"Big Wheel" Avro mobile Minuteman launcher

[Orionblamblam]

Note: I'm bidding on this thing. Back off!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/-/302036799469

 

[sferrin]

Dayamn. . .

 

[GeorgeA]

What in the wide world of sports is this thing? Paging Mr. LeTourneau, Mr. R.G. LeTourneau . . .

 

[Orionblamblam]

The huge wheels were clearly meant to provide traction and low ground pressure on snow and mush, but I can't help but think that just maybe there might have been less-goofy solutions.

 

[Orionblamblam]

Yay, I won. Since it's coming from Canada, it could take weeks to get here...

 

[Hobbes]

Ah, Canada. That makes more sense than Avro UK, my thought at deploying this in the UK was

 

[Michel Van]

Ah, Canada. That makes more sense than Avro UK, my thought at deploying this in the UK was

Typical British couple:
"Hilda call the city council, there one of those AVRO things in our garden..."

 

[Orionblamblam]

The report arrived today. After a quick read-through, I gotta say it still doesn't seem any less goofy. A one *million* pound truck with four wheels, each 49 feet in diameter and with 4 tank engines in each hub. The underside of the crew cabin is 29 feet above the ground, so you better not forget your lunchbox. And I suspect that, unlike the SICBM Hard Mobile Launchers, this thing wouldn't well tolerate the blast overpressure from a nearby strike...

This'll be going into the APR Patreon catalog.

 

[Michel Van]

Were it had to drive, tundra, the great plains ?
And at what speed ?

 

[Orionblamblam]

Were it had to drive, tundra, the great plains ?
And at what speed ?

There's a lot of vagueness in the report. It mentions Alaska and "the desert areas of the central United States."

And *no* data is given regarding performance... speed, range, duration, even crew complement. Nada. Fair description of structure of propulsion, though. I suspect there might have been other reports.

 

[sferrin]

Maybe its size was to help it deal with terrain, and lower its ground pressure. A 4-foot ditch (or 6 feet of snow) means a lot less to a 50-foot diameter wheel than it does a 4 or 5 foot diameter wheel.

 

[Orionblamblam]

Maybe its size was to help it deal with terrain, and lower its ground pressure. A 4-foot ditch (or 6 feet of snow) means a lot less to a 50-foot diameter wheel than it does a 4 or 5 foot diameter wheel.

Yeah, but an overpass means a lot more.

Compared to something like the SICBM HML, The Big Wheel was certainly more restricted in how close it could get to civilization and infrastructure. And the Soviets wouldn't need real-time satellite recon to spot these things, just active surveillance of the American CB radio system. "Did you see that thing tear-assing across old man Jenkins' ranch?!?!"

 

[sferrin]

Maybe its size was to help it deal with terrain, and lower its ground pressure. A 4-foot ditch (or 6 feet of snow) means a lot less to a 50-foot diameter wheel than it does a 4 or 5 foot diameter wheel.

Yeah, but an overpass means a lot more.

Compared to something like the SICBM HML, The Big Wheel was certainly more restricted in how close it could get to civilization and infrastructure. And the Soviets wouldn't need real-time satellite recon to spot these things, just active surveillance of the American CB radio system. "Did you see that thing tear-assing across old man Jenkins' ranch?!?!"

True. I always thought an HML / Topol TEL comparison would be interesting. Designed for different environments obviously but still interesting.

 

[Michel Van]

Maybe its size was to help it deal with terrain, and lower its ground pressure. A 4-foot ditch (or 6 feet of snow) means a lot less to a 50-foot diameter wheel than it does a 4 or 5 foot diameter wheel.

Yeah, but an overpass means a lot more.

Compared to something like the SICBM HML, The Big Wheel was certainly more restricted in how close it could get to civilization and infrastructure. And the Soviets wouldn't need real-time satellite recon to spot these things, just active surveillance of the American CB radio system. "Did you see that thing tear-assing across old man Jenkins' ranch?!?!"

Or look for oversized XXXLLL tire tracks in landscape...

 

[Graham1973]

That looks like an escapee from 'Thunderbirds Are Go!'.