Sturgeon

GDLS UK has announced that it will be providing verbal evidence to the Defence Select Committee on July 20. Also released ahead of the testimony is their written evidence: https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/37866/html/
 
At this rate my suspicion is that in short order, this will be the case because nobody sane will want anything to do with British cavalry scout vehicle programs after this.

That's actually not the case, the nomenclature he's using is distinctly Nazi, not just German:



I am not the foremost expert on German armored vehicles, but I am not aware of any post-war tanks using this designation system. This makes sense because, you know, the Nazi tank design bureaus were liquidated and sent to France. A domestic armored vehicle wouldn't be created in Germany until the 1950s, and by a completely different group of people. The nomenclature, understandably, didn't survive this transition.

As for why I'm prodding him about it, I want to see how far he's willing to take this. We've got a German nomenclature system that was extinct in 1945 which has somehow time-traveled to 2247, and spatially across the Atlantic. This is very interesting! The explanation is of course that delete is an inveterate wehraboo who can't pull his head out of his ass, but I'm highly amused that he doesn't even have a compelling conceit for this. It's just "tanks get Nazi designations". Because of course they do, in his mind. (They also get interleaved roadwheels, for the same reason.) The Texas-German thing was an obvious copout (nevermind that Texas-Germans have different vocabulary - all of their machine-words are English loans - since it comes from peasantry that were imported in the mid-19th Century, 100 years before Nazi Germany existed).

I don't remember who suggested that he ought to just say "wehraboos still exist in 2247" as his answer, but I liked that one. It would have made me laugh.

 

I'm not sure where the "racism" came from, unless Nazi's are a race? Highly doubt it, but if you think any of us are being racist towards Germans, we're not. 
 
 
Anyway, I added pictures and some more data on the Brahman. She's overweight and underpowered, but the armor is amazing. Dont know how much I can get done: never got this far so I dont know what I'm doing and I am disorganized. 

So firstly, yikes (context to follow).
 
Secondly, in case you're confused about the rather critical eye we're casting on your no-doubt sincere bit of worldbuilding: we're an old forum by internet standards, tracing our way back, if not to the Sumerian era of usenet groups or the Assyrian era of blogs-turned-forums, then to the classical era of the 2010s. So we've seen some cycles recur. And one of those cycles, analogous to the friendly Nazi problem that bars deal with (only more cringey and sad than disgusting), is the friendly wehraboo problem.
 
You see, they always start friendly - just asking questions, just wanting to air their legitimate love of technology and design independent of the political nastiness that surrounded it. And it always ends in a welter of "which German tank ace would look the hottest as an anime princess" posts. So when some unfortunate soul comes in just asking questions and wanting to air their legitimate love of technology etc etc, we tend to stare hard and long at the underlying dynamics of the situation.
 
Because nobody wants to have to clean up the shit that wehraboos excrete once they congregate in any numbers.
 
 

FINAL SUBMISSION:
XG-48E3 Comanche Battle-cruiser
 

 




 
 
 
 
Table of basic statistics:
Parameter
Value
Mass, combat (armor)
124,450 lbs (59,950 lbs armor)
Length, combat (transport)
31.7 ft (25.6 ft)
Width, combat (transport)
12.1 ft (12.0 ft)
Height, combat (transport)
8.8 ft (8.3 ft)
Ground Pressure, zero penetration
1,795 psf
Estimated Speed
50 mph
Estimated range
500 mi
Crew, number (roles)
4 (Commander, Gunner, Loader, Driver)
Main armament, caliber (ammo count ready/stowed)
40 rds 5in/24 (33 in turret bustle rack, 7 in ready rack)
Secondary armament, caliber (ammo count ready/stowed)
1,200 rds .50 caliber, 10,000 rds .30 caliber, 3,000 rds .40 cal ammunition

Vehicle designer's notes:

The XG-48E3 Comanche is a Battle-cruiser-class heavy tracked truck ("tank") with powerful armament, resilient armor, and a high degree of mobility and range. Comanche was designed around a "fightability philosophy" in which tanks are seen as an extension of the fighting man and must permit as much as possible the operators to conduct their mission without interference. Comanche sports a powerful 5in-24 XG-47E5 cannon firing armor-piercing flechette (APF), high explosive anti-truck (HEAT), and high explosive (HE) rounds. Comanche's armor is resistant to next-generation flechette rounds likely under development by near-peer adversary states like California and Cascadia. Comanche is provided with a generous 1,200 horsepower motor which gives it a power to weight ratio of 19.4 hp/t, well in excess of requirements. Comanche is built to be upgraded, and can be augmented with a variety of improved armor, gun, engine, and fire control packages as needed.
 
