The AFV No.32 commander's periscope
The commander cupola carries three AFV No.32 periscopes for closed down driving.
Commander's periscopes.
Three periscopes are mounted side by side on the commander's cupola. The outer periscopes have fixed positions but the middle periscope is capable of limited movement in the vertical plane.
How to remove and refit your commander's periscope.
The procedure for removing and replacing the commander's periscope is nice and simple, just unscrew the knurled screw in the supporting bracket under the periscope. Support the periscope, swing the bracket inwards and lower the periscope.
A bit about the wipers.
A window is mounted on the periscope guard to cover the object glass of the left periscope. The window has a wiper operated by a flexible cable and torsion spring acting on the spindle of the wiper arm.
To operate the wiper pull down the handle of the flexible cable then release it. The wiper arm returns under the action of the torsion spring.
Looking after your periscopes.
Clean the inside of the periscope aperature and wipe with a lightly oiled clean cloth. Any mud or dirt accumalated on the periscope glass should be washed of with water, and dried. Don't remove mud when it is dry as this will scratch the lens.
Another tip, if possible avoid storing the periscopes in situ, in the vehicle. Due to the body of the periscope being aluminum and the hatch steel, they can react against each other and cause the periscope to corrode in place. This may result in the persicope being unable to be removed without damaging it. See the last picture a clever way to blank the driver's periscope aperature, as seen on a fv434 that was waiting for disposal.
