User:MinorProphet/Draft subpages/Vickers Light Dragon

The Vickers Light Dragon was a fully-tracked British Field Artillery Tractor (FAT) made by Vickers-Armstrongs Ltd, from 1929 to 1935.

https://forum.warthunder.com/index.php?/topic/335414-vickers-dragon-mk-iv-40mm-aa/

There were three main versions, Marks I-III

Mark I
Made at Woolwich Arsenal, intended to tow the QF 18-pounder gun.

Chassis from the Vickers Light Tank Mk II Wiki says Light Tank Mk II were made from 1929.

- 4 road wheels in pairs NB three return rollers, flat front. Horizontal Horstmann coil spring suspension. Front sprockets are solid, rear sprockets are spoked.

Mark 1A sloping front, 3 return rollers like Mark I. Engine on rh side behind driver. Crew on benches on lh side and at rear.

http://hmvf.co.uk/topic/19165-vickers-light-dragon/

Mark II
- more powerful engine, impoved armour & better accomodation for the crew. NB two return rollers, horizontal suspension springs. (Like Vickers Light Tank Mark IIA) Sloping front plate Exhaust pipe exiting on LH side - angled silencer? Headlights mounted low down on vertical flat front plate, level with top of tracks. - Mark II or Mark IIA (NB wots the diff?)

Mk IIB - NB two return rollers protected by triangular flanges. Angled suspension springs making triangle shape Running gear like Vickers Light Tank Mk III Bloody great silencer, horizontal at rear - Mark IIB with 18-pounder field gun - Mark IIB with a load of interested soldiers

QF 3.7-inch mountain howitzer

Mark IIC - exhaust pipe covered over with ?armouring? Headlights recessed into front plate, covered by semi-circular hood beneath overhanging sloping front plate - Mark IIC - Mark IIC with 3.7 pack howizter & limber

Possibly a mark IID ?

Mk III
- Shorter wheelbase, only 3 road wheels per side, Only one return roller. Front sprockets are spoked, rear sprockets are solid. NB Running gear NOT like Vickers Light Tank Mark IV - actually from early version of Bren carrier - VA.D50 = MG Carrier Mk I https://archive.org/details/Janes-WorldWarIiTanksAndFightingVehicles-TheCompleteGuide.pdf/page/n45/mode/1up p. 47

- Dragon has high rear sprocket & springs in a triangle Light Tank Mk IV has rear sprocket on the ground and suspension springs going same way

Sloping front re-designed with flat bit in front of the driver, headlights mounted on boxy extensions at driver level. Sloping mudguard wings at front. - Mark III with hood up - Mark III with early 25-pounder & limber

Diffs

 * Light Dragon Mark I (c1929) ~ Gun Tractor. - Based on Vickers Mark II Light Tank
 * Light Dragon Mark II Based on Vickers Mark III Light Tank
 * Light Dragon Mark IIB ~ Version with revised seating arrangements
 * Light Dragon Mark IIC ~ exhaust pipe protector
 * Light Dragon Mark IID
 * Light Dragon Mark III (c1934) ~ Unarmoured D50 based gun tractor. Universal Carrier 69 Vickers VA.D50 bought as 'Light Dragon Mark III'