Vehicle feature list:
Mobility:
1.     Link to Appendix 1 - RFP spreadsheet, colored to reflect achieved performance.
2.     Engine- Carrolton AER V-12 diesel, 2,850 cu in, 1,200 hp, liquid cooled. (Comparable to MB MTU 873)
3.     Transmission - Hydromechanical power shift, reversing and steering fully and semiautomatic transmission with four forward and four reverse gears, mounted directly to the engine via integral torque converter. (Comparable to HSWL 354)
4.     Fuel - Diesel, 482 gallons in two tanks alongside driver in front, 145 gallons in two tanks below engine in rear; 683 miles range.
5.     Sand scrubbers, filters, cleaners, blowers, etc. Powerpack can be removed from rear with crane.
6.     Suspension - Independent externally dual-coil sprung single-wheel bogies, 7 per side, 14 inches wheel travel from neutral, 8 inches extension (22 inches total travel), 18.2 inches ground clearance.
Survivability:
1.     Link to Appendix 1 - RFP spreadsheet, colored to reflect achieved performance.
2.     Link to Appendix 2 - armor array details.
3.     Protection for Comanche is rated for 13 inches (3BM6+) throughout the +20/-20 degree frontal arc with very minimal weakspots (slits, etc) only. At any place on the tank 90 degrees to the side, it will repel the Mormon 6" HEAT weapon. Coincidentally, as a byproduct of a weight-saving and turret-balancing measure, the turret will also repel the 6" HEAT weapon from the rear. Roof is rated for plunging fire. Bottom armor is rated at 1.25" RHAe vs mines and blast. As qualified tankers are in short supply in the Lone Free State, great consideration was given to crew safety, and the ability for crew to swiftly evacuate a damaged tank if necessary. Ammunition is stored in a separate compartment in the turret, and if hit, two large blowoff panels will vent the pressure from that compartment before that pressure can damage the firewall to the crew compartment. Two large hatches are provided for the commander, gunner, and loader (the commander and gunner share a hatch), both of which are fully spring-assisted and easy to open. The driver is provided with a generous hatch which is heavily armored, and is also considerably spring assisted. It tilts, and then rotates away for easy egress. The driver can egress the vehicle with the turret in any position. The driver is also protected by two large tanks of diesel fuel with a capacity of 241 gallons each. These tanks cover the entirety of the driver to each side, giving him considerable additional protection.

Image of the XG-48E3 Comanche with the outer armor panels made transparent, showing the sophisticated NERA arrays.
Firepower:
A.    Weapons:
1.     Link to Appendix 1 - RFP spreadsheet, colored to reflect achieved performance.
2.     Main Weapon-
a.      XG-47E5 autofrettaged smoothbore load-assisted cannon with horizontally-sliding breech
b.     5in/24 L/45
c.      XG-147J 15:1 L:D Armor Piercing Flechette, 530mm+ RHA penetration at 2,000 yd, XG-147H High Explosive Anti-Truck, 
d.     40 rds (33 in turret bustle rack, 7 in ready rack)
e.      FCS - relevant systems, relevant sights for operating the weapon and so on.
f.      Neat features.
3.     Coaxial armament consists of 1x .30 caliber G-17A5T machine gun and 1x .50 caliber G-19A2T machine gun, which are slaved to the main gun. Independent armament consists of 1 additional G-17A5 and 1 additional G-19A2 machine gun, and 2 dual close-in .40 caliber G-346E1 machine guns. Ammunition stowage is 1,200 rounds of .50 caliber ammunition, 10,000 rounds of .30 caliber ammunition, and 6,000 rounds of .40 caliber ammunition.
4.     Link to Appendix 3
B.    Optics:
1.     The gunner is provided with a fully stabilized 2.5-21x disturbed reticle main gunsight equipped with a laser range-finder and engageable night vision system. A simple lens with a stadia reticle is provided, which can be engaged if other systems fail. The reticle on the primary optic automatically adjusts for the selected ammunition type, and for expected wind drift and drop at range. No further sight adjustment is required once the gunner has lased the target, he simply puts the dot on the target and fires.
2.     Due to the advanced nature of the laser range-finding system, a backup optical range-finder system is provided mounted to the roof of the XG-47E3's turret. This system triangulates the distance from the target in a manner similar to human depth perception, but many times more precise. It is also fully stabilized.

