BlackTailDefense Doesn't Know Shit About Tank Design

[Alex]

The hull looks like a jacked-up Sheridan hull.

[Alex]

On 7/15/2015 at 8:26 AM, Priory_of_Sion said:

Sam Damon Jr is another name for BTD and Sparky. I would link to his amazon review page, but I have morals. 

Please show it.

[Priory_of_Sion]

16 minutes ago, Alex said:

Please show it.

https://www.amazon.com/hz/reviews-render/mobile-media-feed/B06XGMWCN7?physicalId=41qL7TadtHL&imageExtension=jpg&reviewId=R16U5OVZJSRXYR

 

this one is a good insight into sparky’s brain: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/review/0195173384/R3K3ZORNBY4OQ0?ref=pf_vv_at_pdctrvw_srp

[Lord_James]

Hmmm, “The tanks ammo is extremely large and heavy... and would probably break an autoloader” 

1. And the proposed ammunition wouldn’t also break the backs of the poor SoaB(s) having to load this gun? 
 

2. I’m just going to refer you to any ship with large caliber guns, which almost exclusively used loading assistance*, but most importantly, the 8 inch Mark 16 used on the Des Moines class, and the 6 inch Mark 16 on the Worcester. 

*Warships also have a couple other problems that required machines like ammunition elevators and rammers, that the small scale of tanks don’t have to worry about. 

[Must Be Spoon Fed]

Oh, it is that Gavin guy? I was following his writing many years ago. I disliked his writing style, because it is ranty. He tends to ramble on and on in his own thread. He puts way too much unnecessary information to his own articles, he should had taken some writing classes.

 

Though, I do not understand why he is such a polarizing individual. Sure, not all of his ideas are solid and he makes mistakes. People who tend to write a lot and say a lot tend to do most mistakes, but this is only because they have courage to go out and try. In addition, military DOES indeed suffer from itself. Its tradition prioritises brawn over intellect. It strips away individuality. It makes soldier follow the herd and inhibits free thinking. In addition, a lot of military organizations are scrapping bottom of a barrel when it comes to recruit, they lack sheer talent and in general are organizations consumed by politics and weak leaders who get their positions due to political and financial considerations rather than even merit. This is why we see so much politics and people with very questionable military experience at the very top. 

 

Military organization can differ widely in its culture and values. I do dare to think that one day military reformists like him will come to power in major country's military and will reshape itself to something new. If anything, that would see a lot of bizarre and interesting military projects getting greenlight. A lot of risky and ambitious projects would get initiated. A lot of them would fail and I'm afraid that such people would succumb to inner infighting due to their own egos. Though personally, I would see military spending A LOT more on research and development and focusing on export of vast array of military equipment while cutting down on its operational budget and its own size to compensate for this shift in priorities. 

 

Btw: After reading his tank idea I'm not sure if I was reading same guy. He had poorly edited and poorly done website with a lot of endless articles. They tended to be in general a lot more serious than this mess of a tank design. 

 

After doing more research and actually going to forum where he had proposed his idea 13 years ago, I can claim that he is just typical armchair general whose fantasy is running wild. He defends the obvious flaws in his vehicle by imaginary substances who will be as thin as an APC armor, but will provide even more armor than modern MBT. He also has a furry logo which is a sure sign of physical, mental or spiritual deformity, sometimes all of three. I had seen this type of people, their minds are sick. Their minds are a lot more active than yours or my own, but in return they can't filter themselves out. They have  a lot of energy to talk, to defend their ideas, but they can't stop and think. They are great at generating ideas, but absolutely terrible and self critique or thinking critically over what they just thought of. This is why you see such nonsensical things as tank with 6 people, having 145 howitzer which somehow is better anti tank cannon than a dedicated anti tank cannons. Can carry 85 rounds of ammunition. Whole thing is protected by imaginarium. A paper thin and feather light substance which provides immense protection which is of course superior to protection on modern day MBT. And to top if all off, such tank would weight 40 tons! I'm honestly surprised that such people even register on your radar. Why talk about and give him more publicity? Do you debunk a random idiot in youtube comment section just as harshly? Such people are just ignored and forgotten by ones above him as they are unworthy of their time and energy. 

