British Army "Flying Jeeps" / "Jumping Jeeps"

[Jemiba]

Topics merged.
To my opinion, the Gyrojet represents a different approach, than the other "flying jeeps",
as I cannot think of it driving on the road (or even open country) until stopped by an obstacle.
It probably would have been used more in the way of a helicopter, from a rearwards located
provisional airfield, I think.

 

[fv1620]

More from the Shorts Prodigal study





and a wind tunnel model

 

[Stargazer]

Thanks! Funny how back in the 1960s ducted fan VTOL was a panacea... It seemed then like it was the future of transportation. No-one could have predicted that its applications 40 years down the line would amount to almost nil...

 

[Jemiba]

The idea of the flying jeep is dead, mainly due to the availability of helicopters, offering more flexibility,
I think. If the ducted fan actually is dead, I'm not that sure, looking for example at the Agusta Westland
Project Zero. And principally, the liftfan of the F-35B, ist just a ducted fan, too, I think.

 

[Stargazer]

And principally, the liftfan of the F-35B, ist just a ducted fan, too, I think.

Touché!

 

[uk 75]

FV 1620

Thanks for the extra pics. I think looking at the Wind Tunnel model that the Shorts vehicle is the one in the Pye Book.

Sticking to the Jumping rather than Flying Jeeps, it is interesting to note that the BAC P35 vehicle was not cancelled until 1967 which suggests that the Army were serious about needing a jeep that could clear the many obstacles to be found on the crowded North German plain ( or perhaps rubber plantations in Malaya or rocky terrain in Aden). The new designed Troop Carrier (FV432) and recce families (CVR(T) Scorpion and co CVR(W) Fox as well as the High Mobility Load Carrier (Stalwart) all had river crossing capabilities. However, by the 70s this was dropped and the Stalwarts rarely used the off road capability (I read somewhere that they had to drive onto rough ground occasionally to stop damage to their systems (sorry I technically dim).

The Helijeep requirement presumably lapses with the arrival of the excellent Scout and Alouette II in Army use.

 

[fv1620]

the Stalwarts rarely used the off road capability (I read somewhere that they had to drive onto rough ground occasionally to stop damage to their systems (sorry I technically dim).

Yes 'transmission wind up' as a consequence of being in permanent 6-wheel drive.

 

[fightingirish]

The 'Jumping Jeep' was a concept reconnaissance vehicle capable of leaping over obstacles - a 4x4 transporter flanked by 12 vertical lift fans, whose angle could be adjusted dependant on the situation - allowing the jeep to overcome enemy barriers.
Developed by BAC Warton at the request of the British army in the 1960s, the design was an attempt to adapt vertical take-off and landing technology to vehicles and was developed with the Ministry of Defence's Fighting Vehicle Research and Development Establishment.
The project was cancelled in the mid-1960s, due to assessments that production of the design would be too expensive.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yBAd2o2pUw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yBAd2o2pUw

 

[moin1900]

Here the Bristol Siddeley Flying Lorry
http://www.transportarchive.org.uk/getobject.php?rnum=G1985
http://www.transportarchive.org.uk/getobject.php?rnum=G1986

 

[hesham]

Here the Bristol Siddeley Flying Lorry
http://www.transportarchive.org.uk/getobject.php?rnum=G1985
http://www.transportarchive.org.uk/getobject.php?rnum=G1986

Great find Moin1900,


you can put its pictures here.

 

[uk 75]

fightingirish moin 900

Thanks for this great material.

The BAC jeep nearly came into existence and is one of the great 60s whatifs.

The Bristol trucks are really great finds. thanks

uk 75

 

[shedofdread]

Does anyone have or has anyone seen pictures of the Handley-Page concept for this requirement? Someone I know worked on it and IIRC described it as "mad". Now I know that all the 'jumping jeeps' could be seen to be stretching the rational to breaking point but I'd be quite interested to see just how bonkers the HP idea was.

Regards,

 

[Arjen]

Not sure if this is what you're looking for, but have a look at reply#15 of this thread: http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,1982.msg111759.html#msg111759

 

[shedofdread]

*facepalm* Sorry, I *thought* I'd read this thread some weeks ago. Clearly I didn't - oops.

Still, not as "mad" as was lead to believe...

 

[Arjen]

Personally, I think it's weird. Reminds me of Heath Robinson.

<edit> fixed a broken link

 

[Rickshaw]

I've always wondered whether these were really necessary with the invention of helicopters...

 

[Jemiba]

I've always wondered whether these were really necessary with the invention of helicopters...

The answer to this (given in "Project Cancelled", I think) at that time was, that helicopter pilots still
needed (and need) a more sophisticated training, than fixed-wing pilots. Flight control systems, allowing
for care-free handling still didn't exist, so the aim was to qualify just the typical car driver for being able to
handle the (short ?) flight phase, too. and to my opinion, if actually built, this would have been the doom
for this idea !

 

[moin1900]

Another article
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2342818/Jumping-military-jeeps-leap-enemies-planes-vertically-previously-unseen-British-inventions-were.html
Many greetings

 

[ekrano]

all great ideas : thank goodness the helicopter & hovercraft were invented !