C.    FCS:
1.     The commander is provided with a 360-degree vision cupola with eight all around periscopes which allow him to detect targets at any angle from the vehicle. These periscopes are also night-vision compatible. He is also provided with his Commander's Independent Gun Sight (CIGS) which is a 360-degree rotatable gun-sight that allows him to lase and engage targets at any distance. He is provided with the capability to automatically slave the rest of the turret to the target lased with the CIGSs, which gives the Comanche the ability to rapidly engage targets even in different locations requiring considerable rotation of the turret.
2.     Link to Appendix 3
Fightability:
1.     According to the "fightability philosophy", Comanche's fighting space was developed first, before any armor arrays were laid out or any turret weldment drawings created. Instead, the Ordnance Authority's 5in-24 gun, ammunition, ammo rack, and all the internal systems, controls, and all other things in the turret were mocked up out of cardboard, toilet paper tubes, and paper mache, and placed around a working test crew of G-12 drivers from Albuquerque. Special care was taken to listen to this crew and to incorporate this feedback into the layout and design of the tank. For instance, although Comanche is designed to operate normally with a loader, the loader's job is so reduced (at their request!) that it is entirely possible for the tank commander to perform all loading functions with minimal distraction and reduction in rate of fire. This is possible because all ammunition selection and ramming functions are automated, and because all of the loader's controls are placed within easy reach of both him and the commander. More details on this arrangement are given in Appendix 3. This arrangement was used to perform fightability experiments and once these were complete and conclusions about control and equipment placement were drawn, a cardboard shell was constructed around the compartment and fightability validation tests carried out. This resulted in an internal "shell" onto which outer armor arrays were built up.
 
Additional Features:
Automatic fire suppression system, individual wet ammunition storage, a water cooler, ramen boiler, it slices, it dices, it pulverizes! Other buzzwords!
 
Free expression zone: 
 
 
In loving memory of former Head Designer Juan Taylor:



He's not dead, he's just really unhappy.

Persson Engineering Solutions and Brewing, Main Battle Tank, MBT-01, "Gigan"
FINAL





