Chevrolet TASC

The Chevrolet TASC (Tactical Articulated Swimmable Carrier) of 1965 was the successor to the Chevrolet Sidewinder and kept its double-articulated layout of three linked units.

Design

The middle unit housed the 283 cu in Chevrolet V8, Chevrolet two-speed automatic transmission and Dana two-speed transfer case. The front unit carried the driver and one passenger plus about 1.1 square metres of cargo space, while the rear unit could take either cargo or personnel. The vehicle weighed about 2,900 kg empty and 4,200 kg fully loaded, sat on a 3.4 m wheelbase with 14.00x20 tyres, and was nearly 5.2 m long and about 2 m high at the windscreen. Approach and departure angles were 60 and 50 degrees. It had Chevrolet truck axles with disc brakes and a hydraulic winch rated at 3,400 kg behind the front bumper. Top speed was about 89 km/h (55 mph) on land and 5-6 km/h (3-4 mph) in still water.

Testing

The TASC was tested by the US Army at Fort Knox but, like the Sidewinder before it, was not approved for production.