Craft and Equipment: SPV    

 

Spectrum Headquarters

CAPTAIN SCARLET and the MYSTERONS UNOFFICIAL WEBSITE

Maintained by Chris Bishop

 

 

 

 

Information in the following  has been taken from many sources, especially from "CENTURY 21" No.2 Autumn 1990.

Captain Scarlet Annual 1967 and Annual 1968, and various other sources,  have provided additional information, such as cutaways.

 

 

Click on the link to follow up on the detailed information.

 

 

SPECTRUM PURSUIT VEHICULE  (SPV)

BLUEPRINT & CUTAWAYS

 

TECHNICAL DATA :

  1. Air intake serving air conditioning and air cooling systems for rear machinery;

  2. TV driving screen;

  3. Instrument panel;

  4. Rearward facing driver's seat with ejection parachute pack;

  5. Selector panel for power pack attachments such as the thrusters pack conversion.  These items are stored in the cabinets seen immediately above the selector panel, and which run both sides of a gangway down the length of the vehicle;

  6. Driver, and live TV screen.  The SPV can be driven from either of the twin positions;

  7. Brackets connect the seat to the armoured door.  To leave the vehicle, the overhead ramps are extended, sliding door and attached seat sideways till exit is clear;

  8. The power pack, held in position by twin clamps which raise it through a sliding panel in the floor above, when required for thrusters pack or other use;

  9. Armoured cable conducts current from the power pack to the magnetic brakes;

  10. Hub motors;

  11. Magnetic disc brake and support arm which pivots on the cantilevered bracket attached to the main shock absorber.  The square-ended box to the left of the support arm contains the hydropneumatic ram by which the steering is effected.  The smaller wheels behind are couple to turn in unison;

  12. Main shock absorber;

  13. A limited-travel absorber permits wheel to tilt on rough ground;

  14. The rugged tubular chassis;

  15. Air intake and duct serving fuel cell and forward cooling units;

  16. Front flotation chamber contains buoyancy compartments (not shown) for amphibious work.  Its curved profile   makes it a useful fender at low speeds, but in the event of a high speed collision it will collapse giving a cushioning effect;

  17. Headlight and TV camera;

  18. Main hydraulics oil reservoir;

  19. Air intake;

  20. Cantilevered chassis supporting tracks and converter for the twin aqua-jets (not shown);

  21. Motor driving tank tracks;

  22. Battery.  This is a standby connected to motors in the four smaller wheels.  These provide drive when the power pack is removed and the motors in the six pairs of wheels are idle;

  23. Suspension (is similar on all wheels except front pair).

DRIVING POSITION
The door and seat slide sideways (1) by means of rams (2) to enable entry and exit. The driver faces rearwards, steering by TV screen (3), showing forward view. In front of him are his instrument panel and control box (4) which slides out to the most convenient position. (5) is the selector panel and (6) the hatch through which the power unit emerges. The driving position is duplicated on the right-hand side of the cabin.

 

CHASSIS
The main, six-wheel drive is supplied by individual motors in each pair of wheels. Power is transmitted via the drive cogs (1) through gearing (2). Magnetic breaks (3) are similar to disc brakes but rely on magnetic forces, not friction. Rods (4) make the smaller wheels track the front wheels which steer by hydropneumatic cylinders (5). The wheels are suspended on hydraulic shock absorbers (6) which can also be used to retract the wheels for amphibious operation. Power is supplied to the wheel motors from the power unit (7). This works on fuel cell principles; that is the combination of air and the hydrogenic fuel generates electricity. The power unit stands on a ramp, held firm by twin clamps (8). This arrangement is used to present the power unit in the required position for other uses (see below). when the power unit is being used for other purposes the vehicle standby batteries (9) drive the four sets of smaller wheels. At (10) the caterpillar tracks are removed to show the internal drive motor and driving sprockets.
POWER UNIT
The power unit can also be used to power small personal vehicles. Here it is shown converted into a thruster pack, electrically driven high-speed compressors supplying air jets.

The various components are stored in the back of the vehicle in drawers (A). The appropriate ones are selected by using the panel (B). At (C) is an emergency escape hatch.

When used amphibiously the wheels retract upwards and the flap (A) closes. Propulsion is then, by twin water turbo jets, positioned at the rear of the craft.

 

Here the original climbing position imagined for the SPV The insert shows how the low centre of gravity (CG) of the vehicle is ahead of the rear tracks in the upright position. The vehicle thus has a built-in tendency to fall forwards rather than tip backwards. Unfortunately, since the driver is sitting backward, you could imagine how uncomfortable he would be, hanging from his seat. Thus the original plans were changed and the tracks were then said to be retractable, putting themselves down into position, when more traction would be needed.

BACK TO SPV PAGE

CLOUDBASE - ANGEL AIRCRAFT - SPECTRUM PURSUIT VEHICLE (SPV) -

MAXIMUM SECURITY VEHICLE (MSV) - SPECTRUM PASSENGER JET (SPJ) - SPECTRUM HELICOPTER -

SPECTRUM SALOON CAR (SSC) - YELLOW FOX, GASOLENE TANKER - SPECTRUM DETECTOR VAN -

SPECTRUM HOVERCRAFT - SPECTRUM CLAM SUB - MAGNACOPTER

 

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