts.
Best regards,
om15
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Hants
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Standard Pennant Estate with Blue Flashing light used by QRA crews to get to the aircraft on alerts. Co-pilot always drove until I drifted it neatly alongside the port undercarriage (didn't hit it). Wasn't allowed to drive it again.
ACW
ACW
J2 with the column change.. could never get the b
d into top. Not forgetting the Forward Delivery Box Bantam - rolled like a pig and done 25(ish) flat out with a following wind.
d into top. Not forgetting the Forward Delivery Box Bantam - rolled like a pig and done 25(ish) flat out with a following wind.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
All the vehicles in the Luqa detachment pool from Safi with the warning "Contaminated brake fluid drive carefully"
I wonder if those gentlemen of the Army Fire Service based at Middle Wallop in 1988 remember with any fondness their spanking new appliance?
The one they took out onto the airfield in the wee small hours to check its handling with only half a tank of water.
I'm sure they'll remember the effects of 'free surface', after it rolled over a couple of times.
The one they took out onto the airfield in the wee small hours to check its handling with only half a tank of water.
I'm sure they'll remember the effects of 'free surface', after it rolled over a couple of times.
Virtually any vehicle allocated to 1312 Flt at Base Aerea Gringo in Bennyland for QRA was a clapped-out pig. When the hooter went, the VC10 crew plus bags would pile into the shagged-out LR and set off across the aerodrome to the aircraft - on changing up into top with any wind from the West it would actually slow down.....
Of course the resident staff had all the good vehicles - the pongoes insisted that the LR 'country sedan' was a perk for WgCdr/LtCol/Cdr level. And anything new had 'Not to be driven off-road' painted on the dashboard. A Landrover that wasn't to be driven off road? Only a Malvinas blunty could come up with that!
Most fun was the huge desert-bashing GMC thing we were allocated during Ex Imminent Thunder at Tabuk - although someone had chundered in the back of it at some stage and it stank. However, the Upchuck-Truck had a ginormous 454 ci engine and went like the clappers. But a hole in the exhaust made it sound like a low flying Superfortress!
At least the nav wimped out of driving it!
One of the Golden Rules for detachments - "Never let the navigator drive!"
Of course the resident staff had all the good vehicles - the pongoes insisted that the LR 'country sedan' was a perk for WgCdr/LtCol/Cdr level. And anything new had 'Not to be driven off-road' painted on the dashboard. A Landrover that wasn't to be driven off road? Only a Malvinas blunty could come up with that!
Most fun was the huge desert-bashing GMC thing we were allocated during Ex Imminent Thunder at Tabuk - although someone had chundered in the back of it at some stage and it stank. However, the Upchuck-Truck had a ginormous 454 ci engine and went like the clappers. But a hole in the exhaust made it sound like a low flying Superfortress!
At least the nav wimped out of driving it!
One of the Golden Rules for detachments - "Never let the navigator drive!"
Last edited by BEagle; 4th Nov 2007 at 15:33.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
The Ops Astra in Ascension. As you drove sedately uphill, off shift, turning at just under 1g, the seat squab side would collapse pitching it into the door.
When it was clapped they sold it to the wives' club - President Mrs Staish, Chairwoman Mrs Admin. Membership 2. Annual Fees 0.
When it was clapped they sold it to the wives' club - President Mrs Staish, Chairwoman Mrs Admin. Membership 2. Annual Fees 0.
Join Date: Aug 2007
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OK, so I haven't been allocated one of these, but I have developed a very close affinity with the Rhino over the past few months. Not pretty, not fast, aircon's lousy and the suspension's cp, but it is bullet-proof so I'll be thankful for small mercies..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhino_Runner
p, but it is bullet-proof so I'll be thankful for small mercies..http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhino_Runner
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Exiled in England
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Borrowed the rocks V8 petrol landy at lossie some moons ago, very non standard and frighteningly quick, I suggested they paint INTERCEPTOR on the back in white and start driving it round asking after the toe-cutter.
Only shame was the standard suspension and brakes and it needed a full
set of polybushes.
or the winterised landys on 33 with the aux hand throttle to surprise a new driver
. Le** tried it on me and I didn't cr4p meself.
