DAF YP-104

DAF YP-104
	Armored car
General properties
crew	3
length	4.33 m
width	2.08 m
height	1.50 m
Dimensions	5.4 t
agility
drive	Hercules JXLD, 6-cylinder petrol engine; 131 HP at 3200 rpm
Top speed	100 km / h
Power / weight

DAF YP-104

The DAF YP-104 is an armored reconnaissance vehicle built by DAF - prototype with all-wheel drive . The Dutch army tested the vehicle but did not order it. Only two copies were produced.

Model history

At the end of the 1950s, DAF was commissioned to develop a light armored reconnaissance vehicle. For this, DAF used many components of the DAF YA-126 , a 4 × 4 truck . The prototype DAF YP-104-1 was presented in 1960. With a length of around four meters and a maximum three-person crew, it was one of the smallest models in the world. In addition to the commander or the rifleman, there was still space for the two drivers who, as with many reconnaissance vehicles, could operate the two controls of the vehicle. With the second control in the rear, the second driver could operate the vehicle in the opposite direction if the regular driver at the front of the vehicle had failed due to contact with the enemy. There were two windows in the rear and three in the front of the vehicle. All windows were fitted with hinged armored panels. The entire control system could be switched from front to back with a single movement of the hand. As before, the steering was taken over by the front axle. The wheels were hung individually and bulletproof. The drive was taken over by the Hercules JXLD 6-cylinder petrol engine with 131 HP at 3200 revolutions per minute. The maximum speed in both directions was 100 km / h. The weight was 5.4 tons and the YP-104-1 was well armored despite its small size. Although the requirement was that the model only had to be protected against grenades , it was also supposedly immune to heavy machine guns .

The YP-104-1 was built in the British style, modeled on the Daimler Scout Car and the Ferret Vos , which were built according to the British concept of exploration in a large number of cheap and easily interchangeable vehicles. But it was precisely at this time that the Dutch army relied on a leaner organization with fully motorized units, which should strengthen the reconnaissance department . The only lightly armored and very lightly armed with a machine gun DAF YP-104-1 was not suitable for this. DAF tried to overcome the lack of heavier armament with another prototype YP-104-2 in 1962, which would have fulfilled this task with a 20 mm gun now possible . But the serial production order was eventually covered by the M-113 C&V and AMX 13 . One of the two prototypes is in the collection of the Technical Museum at Camp Soesterberg . Legend has it that the second was buried on the DAF site in Eindhoven .

Web links

Commons : DAF YP-104 - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files