Spectrum Pursuit Vehicle
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(29 September 1967)
| Spectrum Pursuit Vehicle | |
|---|---|
| Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons vehicle | |
 | |
| First appearance | "The Mysterons" (29 September 1967) |
| Information | |
| Affiliation | Spectrum Organisation |
| Auxiliary vehicles | Removable power pack (converts into a jet pack or other equipment)[1][2] |
| General characteristics | |
| Armaments | Rocket launcher, laser cannon, electrode ray cannon[3] |
| Defences | Bulletproof chassis[3] |
| Maximum speed | On land: 200 or 250 miles per hour (320 or 400 km/h)[1][2][4] On water: 50 knots (93 km/h; 58 mph)[2][4] |
| Propulsion | Twin turbo jets (on water)[3] |
| Power | Hydrogenic electric fuel cells Removable power pack Auxiliary batteries[1][2][3] |
| Mass | 8 tons[4] |
| Length | 25 feet (7.6 m)[2][3][4] |
| Width | 8 feet (2.4 m)[2][4] |
The Spectrum Pursuit Vehicle (SPV) is a fictional pursuit and attack vehicle featured in the 1960s science fiction television series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons.[5] Mass-produced for the Spectrum Organisation to counter Mysteron attacks against Earth, SPVs possess rocket launchers and directed-energy weapons and form the backbone of Spectrum ground forces.
Designed by Derek Meddings from an outline by series creators Gerry and Sylvia Anderson, the vehicle has drawn comment for its incorporation of backwards-facing seats, a decision that Gerry Anderson later regretted as it proved confusing to viewers.
In 2002, series co-creator Gerry Anderson explained how the vehicle's safety features were borne out of his "preoccupation" – demonstrated in various aspects of Captain Scarlet – "with things not being what they seemed ...With a flick of a switch the walls of these buildings would collapse to reveal this astonishing vehicle inside. I knew kids would find that exciting."[6] He quickly regretted his decision to make the seats rear-facing, commenting: " ... we began to realise that the audience was going to say, 'Why are these people facing backwards?' So we wrote an explanation into the first script. Then I realised that not everyone would have seen that episode so we had to put explanations in again and again."[6]
There were moves afoot to have rear-facing seats in airliners. In the event of a crash-landing the passengers would be forced into their seats as the plane decelerated, as opposed to being hurled forwards ... I thought, 'I'll be very smart here and on this futuristic SPV we'll have seats facing backwards'.
The SPV was designed by special effects director Derek Meddings based on a brief description given in the Andersons' original script for the first episode, which specified only that the SPV was a high-speed armoured vehicle with reversed seating (and therefore no windscreen), running on a removable "lightweight power unit".[8][9][10] Noting that the occupants faced backward and viewed the road through a TV monitor, Meddings said that "all [this] meant to me was that I could design the vehicle without windows."[11] For added realism, these were replaced with grilles and air vents.[12]
To fulfil his vision of a "menacing, shark-like" assault vehicle, Meddings added a tail fin to the design.[12] He also incorporated a broad front bumper, intended to be shock-absorbent, and five pairs of wheels (in two sizes), as he thought that vehicles with a large number of wheels "looked more interesting on screen."[12] He said that he was pleased with the SPV design because he believed that it "could be filmed from any angle".[13]
Several filming models were built. They were made of either balsa or hardwood in a range of scales, the largest being 24 inches (61 cm) long.[8]
Depiction
Spectrum's main armoured land vehicle, the SPV is an amphibious, all-terrain machine that can be driven in extreme environments as well as in cities. It is 25 feet (7.6 m) long and has a maximum speed of either 200 or 250 miles per hour (320 or 400 km/h) on land.[1][2][4][14] It is fitted with five pairs of wheels (the three over the front, middle and rear axles constituting the main drive), with additional traction for mountainous environments provided by rear-mounted, hydraulically lowered caterpillar tracks.
Within the hermetically sealed cabin, the driver, co-driver and a passenger are seated backwards, facing the rear, to reduce the possibility of injury in the event of a crash. The driver is aided by a video monitor displaying vertically-flopped front and rear views. The SPV is armed with a front-mounted rocket launcher, housed underneath a foldaway panel, and is also equipped with a radar system and ejector seats. The hydrogenic power unit can be removed and re-assembled as a personal jet pack or other devices of comparable size, components for which are stored in the vehicle's rear compartment.
SPVs are distributed worldwide and are requisitioned from disguised buildings and other structures, guarded by undercover operatives. A Spectrum agent can access an SPV only upon presenting his or her identification.
