A variation of the cross country vehicle is the articulated vehicle. A brief description would be a vehicle in two or more coupled parts, with two or more degrees of freedom between them, with all wheels or tracks driven from one powerplant.

The challenge would be to power wheels or tracks in each part of the vehicle, when each part can effectively move independently of the other.

This is not impossible, the Hagglunds BV 206, Oshkosh "Dragon Wagon" and some types of earth moving equipment all use this principle to go over rough terrain.

Can this be done in 10 hr? We can only try....

-- Arthur Majoor (a_majoor@hotmail.com), February 04, 2001

Answers

Many (relatively slow moving) machines that work around trees and in tight places are made that way. One of my friends has a swamp buggy built that way, and it works great. It could be done in ten hours if you have a 4wd vehicle to work from. What kind of contest would you have? Pulling power, turning radius, speed thru a course of barriers and cones?

-- Waddy Thompson (cthomp3851@aol.com), February 04, 2001.

Any of these suggestions would make a good contest. The best way of demonstrating the principle would probably be a cross country course with some very tight turns and some steep "broken" terrain to test the vehicle in the vertical axis.

If we realy want to go overboard, we could ask for amphibious capability as well, but that's pushing it, don't you think?

-- Arthur Majoor (a_majoor@hotmail.com), February 05, 2001.

You could use two front drive car power packs (Engine Transmision axles and Radiators) with AUTO trans's only. the earth would be the only connection between the drive units. Auto trans's would self synchronise (sp) both units. As for the amphib portion just go the Meglomainiac route and weld on as many oil drums as possible for flotation. I think ten hours would work. power steering pump would be sufficient to power hyd cyl for articulation.

-- Stephen A. Binion (Stephenbinion@hotmail.com), February 05, 2001.

You could make a millipede that way, by linking up as many drive units as you like. What I had in mind uses only one engine, the major part of the challenge being transmitting the power to the wheels or tracks in all sections.

Look up the sample vehicles in the origional post and you will see what I mean.

-- Arthur Majoor (a_majoor@hotmail.com), February 06, 2001.

I Know but two engines with auto tranmissisions was done by Car&Driver in the eighties 86~ with a CRX. It would smoke a corvette or 911 in the eighth mile then aerodynamics took over and the crx was beaten in the quarter. I just thought that two motors would be quick to build and quite effective.

-- Stephen A. Binion (Stephenbinion@hotmail.com), February 06, 2001.