Fabrique Nationale AS 24
The Fabrique Nationale AS 24 or better known as FN AS 24 , also known as the Véhicule Aeroporte or Tricar Parachutable , was a military tricycle that the Belgian Fabrique Nationale d'Armes de Guerre SA manufactured from 1959 to 1963 only for the Belgian army . The construction is based on a development by the Hungarian Nicholas Straussler , who made the M4 Sherman buoyant as early as World War II . The AS 24 can be pushed together so that it can be transported, stored or parachuted more easily. It could be dropped off together with the paratroopers during airborne missions. 463 pieces of the AS 24 were produced, plus at least one prototype. The decommissioning took place by 1990 at the latest.
history
After the Second World War, Nicholas Straussler dealt with the problem of mobilizing airborne troops. He attached great importance to a simple construction, easy handling and the possibility of being able to set down the vehicle with the troops. The construction of the AS 24 later formed the basis for the development of the Faun Kraka .
In 1958/59 he had a three-wheel prototype built by Waggon- und Maschinenbau GmbH Donauwörth (WMD). He equipped this with Lypsoid wheels , low-pressure tires for 1.3 to 0.5 bar and with very good run-flat properties. They could cope with about 50 km without air. The Lypsoid wheel was also an invention of Straussler; it was produced by Metzeler in Munich. The vehicle could be pushed together, which significantly reduced its area. This made the tricycle easier to transport and store. Another benefit was the ability to parachute it down. For this purpose, the AS 24 was loaded onto a pallet (1.2 x 1.8 m and 500 kg payload) specially developed for the vehicle. It was padded with honeycomb paper and corrugated cardboard to cushion the landing. A typical load was an AS 24 and eight boxes of 7.62 mm ammunition.
After successful tests, FN took over the license for series production. How the takeover by FN came about is not known. The Belgian airborne troops remained the only buyers. Before series production began, the design was revised by FN. So the tricycle got z. B. FN engine and gearbox. One of the most noticeable changes by FN concerned the front bar. It sloped to the sides in the first models and was raised and straightened a little for the series.
During series production, FN tried to make the vehicle attractive for other tasks in the military. It was also offered to other armies, e.g. B. the US tested the tricycle. There were also various prototypes such as B. as a fire engine, equipment carrier for various weapon systems and recovery vehicle for the wounded. There were also attempts with crawler tracks for the two rear wheels. For this, the AS 24 got an additional smaller wheel in front of each rear wheel and a chain around the resulting wheel pair. Two control levers for the chains were also attached next to the steering column.
But in the end it stayed with the original design and none of the changes mentioned were carried over into series production. The only extension built in large numbers was a single-axle trailer with the same tires as the AS 24. It was dimensioned so that a tricycle pushed together could fit on it. In addition, the trailer's wheels, including the suspensions, could easily be removed. All of this made it even easier to store and transport the team.
Since there was no further application, production ended in 1963 after 463 units. The last delivery is said to have taken place in 1966. At the same time, this was the end of vehicle production at FN. The tricycles remained in the service of the Belgian army for a long time and were used in a wide variety of missions. For example, with Operation Dragon Rouge in the Congo. The AS 24 was no longer in active service by 1990 at the latest.
Technical specifications
prototype
The prototype had a two-cylinder two-stroke in-line engine, displacement 322 cc, the British Anzani Motor Company . It developed 15 SAE-PS (11 kW). The transmission came from Albion and had three forward gears and one reverse gear.
Production model
| FN AS 24 | |
|---|---|
| Engine type | FN 24 |
| engine | 2-cylinder in-line engine (two-stroke) |
| Displacement | 243.5 cc |
| SAE performance at 1 / min | 15 hp (11 kW) at 5300 |
| cooling | Air cooling |
| Electrical system | no |
| coupling | Multiple discs in an oil bath |
| transmission | four forward and no reverse gear |
| Front and rear suspension | without suspension |
| Brakes | Rear drum brake |
| steering | Rack |
| Drive formula | 3 x 2 |
| wheelbase | 1270 mm |
| Rear track | 1306 mm |
| Turning circle | 3.5 m |
| Dimensions (length × width × height) | 1890 × 1640 × 890 mm packed 1065 × 1640 × 750 mm |
| tires | three four-ply low-pressure tires (Lypsoid) 22x12 |
| Empty weight | 224 kg |
| total weight | 564 kg |
| payload | Driver and 250 kg or driver and three other soldiers (all four on a bench) |
| Trailer load | 250 kg |
| Tank capacity | 10.5 l |
| Top speed | 57 km / h |
| Range | 200 km |
| Max. pitch | 60% |
Web links
- http://www.maxmatic.com/threes/fnas24.htm
- http://www.3wheelers.com/fnas24.html
- en: Nicholas Straussler more about Straussler
Remarks
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↑
The values for mixing ratio (1:25) and compression (8.4: 1) from an earlier version of the article and without sources could not be found in any of the sources used.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e f g h The Observer's Military Vehicles Directory from 1945 , Bart H. Vanderveen, Frederick Warne & Co Ltd, London 1972, ISBN 0-7232-1435-2 , pp. 26-27.
- ↑ a b c All known "FN" serial numbers from 1902-1965. FN Oldtimer Motorcycles website: 1902–1965. Retrieved November 25, 2018
- ↑ a b German cars since 1945, off-roaders and SUVs , Eberhard Kittler and Thomas Rönnberg, Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 2005, ISBN 3-613-02490-X , p. 54.
- ^ Military Vehicles of the World , Christopher F. Foss, Ian Allan Ltd, Shepperton 1976, ISBN 0-7110-0708-X , pp. 49-50.
- Jump up ↑ Cross-Country Cars From 1945 , Bart H. Vanderveen, Haynes Publishing Group, Somerset 1975, ISBN 0-85429-542-9 , p. 45.
- ↑ a b c d Jane's Military Vehicles and Ground Support Equipment 1983 , Christopher F. Foss , Jane's Publishing Company Limited, London 1983, ISBN 0-86720-647-0 , p. 251.
- ^ Fabrique National Model AS 24 website from Max's Scooter Page. Retrieved November 24, 2018