Only shame was the standard suspension and brakes and it needed a full
set of polybushes.
or the winterised landys on 33 with the aux hand throttle to surprise a new driver
. Le** tried it on me and I didn't cr4p meself.
Deffo Montego Turbo Diesel. With my trusty Chf Tech at the wheel, Leeming to High Wycombe in 20 Silk Cut flat!
Failing that the Bentley Continental GT that was brought onto a secret military airbase somewhere in the South-West for a photo-shoot with some of Her Maj's finest airframes that were in for a display. Bloke who had it didn't have a FMT600A so I drove.
Poor chap must have been prone to car-sickness because he got very pale and sweaty in the passenger seat.
Failing that the Bentley Continental GT that was brought onto a secret military airbase somewhere in the South-West for a photo-shoot with some of Her Maj's finest airframes that were in for a display. Bloke who had it didn't have a FMT600A so I drove.
Poor chap must have been prone to car-sickness because he got very pale and sweaty in the passenger seat.
Many nominations, a Land Rover Lightweight (or Airportable) that our MT somehow managed to get a V8 from a 1 tonner into. Bloody thing was lethal, MT hadn't got round to uprating the brakes, the diff or drive train.
A BSA B 40 that I learnt to ride on. Single cylinder 350cc four-stroke, kicking it over was a skill that if not got right resulted in either being catapaulted over the handlebars or breaking your shin. Handling was "heavy", gearbox was vague and performance was pathetic. However, once off road, because of the low down torque and one gear fits all, it could climb Everest. A relatively low CofG, a universal X-Country gear setting of second, a valve lifter and of course the invincibility of youth, the Military Training areas were simply a playground.
A third nomination, the Norton Rotaries the RMP had that a pal I served with let me have a go on. Only rode it for a day, launched myself off down the road, pushing 100kmh, bend approaching, drop a gear, let the engine revs do the braking and accelerate out of the bend......Uh-Oh....no engine braking on a rotary. I had to clean the eye ball fluid marks from the visor, my eyes popped out that far.
Anything with tracks, just gives you a feeling of power. Just avoid big areas of water, it always washes over the glacis plate straight into the drivers compartment.
A BSA B 40 that I learnt to ride on. Single cylinder 350cc four-stroke, kicking it over was a skill that if not got right resulted in either being catapaulted over the handlebars or breaking your shin. Handling was "heavy", gearbox was vague and performance was pathetic. However, once off road, because of the low down torque and one gear fits all, it could climb Everest. A relatively low CofG, a universal X-Country gear setting of second, a valve lifter and of course the invincibility of youth, the Military Training areas were simply a playground.
A third nomination, the Norton Rotaries the RMP had that a pal I served with let me have a go on. Only rode it for a day, launched myself off down the road, pushing 100kmh, bend approaching, drop a gear, let the engine revs do the braking and accelerate out of the bend......Uh-Oh....no engine braking on a rotary. I had to clean the eye ball fluid marks from the visor, my eyes popped out that far.
Anything with tracks, just gives you a feeling of power. Just avoid big areas of water, it always washes over the glacis plate straight into the drivers compartment.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
the Norton Rotaries the RMP had that a pal I served with let me have a go on. Only rode it for a day, launched myself off down the road, pushing 100kmh, bend approaching, drop a gear, let the engine revs do the braking and accelerate out of the bend......Uh-Oh....no engine braking on a rotary. I had to clean the eye ball fluid marks from the visor, my eyes popped out that far.
I remember the RAFP issued with Nortons at a secret base off the A1. They didn't last long. Something about putting oil in the engine, or not
PN, would have been around the late eighties, perhaps even very early nineties. What I forgot to mention was that with all the Police fit on, the thing weighed nearly half as much again and the CofG was now much higher. After the initail scare, I have to admit to riding like Miss Daisy.
Join Date: Jul 2006
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Agree the J2, absolute pig. As and enthusiastic young Cpl/Tech I received bng from 617 'B' flt Commander because he reckoned he saw daylight under two wheels as I raced from dispersal to get spare from Gin palace for Vulcan on Q.R.A.. When I explained urgency he said 'well done'. What a gent! 
ng from 617 'B' flt Commander because he reckoned he saw daylight under two wheels as I raced from dispersal to get spare from Gin palace for Vulcan on Q.R.A.. When I explained urgency he said 'well done'. What a gent!