The Land-Rover Series 2A FFT variant
To begin with some confusion with names need to be cleared up. All Seroes 2A radio vehicles have their nomenaclature plated on the vehicle as a Fitted For Tranciever or FFT. However as 'tranceivers' became more commonly refered to as radios, the name changed to Fitted For Radio or FFR. Both terms are correct and were used by the Army, but only one was stamped on the vehicle. To avoid confusion we will refer to them as FFT.
Australian Army Series 2A FFT or Fitted For Transceiver Land-Rovers have a few details which are not found on General Service Military Land-Rovers.
Exterior Fittings
Starting from the rear of the vehicle, a scalloped steel filler panel is rivetted in place of the tailgate aperture. Catches and hinge fittings are deleted. The panel allows easy access for troops while still providing sufficient barriers to prevent equipment and small parts from sliding out of the vehicle. Along the lower face of the filler panel there are four evenly spaced staples for securing the extended canopy back panel. The canvas canopy of FFT vehicles has an extension at the rear to cover the modified rear panel. There is also a number plate light fitted to the lower right side and on some vehicles a strip shaped step is cut into the lower left face which is reinforced with a metal tread. The usual GS bumperettes are replaced with jerrycan holders which mount slightly inboard on the rear chassis crossmember. This allows adequate clearance for the tailights (the rear lights are the same as other models - vertical) when fuel or water jerrycans are carried. Tac sign holders are fitted on flat steel framed brackets fitted to the rear vertical surface of the jerrycan brackets.
On the right side exterior, immediately to the rear of the fuel filler cap there is often (but not always) a vented steel plate shaped to comply with the body contour and designed to allow an extractor fan to exhaust radio battery fumes.
Antennas
Two antennae base brackets are mounted slightly to the rear of the vent panel on either side of the vehicle exterior. The brackets are mounted with two bolts through the top flat of the body capping and two bolts through the flat body side panel.
On the inner mudguard panels two dummy sockets for the aerial leads may be fitted with two bolts. The underside of the front wheel arches are reinforced with shaped steel plates bolted through the mudguards tops to support the extra weight of the front wing Antenna Tuning Units (ATU). Two square apertures are found on the rear upper guard panels to allow aerial feeder cables and fittings to pass through the guards. Sheet steel formed cover panels are often bolted over them.
Both the wing ATU's and the body antennas may be fitted to a vehicle, however it is more common for one or the other to be fitted.
The Rear Body
Looking at the rear interior, there are a pair of two man folding rear seats fitted into the rear of the body and a set of brackets provided on the left hand side toeboard for the engine crank handle. Four sheet steel reinforcement panels are fitted to the underside of the rear body horizontal panels. These strengthen the panels to take the weight of the radio table mountings and also include captive nuts which engage the runner channel mounts.
Speaking of radio equipment: (I have numbered the following to aid discussion)
- A power terminal box it mounted to the upper left rear of the vehicle bulkhead with six screws or rivets and provides three large screw terminals marked TX (Transmitter), B- (Battery Negative), and B+ (Battery Positive). Often there is a secondary distribution box mounted directly below the first which features quick connect plugs.
- Immediately to the right of the distribution boxes there is a heavy duty CAV type 448-2m fuse box Fitted with either one or two 150Amp industrial fuses.
- To the left and below these, an FV2051 Screened control and suppressor unit box is fitted against the reverse lower slope of the bulkhead which takes controls the output of the vehicle auxiliary generator.
- At the top centre of the bulkhead a sheet metal box without lid is rivetted in place to take loose cables and fittings.
- A very heavy duty armoured and screened electrical conduit runs from the lower left side of the generator control box, is grommeted through the lower vertical panel of the body and runs along the chassis and into the engine bay where it connects directly into the rear of the auxiliary generator.
- There is another similar but smaller armoured cable which connects the from the control box to the left side of the dash board via the underside of the vehicle. Both cables are supported with cable cleats at regular intervals.
- A steel frame for four batteries mounts through timber packing to the floor of the cargo area toward the bulkhead. Two steel mounting rails and associated plates are bolted to the top inner wheel arch panels toward the bulkhead, which engage in the rollers of a heavy steel and framed timber radio mounting table top which rolls onto the rails and locks into position with turnbuckle screws.
- An angle steel frame attaches to the rear vertical face of the bulkhead with four bolts. This frame doglegs toward the front of the vehicle and supports a Power distribution Panel No 8 facing forward.
- Directly below this panel on the forward face of the bulkhead behind the front seats there are two or more square apertures for aerial feeder cables to pass through the lower floor of the bulkhead panel behind the seats.
- Under the bonnet there is a very large heavy duty 24V CAV Type 7t24' auxiliary alternator to provide charge for the radio batteries which mounts to heavy support brackets bolted to the left side of the engine.
- The FFT may be fitted out with standard 12v or 24v electrical system and a small standard generator is fitted to the front lower left of the engine. In the cab there is a hand throttle assembly fitted either below the instrument panel (early pattern) or beside the instrument panel (late pattern) to control the engine revs during battery recharging.
- A panel to the left of the main dash instrument cluster may have extra switches and features a CAV Amp gauge calibrated -60 through to +60 amps and indicates battery/charge rate. The gauge is fitted in a rounded sheet metal aperture with only the top half of the gauge able to be viewed. This is to both protect the instrument from damage and prevent light escaping in blackout conditions. There may also be two bolt holes roughly 13.5cm apart on the left side dash front face for a control unit type C.
- All major assemblies of the vehicle are/were fitted with bonding earth straps and the entire electrical system was screened and suppressed against radio interference by the use of metal shields on the ignition system fixed components and shielded High Tension cables and connectors.
- An earthing point is fixed through the right hand rear chassis cross member with a wingnut for attaching earth lead for use in static transmitting and refuelling.
The Land-Rover data plates are fitted to the outer face of the passenger side seat box and may be viewed when the passenger door is open. Between the two front seats a hinged steel tool box is fitted in place of the centre seat. This box incorporates a grab handle for the front left passenger. The box has two studs on its lower rear face which engage in two holes in the bulkhead lower panel and two wing nuts secure the front on the seat box forward face. This box can be tilted upright to access the lower tool bin and gearbox etc. Note that the gardening tools are not mounted outside on top of the front guards like just about every other Australian military Land-Rover, but inside, on the forward face of the bulkhead, behind the seatbox. The "pioneer tool brackets" (for pick, shovel and axe) are themselves identical to those used on the other variants.
Some units have an extra toolbox mounted between the front chassis dumb irons members directly below and in front of the radiator. Others have a flat or pressed metal filler panel in this position to aid the engine cooling whilst stationary and charging batteries. The exhaust pipe and muffler are located under and behind the front bumper and exhaust gases exit to the right of the vehicle. This is designed to take the heat and more importantly the deadly carbon monoxide gases away from the radio operators in the rear of the vehicle. An extra panel is also fitted between the front hood bow and the bulkhead which forms part of the canopy itself at the top with the lower edge fastened to the bulkhead with three evenly spaced straps. This was designed to aid blackout conditions and to protect personnel from engine fumes. Comprehensive blackout curtains were also used to render the rear compartment of the vehicle tactically secure.
Radios
The FFT was most commonly fitted with radios from the Larkspur family of radios which are of British origin. Howevr other radios such as the PRC-47 were fitted. For more Information about larkspur radios follow the below link to the REMLR page about them.
If you have any comments or further info you are welcome to speak up on the REMLR Message Board and contribute to the info collection.
Phillip H
|
