The Twister

It ripples across the roughest terrain like a huge, double-jointed caterpillar. It can cling to 60DEG slopes, climb over boulders and fallen timber, push its way through water, mud or snow. On less rigorous straightaways, it can whip along at speeds of up to 65 m.p.h. Built by Lockheed engineers as a high-performance, wheel-driven answer to the tank, the curious transport is fittingly called the Twister.

The contraption's extraordinary capability lies in its configuration. Composed of two Jeep-like bodies hitched together by a flexible yoke, it can literally point in two directions at once. As a result, the four wheels on each segment remain firmly planted on the ground, even as the Twister crosses the crest of a small hill. The fore and aft sections are powered by two independent 140-h.p. air-cooled Corvair engines, modified so that they can operate even at a sharp tilt. The driver pilots the eight-wheel-drive vehicle from the rear body. He has at his disposal a steering post for the lead wheels and twin seven-position gear levers for the two automatic transmissions.

Despite its complexity, the Twister is relatively easy to maneuver. Developed to meet the need for a rugged, readily transportable combat machine, it could carry men and weapons on the variety of battlefields likely to be encountered in limited warfare. Not only is it more agile than most tanks, say the engineers, but it can also press on even if one engine fails or several tires are punctured. Lockheed recently negotiated a $3,000,000 contract with the Pentagon for the production of test vehicles. Though their design is military, Twisters might eventually be used by construction men, explorers, or any other civilians who have the urge and the money for a remarkable ride across roller-coaster terrain.

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