Enter the Valiant
Page 11
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HE FIRST modular Valiant bus odies destined for world marets have been completed at adham-Stringer's new factory t Stanton, in Suffolk, reports OEL MILLIER.
The first bus, a 41-seat tvvooor 9.7m bus on Leyland Viking hassis, is soon to be shipped to hana where it will enter service s a demonstrator.
I took the vehicle for a brief p around the Suffolk lanes and ith its left-hand drive and contant-mesh gearbox, it was leasant to drive.
The driver's environment was ell-designed and comfortable, ith all controls easy to reach nd within the driver's line of ision. Visibility was good and ere seemed few dirt traps on e flat floor.
Despite being fitted to what is irtually a lorry-derived chassis, e bus rode well and the body tructure seemed taut and free om flexing and rattles. Being estined for a hot climate, the us was fitted with opening slidg windows which were surrisingly rattle-free. Moquette covered seats were fitted for demonstration purposes.
Valiant single-deck bus bodies will be available in either completely built up, partly built up, or completely knocked down kit versions. The body is built on a special tunnel jig which can be used to manufacture bodies of any length of any type of chassis.
Among the features of this method of construction are extra roof strength and no main parts of the body structure in the vulnerable areas below the solebar.
Standard bay sizes are used in numbers, depending on the chassis type and overall bus length required. At present only 15 men are working on Valiant, but it is expected the workforce will increase as orders come in.