Table of basic statistics:
Parameter
Value
Mass, combat
82 tonnes/180779 lbs
Length, combat (transport)
Hull 26.25 ft. Total 37.15 ft (to gun crown at 0°)
Width, combat (transport)
13.091 ft
Height, combat (transport)
Turret Roof 7.111 ft. Maximum permanent height 7.718 ft (to highest permanently fixed feature.) Total height 10.281 ft (to top removable feature)
Ground Pressure, zero penetration
1967 psf
Estimated Speed
40-43 mph
Estimated range
470 miles (38 mph on road)
Crew, number (roles)
3 (driver, gunner, commander)
Main armament, caliber (ammo count ready/stowed)
5" L50 rifled gun. 42 rounds total (18 in autoloader, 24 in 4x6 hull storage bins)
Secondary armament, caliber (ammo count ready/stowed)
5 machine-guns, 4 being independently moved: 2X.50" HMG (1 coaxial, 1 for commander.) 3X.30" GPMG (1 on commander's periscope, 1 for gunner, 1 on the bustle for dismount troops.) 1000 rounds for each HMG, 2000 rounds for each GPMG
Vehicle designer’s notes: explain the thought process behind the design of the vehicle, ideas, and the development process from the designer’s point of view.
Vehicle feature list:
Mobility:
1.     Link to Appendix 1 - RFP spreadsheet, colored to reflect achieved performance.
2.     Engine: Turbo Diesel V12, 2904 cu in, similar to the old MB 873 found in the archives of the pre-happening world. Rated for 1500 to 1800 HP. Longitudinally mounted on the rear. Liquid cooled, heat exchangers located under the engine bay cover.
3.     Transmission: Double differential, 10 speeds (5 forward, 5 in reverse), neutral steering capable. Similar to the RENK HSWL 295TM found on the archives of the pre-happening world. Transversely mounted on the rear.
4.     Fuel: Diesel, or kerosene, jet-fuel or bio sourced analogue, or any high cetane number fuel given correct tuning and adequate lubrication properties. 680.50721 US and A imperial Gallons, in 4 internal tanks. Provision for extra fuel tanks inside the bottom double hull at the user's discretion (normally no installed.)
5.     Other neat features in the engine bay.
6.     Suspension: "Dumb" hydro-pneumatic suspension, suspension elements located on housing units bolted externally to the sides of the hulls and connected to the suspension arms via a gearing system, this is done in order to reduce the unsprung mass of the suspension as well as to reduce the size of the arms, keep the hydro-pneumatic elements further away from obstacles while still keeping replacement and field service easy. 14 sprung road wheels, 2 idler/track tensioner wheels on the front, 2 driving sprockets on the rear, 14 return rollers.
Survivability:
1.     Link to Appendix 1 - RFP spreadsheet, colored to reflect achieved performance.
2.     Link to Appendix 2 - armor array details.
3.     Non-specified survivability:
                  a. The rear hull ammo stowage units are located in water tanks, containing 56.5 gallons of water each, those can double as energy replenishment for the heat exchanger of the engine, or for emergency drinking water for the crew.
                  b. The backup shared optical range finder allows for the commander to fire the gun in case the gunner is unable to do so
                  c. Turret features a large cargo rack that allows for more than enough capacity for pioneering equipment, camping equipment, crew belonging, extra equipment like smoke grenade launchers, add-on/ad-hoc spaced armor, spare parts, or a place for dismounted troops to do things.
                  d. Tank is equipped with two long range radios and two large antennas, guaranteeing redundancy and simultaneous communication with other tanks and a base for example.
                  e. The crew compartment in the turret is set up as low as possible in the hull, with the commander and gunner siting in a semi-reclined position.
                  f. Turret crew compartment is separated on the middle by the gun compartment, with armored bulkheads on both side, with a interconnected part on the front of the compartment. This allows for redundancy of the crew and the change that a side penetration will not kill/incapacitate the whole turret crew.
                  g. The diver is surrounded by large fuel tanks on both sides, adding an extra layer of protection.
                  h. The turret is a combination of the "cleft" and "wedge" concepts, it offer a very low silhouette in normal conditions and the angled roof further reduces the silhouette in a hull down position with the front raised. Due to the aforementioned separated gun compartment a dead-on penetration of the mantle, while obviously a mission-kill event, will probably not affect the crew.
                  I. The turret can be rotated electrically or manually by all 3 crew members. This is to extend the fighting endurance in case of the loss of crew and systems, and to allow the possibility of the driver to escape from his main hatch.
Firepower:
A.    Weapons:
1.     Link to Appendix 1 - RFP spreadsheet, colored to reflect achieved performance.
2.     Main Weapon: 1X Modified Co-Developed G46 gun
a.      Type: Rifled, L51 automatic loading.
b.      Caliber: 5"x33" Texan (127x840mm), unitary, steel non combustible case. Provision for future semi combustible unitary cases.
c.      ammunition types and performance: APDS (24" of RHA penetration at muzzle), HE (175.45 oz of composition B explosive), HEAT (15.75" of RHA penetration), experimental APFSDS.
 

Above, ballistic data for the APDS round.

Above: Detail of the APDS, it's a capped DU penetrator with a ballistic cap and wobble cap (also DU), in an aluminum sabot.

Above: Penetration data for the APDS

Above: Detail of the HEAT, high pressure.

Above, detail of the HE munition.
 
