ROLL 1 - MUTE



WORK ON COMPLETION OF VA 3 FOR TRIALS (FOR THE HOYLAKE RUN)



ROLL 2



THE AIR-CUSHION CONVERSION IN ACTION.



RAY BAXTER GETTING IN.



SHOTS OF CONTROLS ETC.



TYPE OF GROUND



THE NORMAL VEHICLE BOGGED DOWN



DIGGING OUT



CONVERSION PASSING BOGGED VEHICLE ETC.



ROLL 3 - SOUND



GEN.SHOTS NO CONVERSION MOVING



NORMAL VEHICLE GETS BOGGED



ATTEMPT TO DRAG OUT WITH CONVERSION (NG) (DID NOT DO IT)



CONVERSION PASSES BOGGED VEHICLE



MODEL OF V.A.3.




Initials



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: COMPLEMENTARY TO THEIR CURRENT HOVERCRAFT PROGRAMME, VICKERS ARMSTRONGS (SOUTH MARSTON_ LIMITED, HAVE NOW APPLIED THE AIR-CUSHION PRINCIPLE TO LAND VEHICLES, IN THE FORM OF A CONVERSION KIT.

UNLIKE THE HOVERCRAFT, WHICH HAS NO CONTACT WITH THE GROUND, A CONVERTED AIR-CUSHION TRUCK IS, IN ALL RESPECTS, AN ORDINARY VEHICLE WHOSE WHEELS MAINTAIN CONTACT WITH THE GROUND AND PROVIDE TRACTION IN THE NORMAL WAY, WHILST THE AIR-CUSHION ACTS AS AN ADDITIONAL FORM OF SUSPENSION FOR THE COMBINED SPRING AND UNSPRUNG LOAD.

WHILE A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF DEVELOPMENT WORK HAS BEEN CARRIED OUT WITH TRACKED AND WHEELED VEHICLES HAVING A LOW BEARING PRESSURE, NO SYSTEM HAS BEEN DEVISED UNTIL NOW THAT PERMITS THE LOAD ON THE WHEELS TO BE VARIED AT WILL. THE VICKERS APPROACH OFFERS MANY OF THE ADVANTAGES OF SPECIALIZED "OFF-ROAD" VEHICLES, WITHOUT SACRIFICING NORMAL MOBILITY OR PERMANENTLY MODIFYING THE ORIGINAL VEHICLE. THIS HAS BEEN ACHIEVED BY FITTING AN ADJUSTABLE "SKIRT" OF SPECIAL DESIGN BELOW THE WAISTLINE OF THE VEHICLE TO CONTAIN A CUSHION OF PRESSURIZED AIR WHICH CAN TAKE ANY PROPORTION OF THE WEIGHT OFF THE ROAD WHEELS. A LOADED TRUCK CAN THUS TRAVEL OVER WATER-LOGGED OR OTHER DIFFICULT SURFACES WITHOUT LOSING TRACTION.

FOR DEMONSTRATION PURPOSES, A CONVERSION KIT HAS BEEN FITTED TO A STANDARD LAND ROVER. THE AIR CUSHION IS PROVIDED BY TWO CENTRIFUGAL FANS FITTED ON EITHER SIDE OF THE TRUCK BODY. THESE FANS ARE DRIVEN BY VEE BELTS FROM A SECONDARY LAND ROVER ENGINE USING A COMMON FUEL SYSTEM AND MOUNTED TRANSVERSELY BEHIND THE DRIVER'S CABIN. A LIGHT METAL SUPER-STRUCTURE, WHICH IS FITTED AROUND THE LAND ROVER BODY AND ENGINE, ACTS AS AN ENVELOPE AND DUCTING FOR THE AIR-CUSHION, WHICH IS MAINTAINED BY THE FLEXIBLE SYNTHETIC-RUBBER SKIRT ATTACHED TO THE LOWER EDGE OF THE ENVELOPE. SINCE THIS FLEXIBLE SKIRT CAN BE HELD AT VARYING DISTANCES FROM THE GROUND. IT IS POSSIBLE TO DRIVE THE TRUCK OVER NORMAL SURFACES WITHOUT HINDRANCE, AND PROVIDES ANOTHER MEANS FOR VARYING THE CUSHION LIFE, IN ADDITION TO THE LIFE ENGINE THROTTLE. THE AUXILIARY ENGINE CONTROLS ARE QUITE SIMPLE AND CONVENIENTLY POSITIONED, FOR OPERATION FROM THE DRIVER'S CABIN. NO SPECIAL DRIVING SKILL IS REQUIRED, AND BOTH THE FORWARD DRIVE AND THE LIFT SYSTEM CAN BE OPERATED SIMULTANEOUSLY.

IT IS RECOGNIZED THAT THE EQUIPMENT PROVIDES THE BASIS FOR SUCH EXPERIMENTS AS IT INVOLVES CARRYING HEAVY LOADS OVER SUDDEN LAND WHICH WOULD BE IMPASSABLE FOR ORDINARY VEHICLES. HOWEVER, AS THE AIR-CUSHION PRINCIPLE CAN BE APPLIED SO SIMPLY TO STANDARD TRUCKS. ITS ADVANTAGES TO FARMERS, CROP SPRAYING SPECIALISTS, BUILDING AND CIVIL ENGINEERING CONTRACTORS AND MILITARY AUTHORITIES, ARE OBVIOUS, AS WELL AS TO TRANSPORT OPERATORS WHO ARE REQUIRED TO CARRY DELICATE LOADS WITHOUT DAMAGE OVER ROUGH SURFACES. OIL COMPANIES TOO, SHOULD FIND IT USEFUL WHEN OPERATING IN SOFT SURFACE CONDITIONS.

INITIALLY IT IS INTENDED TO MARKET THE VICKERS CONVERSION FOR FITMENT TO LAND ROVERS, THROUGH THE NORMAL DISTRIBUTION NETWORK. HOWEVER, AS THE CONVERSION IS NO WAY INTERFERES WITH THE NORMAL OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE, IT CAN BE QUICKLY FITTED BY ANY GARAGE OR AGRICULTURAL ENGINEER.