Blue water on FV.426

[uk 75]

Was leafing through a book in a German bookshop in a series on army weapons and with the title
British Army Nuclear Missiles and Artillery in German.
I came across an official drawing of a Blue Water missile mounted on an FV4020 chassis. This is the first time I have
seen, what was presumably a classified drawing, proof that the variant existed. It is sometimes referred to in material
about the FV432 family. A version on a Stalwart is shown elsewhere on this site.
The book suggests that the tracked version was only for export and that the UK wanted an airportable version using a Bedford
truck with detachable cab, drawing shown in an Argosy.

 

[TsrJoe]

Interesting, do you have a copy of the drawing described

cheers, Joe

 

[CJGibson]

Or the name of the book?

That beast (It should read FV.420) is listed on the list of kit to be carried on the VC10 Freighter/HP.111/Britannic. See On Atlas' Shoulders.

Chris

 

[uk 75]

https://www.tankograd.com/cms/website.php?id=/en/British-Nuclear-Artillery.htm

 

[TsrJoe]

aha, yip page 27, Blue Water on FV420 tracked launcher, cheers (i happened to have the book on my shelf)

 

[CJGibson]

Bow-locks! wish I'd had that six weeks ago.

Chris

 

[overscan (PaulMM)]

Here..

 

[CJGibson]

Thanks Paul,
Here's the list for what the War Office wanted loaded on the Strategic/Inter-theatre Transport (VC10 Freighter/HP.111/Britannic)

Note: FV.426 was the variant of the FV.420 series intended to carry Orange William.

Chris

 

[CJGibson]

A quick side view.

Chris

 

[uk 75]

Joe Chris
Thanks for coming back with all these infos.
I am hoping Foyles in London may have the Atlas book before Xmas.

 

[Rickshaw]

What chassis is it? It doesn't look like an FV432 chassis. Looks more like a dedicated medium tank chassis.

 

[CJGibson]

Your confusion is understandable.

This thread should be renamed 'Blue water on FV.426' DONE !

The 'FV.4020' could be construed as a member of the Centurion family, but the original drawing does state 'FV.420'

The chassis is the FV.420 series that preceded the FV.430 series.

Chris

 

[Thorvic]

What chassis is it? It doesn't look like an FV432 chassis. Looks more like a dedicated medium tank chassis.

I would guess its based on the FV420 unarmoured carrier, which itself was evolved from the Cambridge Carrier. The FV420 evolved into the FV432 family when the Army changed the requirement to an Armoured APC.

 

[uk 75]

Thred number my mistake as trying to remember number after 5 days in berlin.

 

[Petrus]

Btw do you have any info on other members of the FV420 vehicle family? Esp. on the FV422 (armoured?) personnel carrier.

Piotr

 

[Grey Havoc]

Btw do you have any info on other members of the FV420 vehicle family? Esp. on the FV422 (armoured?) personnel carrier.

Piotr

There is a bit on the FV.426 in its original incarnation as the 'FV426 Carrier, Tracked, Launcher' for Orange William, in the video below (includes a couple of pictures of the FV420 prototype):

View: https://youtu.be/KQJ28yifDm0