The requirement for the FV4005 was issued in November 1950 and was to be fulfilled in two stages. Stage 1 (shown here) was described as ‘experimental only, intended to prove the suitability of this type of vehicle as a firing platform and to solve problems connected with the handling of heavy ammunition.’
One Stage 1 turret was ordered from Vickers to be fitted to a Centurion Mark 3 hull supplied by the Army.
The gun mounting fitted to the Stage 1 vehicle could traverse through 360°, but the recoil force meant that firing was only safely possible within a limited arc to the front.
According to surviving blueprints, the gun could elevate and depress between -5° and +10°.
The Tank Museum
The requirement for the FV4005 was issued in November 1950 and was to be fulfilled in two stages. Stage 1 (shown here) was described as ‘experimental only, intended to prove the suitability of this type of vehicle as a firing platform and to solve problems connected with the handling of heavy ammunition.’
One Stage 1 turret was ordered from Vickers to be fitted to a Centurion Mark 3 hull supplied by the Army.
The gun mounting fitted to the Stage 1 vehicle could traverse through 360°, but the recoil force meant that firing was only safely possible within a limited arc to the front.
According to surviving blueprints, the gun could elevate and depress between -5° and +10°.
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