Par Joce Hue
Published on August 7, 23 at 7:15 pm See my news Follow 76actu Aloys (12 years old), Nael (8 years old) and Robin (6 years old) enjoyed the sporting ride! (©JH/76news)
“I’ve always wanted to have vehicles that are different from the ordinary. » Childhood dream come true for Frederic Lefort, armored against the ordinary, which offered itself… two British army tanks!
For three months, Vatteville-la-Rue (Seine-Maritime), he offers them for hire for a test in real conditions. The only imperative: to have a B license, because “you need to have some driving skills to understand the machine”. Passengers must be at least 5 years old. We tested for you this unusual experience.
Two demilitarized tanks
After trying his hand at driving a tank (“tank” is the English word) – a Russian in the Czech Republic and a Leopard in Germany – the civilian training manager said to himself: “We have to get to do that in France. He then procured its FV 432 APC and 434, pour 28,000 and 22,000 euros, at the Normandy Victory Museum in Carentan (Manche) and in Hungary.
The hardest part was not getting the tanks, but being able to insure these uncategorized vehicles. Without counting the bankers who do not follow… Whereas in England, one can make them register and roll on the roads. We even see some that are transformed into hearses or limousines!
Frederic Lefort
Sexagenarians, the two demilitarized tanks which usually serve mainly to troop transport (12 men maximum inside) are however still in service : about thirty are currently on the front in Ukraine.
90 liters per 100 km
Direction the 3 hectare playground which overlooks the Seine, where Frédéric has converted a container into a lounge/bar to welcome customers. There are stationed the two monsters 15 tons to shielding two centimeters of steel. Not sure they would get their Crit’Air sticker: they gobble up 90 liters per 100 km. In this case bioethanol, even if “multi-fuel”, they can even run on waste oil!
We equip ourselves: helmet, glasses, earplugs and khaki jacket of rigour. To climb in, you have to slip through the hatch and twist around, being careful not to bump into each other. Inside, comfort is not the priority.
A 2.4 ton, 250 horsepower engine
You have to stick your head out through the hatches to see where you’re going, because obviously there’s no windshield, only “episcopes”, sorts of fixed periscopes. Contact. The Rolls Royce engine of 2.4 tons et 250 horsepower hums. Let’s go for a noisy and testosterone ride!
Videos: currently on Actu
Despite its power and the sensations it provides, the FV 432 APC drives with childlike simplicity. Difficult to tangle the pedals: for velocity, an accelerator and a gear lever. And for management, it’s like a sled : one joystick to go right, another to go left. These controls being hard to operate, driving is relatively physical.
60 km/h max
Climbs, descents, tight turns, crossing holes… It shakes, but no constraint of the ground resists him. To tackle obstacles head-on, sometimes impressive pitching is OK. But the roll could make our machine overturn if there is too much slope. Small and large passengers are pretty shaken up in the back.
When you push the machine (60 km/h max) on the straights, the caterpillars make sheaves of mud in back. Kid’s fantasy fulfilled and power giddy with this print that nothing can stop you… While being careful not to end up in the background! Conclusion: even speckled with mud, having fun mimicking war can be child’s play that delights young and old alike.
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2023-08-08 06:04:12
#VIDEO #SeineMaritime #drive #tank #unique #experience #France
