A Powerfully Engined Light Oiler for South Africa
Page 45
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The Dieselet 3-tonner, Equipped with a Perkins Leopard Engine for Colonial Conditions, is Subjected to Cursory Test
OVERSEAS users of commercial VP hides sometimes experience difficulty in finding, even among the varied chassis on the British market, a model that exactly fits their requirements. For this class of buyer Arran Motors, Ltd., of Welwyn Garden City, Herts,• makes rather a speciality of catering, being so circumstanced as to .he able to build economically chassis to specifications that differ considerably from those of the company's standard pro ducts. \ • A case in point is a 'model that we recently had the opportunity of taking out for a short run on the road, but which we did not subject to our usual comprehensive road test because a full report of its performance would be of value to only a comparatively small proportion of the readers of this paper.
The machine, which is illustrated on this page, is for export to Johannesburg, and to contend with the exacting conditions under which it will operate in South Africa, the Perkins Leopard 60 b.h.p. engine has been installed instead of the smaller Wolf 45 b.h.p. power unit normally used. No alteration has been made to the gear ratios, accordingly the performance, in respect of acceleration, etc., is outstanding.
With a 7-to-1 axle ratio, 11571 b.h.p. per cwt. gross laden weight, and the well-known pulling characteristics el the Perkins oil engine, the vehicle may justly be described as a top-gear ma chine. It can almost be driven around its turning circle in direct drive, whilst it will accelerate from 10430 m.p.h. in 15 seconds without using the lower ratios.
Fuel consumption is, of course, at rather a higher rate than is the case with the smaller unit, but on a 30-mile run, during which no consideration was paid to running economically, a return of 24 m.p.g. was obtained. With a payload of roughly 3 tons, and a gross weight of 51 tons (the chassis alone scales 1 ton 14 cwt.) this gives 72 pay-load ton-m.p.g. and 126 gross tonm.p.g. The machine struck us as being stable and easy to handle on bad surfaces, and it should be capable of performing well on steep gradients where wheel adhesion is poor, by reason of the ability of the engine to "hang. on" at low revolutions. Good retardation is afforded by the Lockheed brakes, and the turning circle is no more than 48 ft., despite the wheelbase Lngth of 13 ft. 1 in.