Fletcher is to armoured vehicles as Attenborough is to the natural world.

"Some people would consider it rather rude! I wouldn't know why of course..." Oh Fletcher xD Glorious dry-as-colonial-sand British humor :P

The Germans' reaction on seeing the Sentinel's front machine gun: "HOW RUDE!!"

"That's not a can of Fosters by the way..." "It's meant for fuel..." I half expected to hear: "So it tastes a bit better". xD

I have to admit, going from absolute zero to this in one attempt is a darn worthy achievement for the Australians.

Australians: "Let's make a tank to scare our enemies!" *creates a tank with gentleman's sausage*

Sadly, we returned the tank which was in the US to Australia, it is now in Cairns. Bovington has the only non-Australia-based Sentinel in the world, now.

It's a shame the AC1 Sentinel is known for one small lewd thing, because it's a marvel of achievement for the Australians, with very little help from anybody else was able to produce a respectable tank.

Y'know, looking at the various nations' attempts to produce their first tank designs, the Sentinel is nothing short of astounding.

Australia didn't even have an automotive industry at the time, so to produce a well designed, reliable and upgradeable tank, in the first attempt, after only a few months, when they'd never even produced a motorcycle, car, bus or truck highlights the awesomeness of the achievement.

Along with the Boomerang fighter, the Owen sub machine gun and others, not a bad effort for a small country of 7 million at the time (I'm biased of course!).

I was lead on the team that rebuilt the Cruiser that is in the museum at Puckapunyal when I was an apprentice at Chullora State Rail Authority workshops. I was first to drive it, cobbled up chrysler distributors and carbies. The dog clutch took all of your strength to activate. We delivered it to the museum and taught the army how to drive their tank :) Good times.

Very proud of this tank shows what Australians can do when the chips are down. Well done blokes!

You should see that machine gun when it gets excited...

Double 25 pounders, cue Hell March music.

Glad I watched to the end for the Fosters joke

As an Australian it feels really nice the amount of praise that David gives the Sentinel :))

If any of you ever find youeselves in Cairns Australia the Australian armour and artillery museum have 2 of these,1 in its original configuration with the 2 pounder gun and 1 which has a mock up of the 17 pounder gun

A tank with two guns is as happy as a dog with two. . . .eh . . . Sentinel machine gun ports

I always look forwards to tank chats, the reason is summed up to be the very indepth look and the amusing remarks of mr fletcher and david williey

“red back spiders crawling about in it” man i love david’s humor.

Quite a good tank, under the circumstances. If the Japanese had ever attempted an invasion, this tank would have been a major obstacle--Japanese tanks, outside of the home islands, were outdated, very lightly armored, and under-armed. The Sentinel would have made mincemeat of them.

It figures that the Australian tank would have a cod piece.

Great episode, thanks to the entire production crew.

Mr. Fletcher is such a gem. I'm really glad that these videos exist.

"Sworn to avenge, condemned to hell. Tempt not the blade, all fear THE SENTINEL"

my Uncle Fred was a gunner on the AC 1 during the war. He later moved to the Matilda for the Borneo campaigns

I understand the tactic of having ...that on the front. It makes the enemy feel awkward and run away.

The aviation industry in Australia was much the same, we basically had to build everything from scratch. it's quite remarkable. There is a early version AC 1 at a local museum near me quite a extraordinary vehicle.

What an extraordinary tank, and an extraordinary Australian engineering achievement in wartime. The Australian wartime tank-building experience was one argument for the government to heavily subsidise an indigenous car manufacturing industry after the war, as a strategic manufacturing capability. Many billions of dollars of public subsidies later, that industry is now defunct. In spite of having a far larger and more advanced economy nowadays, I doubt that Australia could manufacture a modern Main Battle Tank even if it wanted to. Australia makes some pretty good armoured motorised infantry vehicle (the Bushmaster), but a modern MBT is way out of its league to make nowadays. It just emphasises what a massive achievement the Sentinel was in its day. It’s a pity that it isn’t better known.

That obscene MG housing, he knows it... David Fletcher clearly knows it.

Impressive Aussie ingenuity.

I worked at chullora, NSW Australia, in the 70s, "where they were built", and the old "tank annex" was still in use as an traction motor "locomotives" assembly and overhaul building . Even the test ramp was there where the tanks would climb after assembly.

Tank Designers: We need a machine gun for the middle. Tank Crew: Can you make it look like a ding dong? Tank Designers: We can but it's not practical. It'll be interesting and good laugh.

Australian industrial genius that even the British hadn't solved like mounting a 17 pdr. All home made.

Good on the Aussies for getting it together and building them, even if they were not needed in the end.

WOW... That thing could mount the 17 pounder, damn thing could put a Panther or a Tiger out of action... geeezz

I am always fascinated by the possibilities of what might of happened IF ONLY WE treated the Commonwealth As equals in grace and standing

David adds so much to these videos. Cracking narration and his wicked sense of humour. Many thanks.

The *Dingo's Dong* is probably the most Australian thing about this tank.

That intro, brilliant. Once you see it, Australians have a great sense of humour.

The Australians called it the Sentinel. Mr. Fletcher calls it the Australian Cruiser And more of us call it the Australian Phallus tank or "Dickie" for short. My, how rude.

Fletcher is an absolute legend. I wrote my dissertation on 79th Armoured and knocked around the archives at Bovington in his presence, I was too shy at the time to say hello.

If you want to go waving around your military might, this tank should be your mascot.

One of the best Tank Chats yet, and for the record, Tank Chats are the best KZfaq videos of all.

Compare the AC1 to the Japanese Type 97 Chi Ha. Had they been used, the AC1s would have given the Japanese tanks a very bad time.

