The SAAF Forum

I assume that the Bismarck might then have been a revolutionary concept to replace the slower Olifant in faster style mobile operations north of the border? Therefore nothing to do with the Rooikat per se, which was an Eland replacement for recce purposes? Just a thought...

Bismarck formed part of the rooikat project. It was build after they decided on Rooikat. They turret was put on it for weight trails. Most of the photos of it has it without a turret. I will have a look on Pierre's Profile of the South African Army tonight if they have any info on it.

But I owe him a ring in anycase so will ask him next time we speak. Just by the by if you want any info on Army kit he is the bloke to speak to. He spent 30 years in the defence industry and worked on more than 90 projects. Some of them did not get of the drawing board, alot did.

Does he run any other site apart from the victor logistics one? That Profile of the South African Army, was it a book published by him?

Nah it was a set of CDs he developed while working for another company. They are still in business but in my opinion they are a bunch of sharks. Only one PC specific code and if you format away goes your code and you have to phone them again. He did one for the Air Force and Navy as well.

A review of the SAAF CD can be found here:
http://www.saairforce.co.za/reviews/reviewsaafcd.htm

Speaking to Pierre at this moment will have info soon.

Ok here is the gen it is long winded so be patient. The Rooikat project started with 3 prototypes or concept vehicles:

Concept 1 - Ratel 8x8
Concept 2 - Eland 8x8
Concept 3 - Saracen 8x8.

Concept vehicle 2 was chosen and turned into Cheetah mk1. Out of this vehicle Rooikat was developed. At the same time as the rooikat prototype or Cheetah mk 2 was being build a second tendor went out for vehicles. The aim was to develope a heavier vehicle that was capable of carrying a 105mm L7 gun as it was unknown at this stage if the cheetah would be able to carry the 105mm L7. Two prototypes were developed:

TH 400
Bismarck

TH 400 was build by Thyssen Henschel of West Germany at Sandock Austral in 82-83 and had a 6x6 configuration with a road speed of 104km/h and a range if 1300km. It was armed with a high pressure 76mm gun. It had a torsion bar suspention system and was driven by a liquid cooled Mercedes Benz diesel engine. This was the prototype that dissapeared. (sorry about that, but Pierre told me that Cheetah mk 1 is also missing and he has no idea were it is)

Ok now to Bismarck. Bismarck was build by Sandock Austral with a german company providing the technology and design of the vehicle also in 82-83. It had a crew of 4 and weighed 41 tons. It was armed with a 105mm L7 gun, 2 7.62mm mgs and 8 81mm smoke launchers. It had a MTH (german engine) - V6 - 6396 turbo charged liquid cooled diesel producing 588kw at 2400 rpm. It had a ZF (also german but locally produced by gear ratio) 4PF2000 automatic transmission with 4 forward and one reverse gear. It had hydro neumatic suspention and reach a road speed of 86km/h and a range of 1000km.

Both prototypes were shelved in favour of cheetah mk 2 the prototype of which stand in front of big willy hall at the school of armor in bloem.

Pierre is working up a series of article on the Rooikat program in VEG for the next few issues. He is also planning to release a series of books on first the Olifant (april 2007), Rooikat (december 2007) and last the Ratel (april 2008). He follows he article in the magazine with in depth books on each of the vehicles.

Hope this helps some.

WOW...Worster..thanks for that info. Top stuff.

Thank Pierre. Guy is a damn encyclopedia. He just opened a few files on his PC this morning and that was the data he gave me. He wanted to give me specs such as width, height, fording depth, ground clearance and pressure and I told him that what he had given me was good allready. Look out for an article on all these in the next VEG.

I am converting videos for him to dvd. The videos contains footage of weapon tests (under it are tests for the 2.75in folding fin rockets on the rooivalk as well as the 30mm gun) as well as sales videos.

I have visited him a few times and his house will give MI a field day. He has stacks of files, folders and albums containing drawings, photos, tests and a shit load more. He knows and if he doesn't know he knows someone who does.

Support the guy please blokes. I know he makes mistakes sometimes but he does that whole mag mostly on his own.

I've e-mailed him through his website about his book and I'm awaiting a reply.

Interesting thread. For more related material, see my website on the South African Bushwar at: http://www.geocities.com/sa_bushwar

Anybody have any pictures or info on the 35mm SPAAD on the Rooikat Chassis? I think it was called ZA-35. Also there was a SAM version based on the Rooikat.

Got some video of it in action. Will this help?

Wow worster ... absolutely!

Ok pm me your postal address and I will send it on. SA_Bushwar I haven't forgoten about your DVDs still working on them in the middle of moving, but my holiday starts today so I will have some free time this december to get down to it.