Inside the Chieftain's Hatch: AML-60, Part 2

An example of how to buid a...erm... compact vehicle, this was a massive export success providing reasonable capability for a very affordable cost, the Panhard AML series of armored cars would be found in service with over 50 nations. Ireland had several variants, this second video covers mainly the HB variant.

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[iberiksoderblom]

Panhard:"Lets make an amored vehicle with absolutely no ergonomics, just for fun".
French army. "Tres bien, we buy it!"

[matthayward]

I had an uncle who was 5’2” who served in the REME. I used to wonder how he coped, but now think he was born to operate/ work on AFV.

[delurkor]

As a person who barely passed 5'4"(now passing 5'2" going the other way), I have to smile at the Chieftain's struggles.👍👍

[Erdanya]

For what it's worth, that address does still exist, and is apparently considered a historical landmark. However, it now houses SNCF, France's train operator, so they MAY be a little confused about complaints regarding 60mm mortars. They might respond to complaints about leg room, though.

[josephahner]

I started laughing when you said "you've gotta be kidding me, I'm in the turret ring". God bless you.

[zacjhyor]

and here we see the Chieftain demonstrating how to man an AML-60 with one person :P

[liamjohnston]

11:48 “unless you are a dwarf or vertically challenged”. I think I will use this phrase from now on.

[johnfisk]

It all confirms my opinion that all armoured vehicles, when prototyped, should be manned by the designers and then a large fire lit underneath so that they can personally demonstrate how easy and fast it is to evacuate the vehicle when it is on fire. That will solve accessibility problems at the design stage by the Darwin method.

[bebopwing]

Man, my neck hurts just watching you do that. It's crazy they couldn't just suck it up and make it 20% bigger so average size people actually fit comfortably.

[rdter]

Here in South Africa we license produced them as Elands, but all the troops called em Noddy cars!

[Marcus-kien]

Oh Bugger, the Chieftain is on fire! Oh never mind...

[barelyasurvivor]

When The Chieftain says "Jesus Christ" when entering a vehicle,
You know the vehicle is a tad hard to get into or drive.
And we won't get to hear
"Oh bugger the tank is on fire"
😢

[paddykpaddykav]

I'm 6ft tall and was a driver/gunner in AML 60/90 with Irish Cavalry Corps. It was a tight fit, and I had to remove the back rest, but I was able to fit and drive and shoot.

[edl]

Three of my uncles were in the national guard when it was federalized in 1940. They decided to volunteer for tanks but were turned down because they were all between 6’ and 6’2”. They were offer artillery but decided to stay infantry. They were split up and all were in months of combat during the war. All survived

[mastathrash]

Doesn't fit doesn't sit, although it was a worthy attempt

[lancerevell]

Me being 6'4" and nearly 300lbs., I'd have to nope out on trying to squeeze into these vehicles. 😅

As Ian of "Forgotten Weapons" says, "The French copy nobody and nobody copies the French"! 😊

[ditzydoo]

getting into said AML-60 "Gnome mobile"... Origami comes to mind... fold, spinal, mutilate and such. ^~^

[herosstratos]

8:12 The German TPz Fuchs and SpPz Luchs do have center indicators.

[jarink]

When the first three minutes of the video are a blooper reel...

[davidm]

When I did my national service 45 years ago, my call-sign was trained on AML-60s run by the Airforce for ground defense. The thing I remember was the horrible lime green vinyl covering the seats, and the bright dayglow orange tape on the wheel. In the event, the Airforce changed its mind, and, in the end, we ended up with 5-ton Nissan trucks covered with mild steel plate pretending to be armour, with several pintle mounted FN Mags, a .50 caliber HMG, and a Chinese recoilless rifle for our convoy escort role.