Leopard 1 Driver Training Cabs in Canada

[Colin Alford]

Gents,

I can't answer the initial question but here is some info which may help resolve some of the additional discussion.

NSN for Driver Training Cabin: 2350-12-174-6597

Applicable Publications:

NDID CD ENGLISH TITLE Date
C-11-206-000/ME-000 DRIVER TRAINING CABIN LEOPARD C1 MBT INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS 08/08/1980
C-11-206-000/MF-000 SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE 08/08/1978
C-11-206-000/MF-001 EQUIPEMENT D'INSTRUCTION (French Only) 08/08/1978
C-11-206-000/MY-001 LEOPARD C1 - ILLUSTRATED PARTS LIST FOR DRIVER TRAINING CABIN 06/10/1997
L-11-206-000/LS-001 TANK, TRAINING AID, INSTRUCTIONAL CABIN TANK SK 221-000000-000-0 (LEOPARD C1)

I looked through the installation instructions and I must admit that I am having trouble following them as the text is in English but the drawings have poor resolution and are in German. It appears that there were modifications required to the existing accelerator and brake pedal assemblies to allow the linkages from the cabin controls to connect to them. There may also have been some work done on the floor of the hull to provide mounting points for elements of the installation kit.

Colin

[Ed Storey]

That is great information, thank you. If there were any modifications done to the donor hull to accept the cabin then that would explain why those vehicles would be accounted for separately and given a new ECC and NSN.

[Phil Waterman]

Hi



Wonder if this could have been one of the turrets removed, picture taken 1984 at Camp Bordon Link to high res version on photo http://canadianmilitarypattern.com/R...0CMP%20185.jpg


84 CMP 185.jpg


Cheers Phil

[James P]

Borden is the home of the trades schools and held a couple tanks for mechs and techs to be trained on. The turret stand looks the same as the stands for the Gunnery Sqn turrets at Gagetown, as the (cabbed) hulls spend there days wallowing up and down the various bowling alleys there. That is a pretty good picture showing something sort of out of the usual BTW.

[Robin Craig]

Mr Fred Appel who is on the FB group for the RCEME has posted the following on the subject today which sounds like confirmation in some way:-

" If my memory serves me right, Canada purchased 5 of these Driver Training Cabs. 4 for Gagetown and 1 for CFSEME. The were installed on the Leopard Chassis after the turret was removed. The installation was conducted by unit personnel with the supervision of the Krauss Maffei FSR. The Driver Training Cabs were stationary, they did not traverse. The barrel was a dummy but simulated the barrel being present to the driver. The Crew Commander had full override controls over the driver."

[Ed Storey]

This reaffirms Gord's figure of six Driver Training Cabins way back in post #5 so what is really needed now is a document which confirms this number.

[strat1]

July 1978 ,9 Leopard C1’s issued to Royal Canadian Armoured School. They were divided between Gunnery and Driving and Maintenance squadrons. The turrets were taken off, placed on turret stands, the hulls were fitted with an Instructors cabin for driving training.

More might have been purchased, but no records show this, or the number of 37 cabins. To convert a gun tank to driver instructor was a plug and play affair with quick disconnects.

23 Leo 1 hulls were sold off, all were to be de-milled with armour sections taken out of upper/lower front hull areas. a few have made it back to Canada , the Ontario Regiment Museum bought 2 which were movie props, the vismod movie turrets have been taken off, and vismod C1 looking turrets added, but they used the CFB Borden German Leo 1A4 for measurements to build the new turrets, so they are actually 1A4's, not our 1A3 turret versions.

Cheers

Anthony