Vickers D3E1 Wheel-cum-Track Machine

History of the Vickers D3E1 Wheel Rail Machine

The D3E1 "Wheeled Track" machine is an experimental tank built during the interwar period by the British company Vickers, whose project was to develop a new method of extending the life of the track portion of the combat vehicle. In 1927, the War Office asked Vickers for the design, which featured an armored, car-like body (traditional wheels and all) connected to a track drive system.

The idea behind the concept is to allow the vehicle to use its wheels for general road touring and its tracks for off-road travel. The concept proved too complicated and was eventually abandoned.

Because this Vickers experiment used two types of walking gear, it was necessary to carry separate control and propulsion systems for each component. On a road bike (solid rubber tires), the drive is only transmitted to the rear axle, the steering takes place via the front axle. Powered by an Armstrong-Siddeley gasoline engine, the vehicle can travel at speeds of up to 30 mph on the wheels and 13 mph when relying on the track and wheel assembly.

A pair of turrets were mounted on the armored hull, the forward, main, larger unit had a pair of machine guns above the center of the hull, and the smaller secondary rear turret had a single machine gun.

However, aside from the inherent mechanical complexity, the track section was deemed too short for the long wheelbase, allowing for a large turning radius. Crew comfort is low as solid tires have little cushioning.

The D3E2 appeared as a second prototype, supplied by Vickers, but with an armored shell.

Neither of these examples ended up being seriously considered.

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Performance

Armor

Not available.

Changes