The Preliminary T-72ology Thread

[CrashbotUS]

Everything was a T-72 to us. 

[Collimatrix]

Perhaps some T-72s had similar Al₂O₃ to T-64s?

 

Someone is going to need to make a big freaking chart of post T-62 tanks, because they're goddamn confusing.

 

Two similar looking tanks could have completely different engines, armor and fire control systems.

 

But be about the same weight and practically indistinguishable at a distance.

[Thomascic]

Moving this into the armory to keep the focus on OLTR production, review, improvement, updates, etc. in the Paintball Talk thread.

[Sturgeon]

I dunno what that means, so if you can post something that doesn't sound like a viagra ad, we'll keep you. Otherwise to any degree, be banished ye foul spawn of satan!

[Bronezhilet]

Well, you gotta admit, "sturgeonshouse.ipbhost.com" sounds really similar to "www.automags.org", doesn't it?

[Tied]

and i thought i was the only guy who went around creating t-72 threads left and right in random forums

[Khand-e]

Everything was a T-72 to us. 

 

EVERY GERMAN SOVIET TANK WAS A TIGER T-72!

[Tied]

[SuperComrade]

[Vasily Krysov]

http://thesovietarmourblog.blogspot.ru/2015/05/t-72-soviet-progeny.html

 

Only just found this and seems to be a very good write up so far.

 

Edit: nah fuck dat this is a fantastic resource. Shit, it would probably be a good introduction to newbies about cold war tanks as it goes into great detail about all kind of things like APDS vs APFSDS, NERA mechanics and etc. It's amazingly comprehensive, feels better than Zaloga's books honestly.

[Collimatrix]

 

This is Object 167M, which is essentially half way between a T-62 and a T-72.  You can see that it has a very T-72-like suspension, with six large road wheels but also return rollers.  You can also see that it has some sort of early composite armor, and the Uralvagonzavod autoloader with the propellant and projectile stored parallel to each other.

 

But you can also see that it still has the straight hull bottom of the T-62, and it still has the T-62's absolutely enormous turret ring (fun fact: the T-62 has a larger turret ring diameter than an M103).  It doesn't have T-72's rangefinder either.  I suspect that the driver is still off to the side of the hull, as it is in the Object 167 (which is the same thing sans autoloader and composite armor):

[Zyklon]

This is a picture of a T-72 obr. 1985 glacis (taken from tankograd) and i want to ask

 

 

 

 

[Zyklon]

Why is there a "tube" located in the frontal armour, and what purpose does it have?

 

T-72 obr. 1985 glacis (taken from https://thesovietarmourblog.blogspot.co.at/2015/05/t-72-soviet-progeny.html).

 

 

 

[SH_MM]

It is the cable for the headlights.