<VV> Corvair powered military....

[Tony Underwood]

At 12:22 hours 12/09/2004 -0500, Rick Loving wrote:
>It's cool and would be quite a collector piece for the Museum...
>
>If my memory serves me that would be also referred to as the "Gamma
>Goat" an experimental army all terrain vehicle offered by GM.  
>
>It was a two part design with an assisted drive tracked trailer that was
>powered thru the main engine via PTO so the main unit and the trailer
>could navigate any terrain.

Close...  the military issue M568 Gamma-Goat was a 6-wheel drive vehicle
with a 3-cyl diesel engine.   The M571 is a tracked relative...  

I drove a Gamma-Goat for a couple of years...  good way to build up your
arms since it steered both the front and rear axle's wheels, propelling the
vehicle with the center axle (in 2WD) and it had NO power assist to the
steering.   It was a daunting prospect when trying to maneuver the thing
through twisting winding rutty roads in the mountains of Germany.    But it
would climb a tree if it could have gotten a grip on the bark.     And, it
floated, but I was never real keen on taking it into water especially if
there was any load in it...  water would come within 10" of the top of the
sides of the cab; you could reach out the window and splash your hands in
it up to your elbow.   Good bilge pumps to handle the splashes but I'd as
soon use a bridge.     

tony..