Ok, these vehicles have been in the works for a while now, but it's time for them to see the light of day.
AV50 Series Armoured Vehicles
AV60 Series Armoured Vehicles
The AV50 was the baseline vehicle of the universal AV50/60 armoured vehicle series. The series has numerous sub-types based on either a 5 or 6 road wheel common chassis with torsion bar suspension and an armoured powertrain featuring a V6 rolls royce diesel engine. The APCs were designed to improve on the innovative FA10 derived APCs which were constructed from mid 1940, carrying a crew of 2 plus 8 dismounts in full battle order. A platoon of 3 AV50 APCs and 1 AV51 Mortar Carrier accommodated a DCFI pattern reinforced infantry platoon with it's support weapons section, an accompanying AV54 variant mounting an artillery spotting team if necessary. Entering service from early 1943, the AV50 missed most of the fighting in Nth Africa, but served ably in support of DCFI's commitment to the Sicilian/Italian campaign, as well as the D Day invasion. Their major impact was in Operation Overlord, providing the mobility required for fast manoeuvre and deployment of combat infantry in support of armour. Armour protection was sufficient to shield occupants against small arms and shrapnel with frontal protection of 60mm against anti-tank rounds. Additional spaced armour plating or bar armour was fitted to some vehicles after D-Day to help protect against German infantry armed with the panzerfaust and anti-tank rifles. In a war where its closest point of comparison was a tank with its turret removed, or an armoured halftrack (as used by both the allies and the Germans), the FA10 & AV50 series APCs were vanguards of a revolution in armoured warfare. AV50s served in various guises with the RFAC and other allied militaries till well into the 1970s.
5-road wheel derivatives of the system (Coded AV5x) included the Basic APC, a mortar carrier, command vehicle, armoured logistics, Pioneer/engineering and scout/recce vehicles as well as the Free flight rocket artillery system and light and medum Self-propelled Howitzers. 6-road wheel variants (Coded AV6x) included Heavy SPGs, field ambulance and logistics track, bridging and heavy engineering vehicles as well as assault gun and medium anti-aircraft artillery.
As always, constructive comment and suggestions are welcome
Cheers
EDIT: 12/01/2017 - AV5x series redraw and text edits
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