I noticed this nice looking Scimitar for sale today.
Unfortunately, it's a little out of my price range.
CVRT Scimitar (Diesel) - Saracen Exports
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I noticed this nice looking Scimitar for sale today.
Unfortunately, it's a little out of my price range.
CVRT Scimitar (Diesel) - Saracen Exports
They come up now and again at Withams who have an ex demo RANGER for sale currently listed at £20,000 today. Need to put a bid in as I am off to the supermarket tomorrow!!
https://www.bidspotter.co.uk/en-gb/a...6-aae900fc4029
The complaint about the Scimitar was that it was neither fish nor fowl. Not big enough gun or range to compete with armour and insufficient armour to defeat even the most mediocre anti-tank in the RPG7 upwards range. But it did LOOK good.........
Even better when they had a Jaguar engine.Quote:
Originally Posted by Peter Laidler
But don't forget that this was a Jaguar engine - when Jaguar were owned by Brtish Leyland
So true..........but it did look the business and scared the Argentinians to pieces!!
I sat beside one in Suffield and watched it engage targets out to 2000 or so with sewing machine stitch accuracy. All tracers went right in the same spot. I managed a projectile from the field and a case from the empties...now in my collection.
Was the Scimitar unreliable when fitted with the original Jaguar engine? My assumption for it being changed for a diesel engine was that Nato's preferred fuel was diesel because diesel is a "safer fuel"for military vehicles if they get damaged in combat.
I thought that was the Gurkhas..........Quote:
Originally Posted by Gil Boyd
Geoff,
As well as..............another story.
When I interviewed Brigadier David Morgan OBE Commandant of the 1/7th Duke of Edinburghs Own Gurkha Rifles down in the Falklands for my book, he never really got over the fact his men were not used after all the build up and hype by the press.
He still can't fully understand it, out of all the formations in the various battles, they were called upon to do so very little and he has always felt they never reached or showed their true potential in the campaign........very sad!
I always assumed the Gurkhas were kept away from the main contacts for political reasons Gil, involving newspaper headlines around the world using the words, 'Mercenary soldiers' and 'Kukri'...Quote:
Originally Posted by Gil Boyd
Sadly John, Just weren't used to their true potential on that occasion. Things could have gone Pete Tong during the war, and they, as the reserve would have been used to Supplement the PARA's/Royal Marines/Guards units.
History played out differently as we know and on that occasion we won!!
One consequence was that the MoD civil servants said, "There you are, we told you you didn't need all that expensive equipment, you can improvise it all on the day".
Been trying to find some pics of when I was in BATUS but they seem to have disappeared, One thing I would say, the drivers would have to be a slim build and lubed up to get in and out quick, maybe just my waistline but after working on a few with the turret off was easy with it on........ what a palaver...... Have to take my hat off to the crew of these.
One big problem in the early days as they were being trialled at Long Valley in Aldershot was the tracks came off and rode over the turret taking anyone's head off as they sat out on the lip!