In recent years, the Ripsaw family of military and civil all-terrain vehicles from the American company Howe & Howe Technologies has become widely known. Based on well-known and proven solutions, an interesting tracked chassis has been created that can be used in a wide variety of areas. Initially, this machine was offered to the American military, but later the development company decided to enter the civilian market. In the future, the development of non-military all-terrain vehicles continued, and a few months ago the official announcement of the new Ripsaw EV3-F1 all-terrain vehicle took place.
Recall that the very first version of Ripsow appeared at the beginning of the 2000s. Soon, the army ordered experimental unmanned vehicles of the MS1 modification, with the help of which it was planned to establish the military prospects of such technology. Later, new manned versions of the all-terrain vehicle appeared under the names MS2 and MS3. Tests of such machines continue to this day, and now they are considered as a platform for placing one or another equipment. Whether the new equipment will enter service and when it will happen is unknown.
Ripsaw EV3-F1 all-terrain vehicle
A few years ago, the development company proposed a civilian version of the all-terrain vehicle based on the existing chassis. The Ripsaw EV2 differed from its predecessors, first of all, in its comfortable closed cab. It was intended for recreational and tourist trips, although the single-seater cabin to some extent impaired such its capabilities.
Last year, Howe & Howe Technologies began to advertise new modifications of the all-terrain vehicle, also intended for the civilian market. A whole family of vehicles was announced under the general designation Ripsaw EV3. Not worrying about modesty, this technique was designated as Luxury Super Tank - "Super-class" luxury "tank. Several videos were published to promote the new project. For example, in January 2018, everyone could see a demo video about the Ripsaw EV3-F1 car, which can be considered the basis for the new line. The video showed the off-road performance of the all-terrain vehicle, and its headline declared the vehicle the most obnoxious ever built.
Also, potential customers were offered two other all-terrain vehicles of the Ripsow line. These are cars like EV3-F2 and EV3-F4. All of them are unified in terms of the main components and assemblies, but differ in the design of the cab. In addition, according to the experience of previous projects, a modular approach to some other units remains. In particular, the customer has the opportunity to choose the power plant that best meets his requirements. Similar principles are implemented in other systems.
Unmanned aerial vehicle Ripsaw MS1 - the basic product of the entire family
The basis of the new all-terrain vehicle, as before, is a frame made of aluminum pipes and profiles. Much of the frame is fitted with metal sheathing panels to prevent soil from entering the machine. The layout also remained the same, although it was slightly changed in some new projects. In the front part of the frame, the cab is fixed on shock absorbers, and all the elements of the power plant are located behind it. The basic design provides for the presence of some voids, however, in some modifications of the all-terrain vehicle, these volumes are used.
The Ripsaw EV3 design allows for a certain amount of freedom in engine choice. The chassis can be equipped with motors of different types and brands, differing in basic characteristics. It is possible to use a gasoline engine with a capacity of 500 to 1500 hp. or a diesel engine with a capacity of 500-1000 hp. The machine is equipped with a fuel system with one or two tanks with a total capacity of 32 gallons (about 120 liters). An automatic transmission is used, transmitting power to the aft drive wheels.
As part of the very first Ripsaw project, an original version of the tracked undercarriage was proposed, optimized for operation at high speeds. In the front part of the frame, a balancer with a trolley is fixed, above which a shock absorber spring is placed. A pair of road wheels is installed on the trolley. A similar unit with a pair of rollers is located in the stern. Between them, near the center of the hull, on each side there is a balancer with a roller and its own vertical spring. In the front part of the frame, tensioning mechanisms with guide wheels are installed. There are three small support rollers for the top run of the track.
Single EV3 Information
The original undercarriage is designed for driving on difficult terrain at high speeds. Among other things, the suspension has a large travel for such tasks. The rollers are capable of 16 (406.4 mm) vertical movement, which allows them to“work out”most of the unevenness.
One of the main innovations of the EV3 project is the new cockpit design. This unit, in general, retains the already known contours of its predecessors, but has a number of new features. In addition, within the line, several variants of cabins with different capacities have been created. As a result, potential customers are offered three versions of the all-terrain vehicle, capable of carrying from one to four people. You can distinguish them by additional designation letters. Thus, the Ripsaw EV3-F1 car has only one seat, while the “F4” modification has four at once.
The cab is installed at the front of the frame. At the same time, frame pipes run along its upper edges, serving as additional protection in certain situations. A common feature of all EV3 cabins is the special air suspension. It is said to absorb shock and shock, improving conditions for the driver and passengers.
Double all-terrain vehicle EV3-F2
In the case of the Ripsaw EV3-F1 and EV3-F2 all-terrain vehicles, the cab takes up less than half the total length of the vehicle. It has a characteristic faceted glazing and is equipped with all the necessary internals. EV3-F1 and EV3-F2 differ from each other only in the layout of the cockpit and the number of seats. The four-seater cockpit for the EV3-F4 is slightly longer than other products and has a slightly different design. Additional space for two passengers was obtained by shifting the driver's and front passenger seats forward with a corresponding change in the shape of the glazing. The large cockpit is accessed through a pair of hinged hatches in the sides and roof.
