TerraN_EmpirE
Tyrant King
budget, Old tanks don't grow on trees.
Effectiveness of Wheeled ATGMs carriers
- Thread starter Vanguard1688
- Start date
As an automotive engineer, i would not totally agree. Multiple wheel vehicles are awfully complex. An eight wheeler with all wheel drive, fully independent suspension and 4 wheel or 8 wheel turning... Is 7 set of limited slip differential, 16 wishbones, 8 brake assembly and 2 or 4 steering assembly. Now... Try to fix mine damage...
An tracked vehicle, is only a pair of drive spocket, a pair of brakes and the wheel set. It is actually mechanically simpler.
A half track, is somewhere in the middle, but you can simplify the track steering by using older system like brake steering instead of eclipsical planatary steering systems used in modern tanks.
With a half track you don't need to steer with tracks at all if the length of ground contact of tracks are moderate, like US style half tracks. You just need a differential for the track drive, and normal steering with the steerable front wheels.
Richard, what I mean is it can be as complicated and as simple as you want it. if I recall correctly M3 used the steering wheel to turn the front wheels and the rear tracks are disengaged with a clutch on the side it it turning into. i.e. it is a powered turn in.
German Skdfz 250 series used braking of the inner track to assist in a turn. sdkfz 6 was basically a tank's steering gears with elliptical gear set -IIRC.
But we need to remember that tank steering can be as simple as brake / clutch steering as per the T34 as well, so it can also be retardedly simple. the simplist half track will be more complicated than the simplest full track. what is the minimal simplicity bearable for half tracks or full tracks is up for debate.
It's definately a HEAT round. You can see the molten copper jet on the right on the second gif.