M3 Bradley Q.

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willshak - 28 Dec 2007 15:57 GMT

What is the purpose of the large plate with the two grills that lies on
the front of the M3 Bradley.
http://www.warbirdphotographs.com/ATC/ATC-Bradley-2.jpg
It appears to be hinged so that it can swing up. There is nothing below
the plate that would warrant having grills in it.
Most pics I've found of the Bradley on the web do not have this plate.

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Bill
In Hamptonburgh, NY
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CCBlack - 28 Dec 2007 20:30 GMT

> willshak wrote:
> What is the purpose of the large plate with the two grills that lies on
> the front of the M3 Bradley.http://www.warbirdphotographs.com/ATC/ATC-Bradley-2.jpg
> It appears to be hinged so that it can swing up. There is nothing below
> the plate that would warrant having grills in it.
> Most pics I've found of the Bradley on the web do not have this plate.

I think that's front part of a ' flotation collar ' that makes the
Bradley an amphibian. ( Yeah a Bradley can float ! ) It's used to
cross small rivers or creeks. That plate swings forward and the crew
attaches a ' curtain ' like collar around the top of the tank that
provides enough buoyancy for the thing to float.

Chris

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AMPSOne@aol.com - 28 Dec 2007 23:39 GMT

> I think that's front part of a ' flotation collar ' that makes the
> Bradley an amphibian. �( Yeah a Bradley can float ! ) �It's used to
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>
> Chris

The reason for the plate is that it is a "Wave Breaker" like that on
the front of an M113. It is erected and a series of panels are
attached to give the vehicle some sort of protection -- it doesn't
need a "DD" type full collar all around it. The grilles are mesh for
the driver to see through when it's erected.

That being said, from the A2 variant on the Bradley basically is no
longer amphibious -- since it went from about 22-26 short tons to
around 30 and it is no longer buoyant enough. Also other than some
dummy driving off a bridge in Iraq into the Euphrates or Tigris River
they don't need to swim in the desert!

Cookie Sewell

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willshak - 31 Dec 2007 19:09 GMT

on 12/28/2007 6:39 PM AMPSOne@aol.com said the following:

>> I think that's front part of a ' flotation collar ' that makes the
>> Bradley an amphibian. �( Yeah a Bradley can float ! ) �It's used to
[quoted text clipped - 19 lines]
> Cookie Sewell
>

Thanks. I can leave it off then. This is a 1987 model, so it predates
even Desert Shield.

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Bill
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willshak - 31 Dec 2007 19:02 GMT

on 12/28/2007 3:30 PM CCBlack said the following:

>> willshak wrote:
>> What is the purpose of the large plate with the two grills that lies on
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
> Chris
>

Thanks

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Bill
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Pat Flannery - 29 Dec 2007 08:44 GMT

> What is the purpose of the large plate with the two grills that lies
> on the front of the M3 Bradley.
> http://www.warbirdphotographs.com/ATC/ATC-Bradley-2.jpg
> It appears to be hinged so that it can swing up. There is nothing
> below the plate that would warrant having grills in it.
> Most pics I've found of the Bradley on the web do not have this plate.

That was a plate used when fording streams with it to prevent the waves
from coming up to the driver's hatch and flooding the interior. They had
incidents where the crew forgot to raise it (or attach it - it was
removable) and the vehicle sank with loss of life, so they replaced it
with a peripheral inflatable pontoon collar that goes around the front
and sides of the vehicle.

Pat

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willshak - 31 Dec 2007 19:09 GMT

on 12/29/2007 3:44 AM Pat Flannery said the following:

>> What is the purpose of the large plate with the two grills that lies
>> on the front of the M3 Bradley.
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
>
> Pat

Thanks

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Bill
In Hamptonburgh, NY
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Model Forum / General / Models / December 2007

M3 Bradley Q.