Standard Manufacturing Co. Excalibur

[Abraham Gubler]

I stumbled across this ultimate ATV gun-buggy while looking for pictures of the Excalibur PGM for work. It’s the Standard Manufacturing Co. Excalibur/Vulcan gun system that was demonstrated to the US Army’s logistics exposition PROLOG '85.

It would appear to be a large Supercat style ATV fitted with the M163 20mm Vulcan air defence system. Probably developed for the then US Army’s High Technology Motorised Infantry Division demonstration.

Hires pictures are available at www.defenseimagery.mil searching for the picture codes: DA-SC-85-13304 , DA-SC-85-13327 and DA-SC-85-13326

 

[amsci99]

Well, not something very useful in today's IED laden battlefield and the exposed cabin is contentious.

 

[Abraham Gubler]

Ohh yeah and the very low ground clearance is not a good idea for mine hits or under belly IEDs. But it is glorious mid 80s ‘Chuck Norris’ wartech. Eight wheel dune buggy with a Vulcan cannon… How could they have left this out of Rambo III?

 

[Just call me Ray]

Somebody's been playing smoking something for too long.

 

[Jschmus]

Looks like a GI Joe toy from the 80s. Nice find!

 

[Rickshaw]

I think you'll find its a lot more sophisticated than you believe. That vehicle was what was known as the something like the "trailing-arm advanced mobility demonstrator". It was intended to demonstrate the use of trailing arm, torsion bar like suspension on a wheeled vehicle. The intention was if a production vehicle was to be fielded, it would be armoured. I remember reading about it in one of Hunnicutt's books IIRC. Its mobility was intended to be better than a normal wheeled vehicle and nearly as good as a tracked one. Apparently it nearly achieved it and yes, it was designed in the 1980s, for a very different sort of warfare, as against the present problems facing the US Army in places like Iraq and Afghanistan where their government has foolishly embroiled them in pointless wars.

 

[amsci99]

I think you'll find its a lot more sophisticated than you believe. That vehicle was what was known as the something like the "trailing-arm advanced mobility demonstrator". It was intended to demonstrate the use of trailing arm, torsion bar like suspension on a wheeled vehicle.

rickshaw,

Thanks for this interesting piece of information. Are there any links where I can learn more about this form of suspension and how it compares with the boomerang double axle rear drive employed on the EE-9 Cascavel and EE-11 Urutu?

 

[amsci99]

On the topic of suspension, just thought I restart this thread with this article on the SRATS or the ELSROV

http://www.defense-update.com/newscast/0608/news/news1006_elsrov.htm

Thought it was a matter of time before the Military took notice of the 4WD developments in the world of rock crawling. For the most extreme 4WD, wonder when the militarised version of this will come into being,

http://jalopnik.com/358115/chainlink-is-rock-crawling-transforming-super-buggy

 

[Graham1973]

Ohh yeah and the very low ground clearance is not a good idea for mine hits or under belly IEDs. But it is glorious mid 80s ‘Chuck Norris’ wartech. Eight wheel dune buggy with a Vulcan cannon… How could they have left this out of Rambo III?

Wow! This does take me back to the bad old days!

I'll agree with the comment, that does look like something from bad '80s action film.

Actually I'm surprised that something like that didn't make an appearence in a 90s/00s made for TV film either.

 

[bobbymike]

Great find.

Put armor around the driver and gunner and this would make a great 'urban pacification vehicle' I would nickname The Street Sweeper. As well a few of these at FOB's in remote places like A-stan, able to fire thousands of rounds 1000+ meters, would be an awesome assault breaker.

 

[Rickshaw]

It's rather a complex chassis and it wasn't adopted because it conferred nothing that a tracked vehicle didn't. It's hull would have been vulnerable, being wide, flat and very low to the ground. It also had a high ground pressure. The Mowag LAV chassis while bigger would be better protected and better mobility.