There was also, of course, the jumping Bren-carrier - rockets each side propelled it up & over a trench ..... unfortunately all tests ended with the vehicle landing upside-down :-\

 

[hesham]

Hope this works. I have finally tracked down a copy of the Pye Book of Science
from 1963 and on page facing 106 is the photo of "proposed jumping car: jet lift
army observation vehicle with ability to leap over almost any battle obstacle".
There is no further info in the accompanying article nor is the photo attributed.

I think it is probably a Handley Page design mounted on a Haflinger chassis. I remember
it looking bigger and more like a one ton Land Rover, but now it is here I think it is
a Haflinger.

Looks ready for a spin down the King's Road with Peter Sellers at the wheel!

It was a Shorts PD.46.

http://canberratalk.conforums.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=print&num=1303579952

 

[Grey Havoc]

A proposed counterpart for the French Army, the Snecma AP.521:

(h/t hesham)

 

[Vladimir]

Hi, war time flying jeep

 

[Vladimir]

The Jumping Jeep was developed by BAC Warton at the request of the British army in the 1960s. It would have been powered by 12 vertical lift fans attached to the side of a 4x4 transporter. The angle of the fans could be adjusted dependent on the situation

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2342818/Jumping-military-jeeps-leap-enemies-planes-vertically-previously-unseen-British-inventions-were.html

 

[hesham]

Hi,

here is a flying jeep as the author thought,from Watkins ?,page 39;

http://kulturserver-nds.de/home/hubtest/medien/Typenkartei3953xGUN7x9T3Z7.pdf

 

[zebedee]

Watching a programme last night on the UK channel Quest called Salvage Hunters and this little number popped up towards the end... apologies for the quality but it was taken on my phone...

Appears to be a Jumping Jeep model by Hawker Sidderley if the HS on the front bumper is anything to go by...

If anyone is wondering it may still be for sale with Drew Pritchard Antiques in North Wales...

http://www.drewpritchard.co.uk/

Zeb

 

[joncarrfarrelly]

Later version of the Bristol Siddeley Engines jumping jeep design.

 

[poky]

any more info on this Jumping Jeep by Hawker Sidderley google only give Harrier jump jets

 

[riggerrob]

That HP 120, Shorts Prodigal and SNECMA sketches all pre-date recent sketches of flying cars.
Guess that inventors were just waiting for auto-pilot software to catch up with aerodynamic concepts.

Several modern "makers" have recently published sketches of flying automobiles, quad-copters that fold their rotors before driving along roads.
Quad-copters start with the advantage of much larger diameter rotors, leading to lower disc-loading, lower power consumption, lower fuel consumption and less noise.
Quad-copters can also fold easily into roof-racks. Two-bladed rotors easily fold onto roof-racks and a single blade can be almost the full length of the chassis.
Most of the recent advances have been in auto-pilot software, which are now advanced enough that they an be pre-programmed to fly a mission autonomously, with no control input from crew. This brings the skill required down to the level of a typical exhausted private soldier.

 

[uk 75]

The drawings of the Shorts PD 46 are no
longer available here. Can anyone re post them?

 

[moin1900]

https://worldoftanks.com/en/news/chieftain/The_Chieftains_Hatch_Archive_Oddities_II

The article shows some original documents from Vickers-Armstrong, Westland, Handley-Page and Bristol-Siddely about Flying Jeeps.

Also interesting a flying M-24 Chaffee tank glider. Detroit Arsenal 1945.

 

[uk 75]

moin1900 thanks for the link
As stuff online tends to vanish I hope WOT won't
mind me adding the UK stuff here for ease of ref.

 

[Hood]

H.P.120 'Jumping Jeep' model on display at RAF Museum Hendon.

 

[uk 75]

Thanks for posting Hood.
Gradually quite a lot of info is emerging on this project.

 

[uk 75]

This extraordinary subject merits a book of its own, but the various posts in this thread read at one sitting are a good substitute.
Like the light armoured vehicle studies thread I have also resurrected, the idea of a jumping jeep comes at the time of Project Prodigal which is also covered by a long thread.

 

[Jason Dykstra (Wyvern)]

What role would these vehicles have taken up had they been built?

 

[Grey Havoc]

Liaison and scouting duties mostly. Another likely role would been to move combat engineers and the like around.

 

[shin_getter]

With the development of EVTOL technology, would some of those concepts become practical and effective today?

We all know batteries don't have power density to fly for any significant range, while flying itself is claimed to be 10x cheaper than helicopters.

Electric propulsion also make powering roadwheels cheap and lightweight compared to mechanical transmission so adding powered land capability to aircraft do not cost much performance.

 

[uk 75]

https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/europa-jeep.7124/

The need for battlefield mobility also had a less radical competition, in the form of the Europa jeep. However, even this swimming jeep proved too complex and expensive and straightforward 4x4s were bought instead.

 

[uk 75]

https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/the-dark-age-of-tanks-britains-lost-armour-1945-1970.33293/post-382900

Good chapter on the Jumping Jeep and other Project Prodigal stuff in this book

 

[uk 75]

The British Army's Flying Cars

In the 1950s, the British army investigated the idea of flying cars, that could fly or jump over obstacles. This article looks at some potential ideas.

russellphillips.uk