The all-terrain vehicles of the new line are equipped with "sports" seats for the driver and passengers, which provide sufficient ride comfort. The driver's workplace has all the necessary controls. In this case, the transmission of commands to the units is carried out through an electrical remote control system, there is no cable or rigid wiring. The driver may have satellite navigation equipment and other devices at his disposal. Instead of rear-view mirrors, a video system is used. At the request of the customer, the all-terrain vehicle can receive acoustic systems of suitable types.
Despite its origins and the original purpose of the base platform, the new Ripsow all-terrain vehicle variants are exclusively civilian and can only be used to transport people or small loads. There is no possibility of installing weapons or other military equipment. However, this should not interfere with potential customers in the person of the armies, since Howe & Howe Technologies has long developed and offers several Ripsaw modifications for use by the military.
Quadruple Ripsaw EV3-F4 outdoors
An unarmed civilian all-terrain vehicle with a single or double cab is 186 inches (4.73 m) long, just under 100 inches (over 2.5 m) wide, and 73.5 inches (1.87 m) high. The four-seater modification is slightly larger and has different proportions of some units, primarily the cab. The gross vehicle weight of the EV3-F1 and EV3-F2 is 7,750 lb (3.52 tonnes). The Ripsaw EV3-F4 is heavier at 8500 lbs or 3860 kg.
The highest power-to-weight ratio and specially designed undercarriage should give the new all-terrain vehicles unique mobility characteristics. The maximum speed of the car on the highway is set at 75 mph - about 120 km / h. On rough terrain, the speed decreases noticeably, but also remains at very high values. The maximum permissible off-road speed depends on both the terrain and the stamina of the driver and passengers.
The new line of tracked all-terrain vehicles is intended for the civilian market, and this affects some of its features. So, the customer has the opportunity to choose the complete set of the purchased machine to his liking. In this regard, the starting cost of the Ripsaw EV3 is 400 thousand dollars and can grow in accordance with the amount of necessary improvements and the installation of new equipment.
EV3-F4 Description
A specific feature of the entire Ripsow family is the low pace of serial construction. The assembly of units for all-terrain vehicles is carried out manually by a small team of specialists. For this reason, as well as in connection with the presence of a certain number of already received orders, new customers after placing an order will have to wait for their car for six months. Taking this into account, it can be assumed that in the very near future the first all-terrain vehicles of a new type will go to their owners. The Ripsaw EV3 line was announced late last year and, if orders were received, Howe & Howe Technologies should have built the first machines by now.
Meanwhile, the development company managed to build and test a couple of prototypes of new technology. For testing on all accessible roads and sites, a single-seat prototype of the Ripsaw EV3-F1 all-terrain vehicle and a four-seat EV3-F4 vehicle were created. The two-seater prototype, apparently, was not built. You can also check this version of the car using the basic EV3-F1, having installed the necessary ballast on it.
The authors of the project regularly bring new equipment to different test sites, and then publish videos from test drives. Since Howe & Howe Technologies promotes its ATVs commercially, all new videos are more or less like advertisements. They demonstrate the best features of the proposed technique, and the filmmakers constantly note high performance. If during the tests any shortcomings were discovered, then the project developers did not focus the public's attention on them.
The interior of the cabin of a four-seater ATV, as seen from the rear passenger seat
It is known that the previous civilian all-terrain vehicle of the Ripsow line is produced in small quantities to order, and, with certain reservations, can be considered a commercially successful vehicle. Apparently, the same fate awaits the new EV3 line. The reasons for optimistic forecasts are both the successes of the existing technology and the characteristic features of the new models. It is easy to see that one of the main goals of the Ripsaw EV3 project was to create several versions of the cab with the ability to transport people and cargo. Obviously, the appearance of a four-seater all-terrain vehicle will attract the attention of potential buyers who were not interested in purchasing an older car with different capabilities.
As for the military use of Ripsaw all-terrain vehicles, there are no obvious reasons for optimism. The tests of the MS1, MS2 and MS3 all-terrain vehicles started at the beginning of the last decade, but have not yet led to the desired results. The US military continues to test existing tracked vehicles, as well as conduct various experiments with their help. However, the issue of acceptance into service has not yet been resolved. On the existing chassis, they managed to test a variety of equipment, but none of these modifications received recommendations for adoption.
Most likely, the current situation with orders will continue in the future. ATVs of the Ripsaw family from Howe & Howe Technologies were able to find their niche in the civilian market and are unlikely to leave it without good reason. At the same time, one should not expect that they will be able to enter service with the US Army or other countries. Probably, in this area they will remain just another platform for conducting various tests and studying new ideas.
The history of the Ripsaw family projects shows how an original idea of an enthusiast can translate into something more and interest a variety of professionals and buyers. However, it also demonstrates that not all promising ideas and solutions are suitable for immediate implementation and implementation in the military sphere. And yet, not all of Howe & Howe Technologies' developments are stuck at the testing and research stage. Some of her creations still managed to enter the market and find their customers. Not a bad result for proactive development.