 

[tround]

from : "air defense artillery"

 

[amsci99]

Some pics I managed to gather from a Google search for the trailing arm drive system developed by Standard Manufacturing Co. as well as some other variants using that system. These pics seem to be from an 80s edition of the German magazine 'Military Technology'. For those interested in the patents secured by Standard Manufacturing Co, here's a thread from the Tank-Net Forum (http://www.tank-net.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=19727).

 

[Abraham Gubler]

Here is another image of a proposed application of the Standard Manufacturing Co. trailing arm drive system. This time as a lightweight MLRS with a single six round rocket pod.

 

[Pioneer]

from : "air defense artillery"

Wow great and informative find thank you tround!!

Interesting that it carries more rounds than either tracked or towed systems!
Air transportable (underslung) by Chinook, and two able to be carried by the ubiquitous C-130, it seems a great pity the Excalibur wasn't put into operational service IMO.

P.S. One would think the derivative of the drawing of the 155mm SPH variant would have been a much welcomed peice of kit for the likes of the 82nd Airborne!!

Regards
Pioneer

 

[Alanmorton]

Some pics I managed to gather from a Google search for the trailing arm drive system developed by Standard Manufacturing Co. as well as some other variants using that system. These pics seem to be from an 80s edition of the German magazine 'Military Technology'. For those interested in the patents secured by Standard Manufacturing Co, here's a thread from the Tank-Net Forum (http://www.tank-net.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=19727).

Some pics I managed to gather from a Google search for the trailing arm drive system developed by Standard Manufacturing Co. as well as some other variants using that system. These pics seem to be from an 80s edition of the German magazine 'Military Technology'. For those interested in the patents secured by Standard Manufacturing Co, here's a thread from the Tank-Net Forum (http://www.tank-net.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=19727).

Yes, the colored diagram is a first gen rendition of the drive system using skid steer process. The next gen used a transmission with a sun gear to transfer power to either side thus keeping all power to the wheels. I worked at Standard during these Developments.

 

[skylancer-3441]

Apparently this chassis, or some version of it, was considered as option for Bofors Trinity 40mm AA system - that was also mentioned in some JDW, Jane's A&A issues

 

[Alanmorton]

I can agree with that use for the chassis platform. What is somewhat missing ion the ad Is the placement. The chassis had outriggers you be deployed and the wheels retracted upward to provide the stability for the accuracy of the weapons system. Highly mobile but needed to set in order to fire. All outriggers were deployed hydraulically from inside the cab. No need to expose personnel. Rather fast to set.

 

[amsci99]

Yes, the colored diagram is a first gen rendition of the drive system using skid steer process. The next gen used a transmission with a sun gear to transfer power to either side thus keeping all power to the wheels. I worked at Standard during these Developments.

Curious to know if Standard released any literature on this next generation transmission? Otherwise, would a fully hydrostatic-driven vehicle like this be difficult to maintain out there in field conditions?

 

[TomS]

Found a brochure from Standard Manufacturing describing a range of vehicle concepts, including a remote-controlled AT vehicle or weapons platform (we'd call it a UGV today).

 

[Grey Havoc]

https://www.reddit.com/r/TankPorn/comments/y71m05

View: https://www.reddit.com/r/TankPorn/comments/y71m05/excalibur_spaag_prototype_1985/

 

[Scott Kenny]

Wow great and informative find thank you tround!!

Interesting that it carries more rounds than either tracked or towed systems!
Air transportable (underslung) by Chinook, and two able to be carried by the ubiquitous C-130, it seems a great pity the Excalibur wasn't put into operational service IMO.

P.S. One would think the derivative of the drawing of the 155mm SPH variant would have been a much welcomed peice of kit for the likes of the 82nd Airborne!!

Regards
Pioneer

A variation of that suspension would let you have a V hull with fewer compromises for axles and could probably be closer to the ground as a result.

Though I'd rather do it with wheel hub motors, whether hydraulic or electric, than messing around with drive chains.