Sentinel is one of my fav tanks. I love its design.

Yay! for us!! [AU] There is one at The Tank Museum, Puckapunyal, Victoria, and one at The Armour and Artillery Museum, Cairns, Queensland, as well if you can't get to Bovvie...

Never mind MBE. After that joke I knight him Sir David Fletcher.

I give anything to spend the day with him walking around the museum.

I didn't know that we built a tank. I never looked into it but I've a long interest in Military. Amazing when such a relevant hole in ones knowledge is filled so quickly. Thanks to Fletcher. Timeless.

Nice One and Respect to Master Fletcher!

Mr. Fletcher is as remarkable as this tank. His way of talking is lovely.

The Aussies are VERY happy to see you.

He looks always like a slightly confused cloud.

If there are red backed spiders inside....no one dares move it !! This achievement says a lot about the British tank production policy.

You just made my Friday. Thank you very much. A most pleasant and groovy weekend to you as well.

Thank you Mr Fletcher .

Thank you.

Looks very futuristic and sleek for its time. Well done.

So this is actually a pretty darn good tank.

Well one of my favourite videos from David - such enthusiasm and dry wit.

I'm impressed. The Australians have a lot to be proud about this tank. The Australians deserve a tip of my American Ballcap and a drinking of a glass of bourbon in their honor tonight.

That double barrelled beast sent me back to Vracks....

As as Australian I can pretty much guarantee that blow machine gun shape was not an accident 😂

Wow a positive video on the Sentinel!

Whatever day: Tank Chat = Happy Day!

How can you not subscribe after watching this great guy telling in such a passionate way.

Brilliant 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👀❤️

So happy to have a new David Fletcher video despite the rude forward machine gun.

Great video thank You

Another excellent video from the Tank Museum.

What an unusual and interesting vehicle, especially that twin cannon test!

Finally! Thank you for this.

Mr Fletcher's faked naivety at the start of the video is golden. Lol.

I can never click on a David felcher video fast enough

These are actually very informative

Bloody good job for a nation's first ever attempt at a tank, I say.

That was a kind assessment. The original AC1 was built with help from Pierre but also drawing on Australian experience with British cruisers and Matilda tanks in North Africa. A cruiser 3 was even sent to Australia to study. Consequently the AC1 was a very cramped tank internally and the turret ring was much too small. Nicholas Moran had a difficult time getting through one with his 6'4 frame. However the turret ring was on a seperate casting and was soon changed to a 60 inch ring as per the ShermanTank. A new mk 3 turret was also developed. This turret had a bustle and could mount the 83mm 25 pounder (produced with a longer barrel and super charge for tank use) or the 17 pounder. At the same time, the triple engine arrangement was redesigned with triple blocks mounted around a single crank shaft becoming a 330 hp multi bank engine.(Pierre Caddilac). The hull machine gun was discontinued, the slope on the fron armour was increased and armour thickened to 75mm but typically 80 after casting. This tank became the Mk3 Thunderbold . The AC1was really nothing more than a prototype that lead to the AC3. If the USA had not been able to supply M3 grants, then the AC3 would have gone into production and AC1 hulls would have been upgraded with the bigger turrets and turret rings.

They did a good job considering where they are in the world. and the resources they had for such industry. It looks as good as any of it's peers early war. Thanks for the upload.

I love this guys knowledge combined with his opinion on tanks 👍🏽

Great video guys keep up with the great work your videos are good to watch so thankyou and your team for the great information on the tanks

The advantage of the triple engine layout is that if something goes "bang!" as tends to happen to engines during wars conducted in less mechanically sympathetic environments, you still have 2/3rds of your power available.

I'm saving up to visit this museum.

Brilliant aussie engineering, great video

Oh Fletcher. You dear man. Never stop doing the things you do.

Love the guy!!

Thanks.

Thank you. I have always had a great respect here for in NZ for Australia’s achievements with this tank. It was interesting to recently discover that the Sentinel 17 pdr technical package was given to the British, enabling them to speedily develop the Sherman Firefly conversion.

Nice. Never heard of these. Looks like a good design. A somewhat larger gun might be indicated, maybe a 57 mm or so. I bet this tank would have done well in North Africa if the Aussies had been able to take them. The water cooled MG is a good idea, in case u need to do sustained fire against infantry or bunkers. Very nice job by the Aussies. It even has certain aesthetic innovations, shall we say.

Main advantage to an indigenous design is even though you spend a lot of money on various factors, most of that money goes back into your own economy. Secondary advantage is developing skills on that field in case its necessary.

Mr. Fletcher, you are a national treasure. Thank you for giving this tank it's actual due.

love the vids keep up the good work keep them cool tanks going

The carburetors had to be imported for the USA. When the US government refused supply and sufficient and much cheaper US tanks became available Australian tank production came to an end. There is a mock AC3(17lb). A private individual purchased unused hull and turret castings. Other parts came came for used AC1 and AC3 parts and a complete tank was produced at the now defunct private Melbourne Tank museum at Narre Warren .

A rather interesting video.... One of the few I watched fully from beginning to end!!! "That's not a can of Fosters"!! That comment in it self made me donate to his Patreon acct and subscribe to his KZfaq channel. If I ever go to Australia I really want to meed this guy!!

In it's time and place a remarkable achievement. I love the twin 25 pounder variant, even if it was just a one off experiment, that would have been quite a sight to see on any battlefield.

I have a lot more respect for this outro about supporting the tank museum....not all of us have money to be able to spare for patreon.....

What a super tank , well done me old down under chums.

Brilliant

That's a pretty cool tank!