FV4005 Stage 2 (Centurion)

History

For a brief period in the turbulent history of the Centurion Main Battle Tank (MBT), a heavily armed self-propelled gun (SPG) variant was maintained as the FV4005 "Phase 2". This vehicle uses the existing chassis and hull structure of the Centurion MBT, plus a fully enclosed 360-degree rotating turret with a 183mm howitzer main gun (7.2-inch BL field howitzer) in early attempts The Medium Centurion was fired with a 183mm gun (with autoloader) in a limited lateral installation without a turret, which became the FV4005 "Stage 1" - both forms related to the earlier FV4004 "Conway", which attempted to Upgrade with Centurion A turret-mounted 120mm L1 gun that Centurion used when the FV214 Conqueror heavy tank was still in development.

FV4005 was planned to be developed from 1951 to mid-1955. However, the program failed and ended in 1957. An example of the FV4005 Stage 2 is kept outdoors at the famous Bovington Tank Museum in the UK.

The centurion roots of the FV4005 Stage 2 are clearly visible, even the side skirts are preserved. The landing gear retains six twin-tire wheels on each side of the hull, with the drive sprocket at the rear and the track tensioner at the front. The drive was located on the right front of the hull, and the rest of the crew was in the box-turret superstructure, which probably housed the commander, gunner, and at least the loader. The turret structure was placed centrally on top of the hull, with a wide overhang at the stern to provide the artillery with the necessary ammunition loading and working space.

A rectangular hinged door was mounted on the wall behind the turret for the crew to enter. The main gun armament protrudes from the front plate of the turret and some barrel overhang is noted. The engine bay remains at the rear end of the fuselage - the same layout as the Centurion MBT.

The 650 hp Rolls-Royce Meteor is likely to keep driving. Range is estimated at 250 miles, with a top road speed of 18 mph.

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Performance

for everyone else in our database)

Armor

Not available.

Changes