Main Menu
Britain's Bedford Cockatrice
Design
The Cockatrice was designed for airfield defense by the Lagonda Company in 1940.1
Body
Bedford used riveted construction on Cockatrice's body.1
Chassis
The Cockatrice's chassis was built from Bedford QL 4x4s.1
Crew
The driver and the engine were at the front.1
Armament
The flame thrower was mounted on the roof in a small turret.1 The flame thrower used 8 gallons / 36.4 liters of fuel per minute.1 The range of the flame thrower was about 300' / 91.4 m.1
At the rear of the Cockatrice was a position for twin Vickers K guns.1
Prototype
Production
The first Cockatrices appeared in early 1941.1
- Bedford Cockatrice: 601
- Heavy Cockatrice: 61
Variants
- Bedford Cockatrice: Used Bedford QL 4x4 chassis.1
- Heavy Cockatrice: Built on the AEC's 6x6 chassis.1
Usage
The early Cockatrices were used by the Royal Navy to defend their airfields.1
The Royal Air Force (RAF) used the Heavy Cockatrice as they felt the Bedford Cockatrice was too small.1
| Bedford Cockatrice | |
|---|---|
| Crew | 31 |
| Physical Characteristics | |
| Weight | |
| Length w/gun | 19' 6"1 5.94 m1 |
| Length w/o gun | |
| Height | 8' 6"1 2.59 m1 |
| Width | 7' 5"1 2.26 m1 |
| Ground clearance | |
| Ground contact length | |
| Ground pressure | |
| Turret ring diameter | |
| Armament | |
| Main | Flame thrower1 |
| Secondary | |
| MG | 2: Vickers K MG1 |
| Side arms | |
| Quantity | |
| Main | |
| Secondary | |
| MG | |
| Side arms | |
| Armor Thickness (mm) | 111 |
| Hull Front, Upper | |
| Hull Front, Lower | |
| Hull Sides, Upper | |
| Hull Sides, Lower | |
| Hull Rear | |
| Hull Top | |
| Hull Bottom | |
| Turret Front | |
| Turret Sides | |
| Turret Rear | |
| Turret Top | |
| Engine (Make / Model) | Bedford1 |
| Cylinders | 61 |
| Net HP | 721 |
| Transmission | |
| Fuel type | Petrol1 |
| Octane | |
| Capacity | |
| Performance | |
| Traverse | |
| Max speed | 30 mph1 48 kph1 |
| Cross country speed | |
| Road range | 230 miles1 370 km1 |
| Cross country range | |
| Turning radius | |
| Elevation limits | |
| Fording depth | |
| Trench crossing | |
| Vertical obstacle | |
| Suspension (Type) | |
| Wheels each side | |
| Return rollers each side | |
| Track length | |
| Tires | |
| Track width | |
| Track centers/tread |
Sources:
- World Encyclopedia of Armored Fighting Vehicles, Jack Livesey, 2006
