<VV> Corvair powered military....

[Rick Loving]

Thanks Tony, I was mixing up the proto type Gamma Goat and the Ebay Dyna
trac....they were both cousions in nature with the main difference being
tracked vs. wheeled.  Both had powered assisted trailers...

There was a proto-type Corvair powered Gamma Goat that was tested at the
MD proving grounds circa 60-61.  It was the two unit, 6 wheel design
with a 80hp Corvair powerplant.

, It didn't win final production and it would appear the the 3 cylinder
deisel took the nod.  There are still quite a few versions of the Gamma
Goat running around the world today with a variety of powerplants, too
bad none of them are Corvair based...

I have attached a couple of pic's of the Gamma Goat for Tony & JR that
VV will strip....

JR, I had the pic's of the Dyna track from the earlier Ebay auction and
these pic's of the Gamma goat test bed.  I assume that this is what lclc
(lower case larry claypool, owner of the Vair shop who only types in
lower case) showed at the meeting that you were referring to..

Rick Loving


Subject: RE: <VV> Corvair powered military....

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..    
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