Leyland Hippos for Eastern Oilfields
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VEHICLES used in oilfields in Asia Minor and the Far East operate in great heat and over rough country, and the semi-military type of chassis is highly suitable for this work. For the past few months, Leyland Motors, Ltd., has been supplying vehicles for use by oil companies in the areas mentioned, most of them being modified versions of the military Leyland Hippo Mark H six-wheeler. This type forms the basis for tankers and field-boring equipment machines.
A 7.4-litre oil engine is the power unit for these vehicles, which have five-speed gearboxes. Both rear axles are driven. Incorporated in the design are rubberbushed trunnion bearings for the springs of the rear bogie.
Three Hippos fitted with 2,000-gallon tanks left this country recently for the Persian Gulf, where they will be delivered to the Kuwait Oil Co., Ltd. On these vehicles is retained much of the equipment used on military Hippos, including the exterior oil-bath type of engine air cleaner mounted behind the driver's cab. The use of two fuel tanks gives each vehicle an approximate range ot 1,000 miles.
W. P. Butterfield, Ltd., supplied the elliptical-sectioned tanks, which measure 4 ft. deep, 6 ft. wide and over 18 ft. long. Connections are arranged so that the tank can be filled and emptied by gravity or by a pump driven by a power lake-off from the gearbox. Against a total working head of 50 ft., the pump will deliver 4,000-4.500 gallons per hour of petrol or oil fuel, at 450 r.p.m. The tanks are made of mild steel and are single-compartment units electrically welded throughout, with three dished transverse baffles.
The unladen gross weight of each machine is nearly 10 tons.