[StrelaCarbon]

5 hours ago, Calicifer said:

Btw: After reading his tank idea I'm not sure if I was reading same guy. He had poorly edited and poorly done website with a lot of endless articles. They tended to be in general a lot more serious than this mess of a tank design. 

 

This website?

 

That article was my first encounter with Sparks btw, and I think it's just perfect. Repeat misunderstandings of the way equipment was/is designed and employed, endless use of buzzwords only Sparky and his ilk know, insisting that failed shit from the past was actually great and should be replicated today, childish insults and aspersions about actual officers, ranting and raving about moron historians who he knows so much more than, and the inexplicable pictures of women's cleavage at the bottom. But probably my favorite part is when he praises a U.S. Army turretless light tank concept from the 1930s and its creator, only to trash the medium tanks the U.S. Army actually fought the war with in the same paragraph... apparently blissfully unaware that Gladeon M. Barnes, creator of the conceptual light tank, also was heavily involved in designing the M3 Lee/Grant, M4 Sherman, and others.  

 

Try reading that article and the other ones linked in it if you want a laugh. Or a brain aneurysm. 

[DIADES]

8 hours ago, StrelaCarbon said:

This website?

wow.  OK, I quickly learned to look at the pictures which were quite interesting and not read any of the drool.  A deeply confused individual with no concept of context.  What was light pre-ww2 was equivalent to a pram in late ww2 terms and a paper cup now.  To describe a MkIV as "light" once again ignores context.

 

But, seriously, why am I wasting electrons.  It was worth a giggle, thanks

 

[Must Be Spoon Fed]

Yeah, same website. I also first encountered him there and started reading some of his better articles. I was little bit confused when reading his original forum thread on his Tigerwolf. He is by far worse there than I remember reading some of his articles. Maybe I remember him wrongly or did not knew any better as I started reading him when I started to get serious about understanding warfare. So I might not had catched on his misunderstandings. I also maybe are bit more tolerant of his nonsense and are more forwards towards putting controversial ideas into experimentation and testing. After all, I too often have highly contradictory ideas than majority of people. 

 

Overall, I view him as functional madman. He does not know what he is talking about, but in every madman there are sparks of brilliance. I tend to view his writing more as pile of garbage with some potential gems inside which more sane and constructive individual could take and develop something from it.

 

For example in this article he might have a point that MBT are too large and expensive for large scale offensive maneuvers. Try to use Abrams tanks for anything than an assault or defend. Large formation of Abrams are completely incapable of performing same kind maneuvers as Pz.2-4 did during WW2 as they would run out of fuel and logistical chain would be of absolutely terrifying proportions. Maybe for deep battle operations more economical tanks with greater autonomy and mobility are required? Like some hypothetical 50 ton design of a medium tank similar to T-90 series or beefed up Leopard 1 or TAM are required? This is why I like his considerations, he might be missing point all together with 20 ton light tanks in modern combat, but there is some truth in his ramblings.

 

Hmm, when I had skimmed through more of his article, I see that it is me making all of this in my head as I read. He provides very few actual points in his massive article. He reminds me of an autistic person. Great with details and presenting a lot of information, but that information always miss forest for the trees. It is all just misunderstandings and taking things out of context to the point you wonder how such person can function when he disagrees with practically everything one side argues in a debate. 

