Untitled

Due to the fame of its use by the US Navy SEAL teams, the Draeger LAR-V is one of the best known 02 rebreathers manufactured. Compared to the LAR-V, little has been published about it's direct forerunner, the LAR-III. Similar in layout to the LAR-V, the LAR-III is a superb rebreather in it's own right, and is an interesting contrast to the more common edition. I have no clue as to what the LAR-IV was, if anything, but there is no doubt that this rig is the Daddy of the LAR-V!

On the bench, we open the aluminum shipping box to reveal the unit. The box has wooden blocks installed that are contoured to cradle the rebreather, and there are even stowage spaces with retaining straps to hold the hose and DSV in place. This level of attention to detail is a Draeger trademark.

Removing the rig from the box, the first major difference from the LAR-V is seen immediately: It's green, rather than the usual black that we are accustomed to see. Shown is the right side of the chassis, with the 02 contents gauge and the rig on/off valve as well as the oxygen regulator and cylinder.

In keeping with the green "Army" color scheme, the harness is found to be green cotton webbing, exactly the same as military load bearing equipment harnesses for carrying ammunition, etc. It's obvious that this is a strictly military rig. This is the back of the chassis, as would be against the divers chest.

The first order of business is to remove the harness. This is attached with very neat plug-in clips at four points on the chassis. You simply push the black button on the attachment bracket like a small seat-belt release and remove the harness. This is a nicer system than the LAR-V, in my estimation.

Here is the harness laid on the bench. In contrast to the LAR-V, this harness actually takes the weight of the rig from the divers neck while standing pre-dive. It's really a superior system and I wonder why it was changed on the later model.

Color coding the gas hose connections is nothing new for Draeger. This is the exhaust hose being removed from the counterlung attachment port. The same color coding may be found on the latest Draeger designs. The coding runs like this: Red = Port and Green = Starboard, just like ship running-lights! So, the Red hoses will always be on the left, and the green on the right. I had thought that red was for 'dirty' gas, but it isn't so. This is a rare bit of Draeger trivia.

The hose and DSV set is typical of 02 rebreathers. The DSV is made from a heavy-duty plastic material and is virtually identical to the latest LAR-V DSV.

Flapper valves are internal rubber mushroom types. They are easy to service. My rig came with a spare set, which is good since the originals were rotten.

With the hoses removed, we can look at the outside of the rig. Here, again, is the left side. In the center of the divers chest is the manual addition valve. One major difference from the LAR-V is the addition of a totally separate on/off valve. The LAR-V uses the cylinder valve for on/off, the LAR-III has both the cylinder valve and the main rig valve. No clue why they thought you would need two valves.

Another difference is the location of the 02 pressure gauge. On the LAR-V it's on the top where a diver can "almost" read it underwater. On the LAR-III it's on the side. Carry a mirror......

On the bottom of the rig you can see the saddle where the 02 bottle attaches. The two slots allow the rubber strap attached to the scrubber to be used to retain the cylinder in place.

Flipping up the counterlung, we can see the method of securing the cylinder and scrubber. The counterlung is kept from flapping outside the chassis by the use of two pins in the chassis that are placed through two small holes punched into the skirt of the counterlung. This is a simple and reliable retention system. Here a look can be had of the system for cylinder retention as well.

Unscrewing the hose from the auto-add valve port to the counterlung reveals the auto-add valve (center). This is just a simple tilt-valve SCUBA second stage, and the external purge-button is the manual add valve. It is virtually identical to that found on the LAR-V. The corrugated hose is the feed from the scrubber to the inhale hose connection port.

Two more threaded connectors (inhale and exhaust hose ports) and the counterlung may be removed.

On the red color-coded exhaust port, you can see the internal anti-collapse spring. This is a typical Draeger feature.

On the left is the LAR-III counterlung, and on the right is the LAR-V counterlung. Not a lot of difference, is there?

Here is a better view of the auto-add valve. You can actually see the internal diaphragm and the tilt-valve lever if you peer into the hole where the counterlung attaches. I'm holding the hose that connects the inhale port to the counterlung. At top right is the back of the 02 pressure gauge.

This is a detail of the back of the pressure gauge, as well as the intermediate-pressure line running from the external regulator to the auto-add valve. The internal plumbing is stainless steel.

The scrubber is a simple axial-flow design, of cylindrical section. it is manufactured from aluminum alloy and is well made. The rugged strap is passed through the two chassis-slots to retain both the cylinder and the scrubber to the chassis.

Loosening the nut on the scrubber we can see that the top removes, revealing a spring-loaded screen to keep the scrubber media tightly packed.

Here's a better view of the end-cap of the scrubber. The system is identical to the newer fiberglass scrubber found on the LAR-V.

This shows how the cylinder and scrubber are retained. The chassis has slots, as noted, that the rubber passes through. The feet on the scrubber match the contour of the bottle, and the bottom of the chassis is similarly contoured. The chassis bottom simply is sandwiched between the scrubber and the cylinder, this attaching both.

The cylinder gives us the date of the rig: 1964. The bottle is rated at 200 BAR, with a 300 BAR proof test.

The cylinder is slightly longer and slightly thinner than the ones found on the LAR-V. I find that this bottle actually balances the rig better in the water as well.

The final mystery was how to fill it. The filler port is not the same as that found on my LAR-V. I almost panicked, until I found out that it is the exact same filling port as is used on my Russian AKA-60 cylinders! So, I had an adapter in-hand and was able to service the rig right up. That little problem solved, this is a fully operable rig that has some slight differences from the LAR-V. With the better harness and the better balanced cylinder, I actually prefer it to the LAR-V. The only disadvantage is the placement of the gauge, but I could never really read it on the LAR-V in the water anyhow.

That's it! This rig is a prized addition to the collection here, as it shows that a good design does not need to be changed to keep it top-line. The only changes between this and the LAR-V are for economy of production, nothing more. This one is a keeper!

	On the bench, we open the aluminum shipping box to reveal the unit. The box has wooden blocks installed that are contoured to cradle the rebreather, and there are even stowage spaces with retaining straps to hold the hose and DSV in place. This level of attention to detail is a Draeger trademark.
	Removing the rig from the box, the first major difference from the LAR-V is seen immediately: It's green, rather than the usual black that we are accustomed to see. Shown is the right side of the chassis, with the 02 contents gauge and the rig on/off valve as well as the oxygen regulator and cylinder.
	In keeping with the green "Army" color scheme, the harness is found to be green cotton webbing, exactly the same as military load bearing equipment harnesses for carrying ammunition, etc. It's obvious that this is a strictly military rig. This is the back of the chassis, as would be against the divers chest.
	The first order of business is to remove the harness. This is attached with very neat plug-in clips at four points on the chassis. You simply push the black button on the attachment bracket like a small seat-belt release and remove the harness. This is a nicer system than the LAR-V, in my estimation.
	Here is the harness laid on the bench. In contrast to the LAR-V, this harness actually takes the weight of the rig from the divers neck while standing pre-dive. It's really a superior system and I wonder why it was changed on the later model.
	Color coding the gas hose connections is nothing new for Draeger. This is the exhaust hose being removed from the counterlung attachment port. The same color coding may be found on the latest Draeger designs. The coding runs like this: Red = Port and Green = Starboard, just like ship running-lights! So, the Red hoses will always be on the left, and the green on the right. I had thought that red was for 'dirty' gas, but it isn't so. This is a rare bit of Draeger trivia.
	The hose and DSV set is typical of 02 rebreathers. The DSV is made from a heavy-duty plastic material and is virtually identical to the latest LAR-V DSV.
	Flapper valves are internal rubber mushroom types. They are easy to service. My rig came with a spare set, which is good since the originals were rotten.
	With the hoses removed, we can look at the outside of the rig. Here, again, is the left side. In the center of the divers chest is the manual addition valve. One major difference from the LAR-V is the addition of a totally separate on/off valve. The LAR-V uses the cylinder valve for on/off, the LAR-III has both the cylinder valve and the main rig valve. No clue why they thought you would need two valves.
	Another difference is the location of the 02 pressure gauge. On the LAR-V it's on the top where a diver can "almost" read it underwater. On the LAR-III it's on the side. Carry a mirror......
	On the bottom of the rig you can see the saddle where the 02 bottle attaches. The two slots allow the rubber strap attached to the scrubber to be used to retain the cylinder in place.
	Flipping up the counterlung, we can see the method of securing the cylinder and scrubber. The counterlung is kept from flapping outside the chassis by the use of two pins in the chassis that are placed through two small holes punched into the skirt of the counterlung. This is a simple and reliable retention system. Here a look can be had of the system for cylinder retention as well.
	Unscrewing the hose from the auto-add valve port to the counterlung reveals the auto-add valve (center). This is just a simple tilt-valve SCUBA second stage, and the external purge-button is the manual add valve. It is virtually identical to that found on the LAR-V. The corrugated hose is the feed from the scrubber to the inhale hose connection port.
	Two more threaded connectors (inhale and exhaust hose ports) and the counterlung may be removed.
	On the red color-coded exhaust port, you can see the internal anti-collapse spring. This is a typical Draeger feature.
	On the left is the LAR-III counterlung, and on the right is the LAR-V counterlung. Not a lot of difference, is there?
	Here is a better view of the auto-add valve. You can actually see the internal diaphragm and the tilt-valve lever if you peer into the hole where the counterlung attaches. I'm holding the hose that connects the inhale port to the counterlung. At top right is the back of the 02 pressure gauge.
	This is a detail of the back of the pressure gauge, as well as the intermediate-pressure line running from the external regulator to the auto-add valve. The internal plumbing is stainless steel.
	The scrubber is a simple axial-flow design, of cylindrical section. it is manufactured from aluminum alloy and is well made. The rugged strap is passed through the two chassis-slots to retain both the cylinder and the scrubber to the chassis.
	Loosening the nut on the scrubber we can see that the top removes, revealing a spring-loaded screen to keep the scrubber media tightly packed.
	Here's a better view of the end-cap of the scrubber. The system is identical to the newer fiberglass scrubber found on the LAR-V.
	This shows how the cylinder and scrubber are retained. The chassis has slots, as noted, that the rubber passes through. The feet on the scrubber match the contour of the bottle, and the bottom of the chassis is similarly contoured. The chassis bottom simply is sandwiched between the scrubber and the cylinder, this attaching both.
	The cylinder gives us the date of the rig: 1964. The bottle is rated at 200 BAR, with a 300 BAR proof test.
	The cylinder is slightly longer and slightly thinner than the ones found on the LAR-V. I find that this bottle actually balances the rig better in the water as well.
	The final mystery was how to fill it. The filler port is not the same as that found on my LAR-V. I almost panicked, until I found out that it is the exact same filling port as is used on my Russian AKA-60 cylinders! So, I had an adapter in-hand and was able to service the rig right up. That little problem solved, this is a fully operable rig that has some slight differences from the LAR-V. With the better harness and the better balanced cylinder, I actually prefer it to the LAR-V. The only disadvantage is the placement of the gauge, but I could never really read it on the LAR-V in the water anyhow.