 

Edit: I just read linked article. It is just full of ramblings, he struggles to make a coherent point. He looks like he has rabies as he viciously attacks practically everybody. Significant portion of his article is dedicated to insulting and demeaning as many people as he can name from general groups to specific people. He also wants to remove turrets from all armored vehicles, except for Gavin of course and his precious Tigerwolf. Also his light tanks will have adequate protection to take a hit, whatever what means since Pershing in his eyes could not take a hit from German and Russian 85-88 mm caliber. So I imagine his light tanks would had been protected with carbon fibers during WW2 with 100 strength than modern composite armor and half the thickness of steel. I'm just surprised that people are paying attention to him at all, the kind thing would be to ignore madman than to laugh from him as it is just sad.

[David Moyes]

[StrelaCarbon]

Sparks is the gift that keeps on giving. I thought the whole point of bicycle infantry was that it was a cheap way of getting your troops to move faster....

 

Kinda hard to imagine the Japanese Army racing down the Malay peninsula on bicycles like they did in '42 when each of the soldiers has to tow a trailer loaded with god-knows-what. 

[ZloyKrolik]

Sparky is on World of Tanks , I've run into him a couple of times. Just as pleasant there as well. I ended up blocking him in chat.

[Lord_James]

On 7/26/2020 at 7:59 PM, StrelaCarbon said:

 

This website?

 

On 7/27/2020 at 6:39 PM, David Moyes said:

I am in physical pain 

[Alex]

One issue I have with the Tigerwolf, is that it contradicts what he has said are bad design choices, like 6 man crew, 2 loaders, new technology, fitting the largest gun possible on a chassis, etc. It makes him seem inconsistent and diminishes his argument.

[Alex]

Also, it's 1 shot every 5 seconds, not 4. 

[Alex]

I did some digging about what the "Mk 75 Tigerwolf" fires. It fires:

a training round

rocket-propelled AP round

rocket-propelled thermite round

rocket-propelled HESH

rocket-propelled WP-I

rocket-propelled grenade ammunition

canister round

flechette round

rocket-propelled grenade ammunition but anti-infantry

thermobaric round

15 kiloton nuclear round

mine-laying round

GLATGM

GLSAM

[N-L-M]

Why are you wasting time on giving Sparky the time of day

[Lord_James]

Since this thread appears to be a decent place to rag on shitty mechanized vehicle concepts, I present to you, this: 

 

 

(I found this while looking for pictures of 40mm CT ammo)
Is it 4 years old? Yes. Does that excuse it from being a subject of ridicule? No. 

[N-L-M]

Drummond is notable for being very bad at the technical side of design of armored vehicles, which contrasts strongly with how vocal he is with his opinions on the topic.

[Fareastmenace]

The main problem might be that astoundingly weak engine, 700kw for a 50t vehicle is way too low in 2020

[Toxn]

2 hours ago, N-L-M said:

Drummond is notable for being very bad at the technical side of design of armored vehicles, which contrasts strongly with how vocal he is with his opinions on the topic.

Sounds about right.

[Sturgeon]

6 hours ago, N-L-M said:

Drummond is notable for being very bad at the technical side of design of armored vehicles, which contrasts strongly with how vocal he is with his opinions on the topic.

 

the virgin monthslong SH design competitions judged by experts vs the chad outsourcing your twitter shitposts to some kid you found on the internet

[Lawrenicium]

Wasn't this the same guy who loves m113 so much because its light? He always complains about how heavy bradley or abrams is and proceeds to tell how some vietnam era patton is superior to abrams.

 

And now Im seeing him design a tank even bigger than abrams??! What even is this guy thinking. He is in conflict with himself!!!!

[Toxn]

8 hours ago, Lawrenicium said:

Wasn't this the same guy who loves m113 so much because its light? He always complains about how heavy bradley or abrams is and proceeds to tell how some vietnam era patton is superior to abrams.

 

And now Im seeing him design a tank even bigger than abrams??! What even is this guy thinking. He is in conflict with himself!!!!

He's also a nationalistic furry. Consistency is not this dude's strong suit.

[Collimatrix]

Just a reminder that Mike Spark's website is a high-level cognitohazard and should not be read without a protective layer of alcohol to prevent brain damage.