d.     Ammo stowage arrangement: 42 rounds total. Primary/ready stowage, 18 rounds in belt type auto-loader on bustle, selectable ammo and capable of changing/unloading rounds, capable of being internally re-stocked from both the commander and gunner postions. Secondary stowage, 24 rounds in 4X6 sealed bins, two in front and to the sides of the turret basket inside the fuel tanks, two on the sides and rear of the turret basket inside water tanks. Primary stowage has blow-off panels on the roof and blast door separation it from the crew compartment. Secondary stowage is in individualized sealed bins surrounded by fluid.
e.      FCS: Primary FCS: Ballistic computer connected to active 2 axis stabilizer, laser range finder, day gunner sight and IR gunner sight, automatically adjust elevation and point of impact after a range measure is "locked". Secondary FCS: Gun Slaved to backup optical range finder
f.      Neat features: Muzzle Brake, provision for extra coaxial MG, or optic sight, insulation thermal sleeve, growth potential.
3.     Secondary weapon: 3x GPMG, .30 caliber, one on the gunner's cupola track, one in a the rear bustle for dismounted troops, one remote controlled on commander's periscope/panoramic sight. 2x HMG, .50 caliber, one coaxial on the main gun mantled, one on the commander's cupola track. Exact gun type and total number installed varies and is up to the user. This is more to exemplify the total installation points.
            a. Type: HMG DShk or M2 or similar. GPMG M240 or similar type.
            b. Caliber: HMG .50 BMG or similar. GPMG .308/7.62x51mm NATO or similar.
            c. AP, API, tracer, etc...
            d. Ammo is stored internally from a single stowage of 1000 rounds belt for the coaxial gun and 2000 rounds belt for the panoramic sight gun. Other guns are fed from externally mounted boxes/pouches contained belts of 100 to 200 rounds. Other boxes/pouches stored internally on the crew compartment on the turret next to the blast wall.
            e. Coaxial gun is slaved to the main gun and its FCS. Commander's periscope/panoramic-sight gun is remote controlled and stabilized on 2 axis. Other guns are manually controlled and non stabilized. Possible provisions for remote control weapon stations are possible in the future.
            f. Dismounted troops have access to their own gun on the bustle. Commander has two gun options, one allowing him to fire from a closed hatch. HMG coaxial offers better anti material capability than the usual .30 coaxial on most tanks. Has grow potential for more remote controlled weapon stations an extra coaxial if so desired.
4.     Link to Appendix 3 - Weapon system magic. This is where you explain how all the special tricks related to the armament that aren’t obviously available using 1960s tech work, and expand to your heart’s content on estimated performance and how these estimates were reached.
B.    Optics:
1.     Primary gunsight: Gunner has access to a daytime stabilized optic with a 0-10 magnification, a stabilized IR night sight with IR floodlight (located on top of the mantled) with a 0-10 magnification, a laser range finder and a back-up optical rangefinder located on the rear of the turret and shared with the commander. Commander has access to it's own panoramic sight/periscope with day time and IR modes, 0-8 magnification, and the shared backup range finder.
2.     Other optics: Gunner and Commander have access to an array of fixed periscopes on their hatches giving a 360° field of view (not counting obstacles.) Driver has access to 3 periscopes giving a wide field of view.
C.    FCS:
1.     List of component systems, their purpose and the basic system architecture.
            a. Gunner primary sight, located on the left side of the turret rooftop, enters the crew compartment via a hole behind the armor modules. Daytime optic, connected to ballistic computer, laser range finder and backup optic rangefinder. Stabilized on 1 axis
            b. Gunner secondary sight, located on the same housing as "a", IR, same functions.
            c. Commander panoramic sight. Optic and IR combo on same rotating and extensible housing, on the same location as the gunner's sights, but on the right side. Not connected to the FCS per-se, but it's able to "lock" a direction and then command the turret to rotate to that position. Stabilized 2 axis
            d. Laser range finder and IR illumination unit, located above the mantle, parallel to the gun bore. IR and Visible laser receptors/emitters, 2 IR floodlight on the sides. Permanently fixed to mantle and passively stabilized vs the gun stabilization.
            e. Backup optical rangefinder. Mounted on the back of the crew compartment, above the blast door and extending to the sides of the turret, outside. Slaved to the gun and its stabilizer.
            f. Ballistic computer. Based on the electronics of the flight computer of the new crop of guided missiles. Provides adjustment and coordination of the above components, depending on vehicle speed, distance, ballistic behavior of ammo type, vehicle inclination, activelly tries to compensate or dampen vehicle movement, updates reticle for adequate POI and adjust gun and turret position for a "point and shoot". Can be manually overridden. Currently the R&D department is investigating the feasibility of accounting wind and thermal mirages.  Computer is located under the gun compartment in the front of the turret basket.
2.     Link to Appendix 3 - weapon system magic, if you have long explanations about the workings of the system.
Fightability:
1.   Very low profile, smaller target, less change of not only hitting the vehicle but also hitting a vital component.
2. Even lower profile in a hull-down, inclined position with basically no vital components exposed.
3. Great ride quality, guarantees crew comfort, less stress on sensible equipment, less work of the stabilizers and better control of the vehicle in rough terrain.
4. Hunter-Killer capability allows for more efficiency of the crew, better situational awareness and quicker reaction times.
5. Good crew survivability, guarantees the safety of investment in terms of money and money spent on training a professional crew as well as safeguarding the data they collected even in the case of a defeat.
6. Good offensive capability and flexibility when dealing with multiple unarmored targets.
7. Good serviceability/repairability on the shop or on the field. Even complex to repair or single-use systems can be replaced on the field as a "Plug and play" affair.
8. Great endurance in terms of crew livability and ammo/fuel/supplies. Guarantees longer top-performance period for the crew as well as increased survival changes in case of being removed from the logistical supply chain.
9. Multi fuel capability in a known and well understood engine format, features that facilitate logistics and possibly foraging.
10. While not a currently widespread threat, laser guided ATM are a possibility and the design team considered prudent to not just rely on passive defenses but take a more pro-active aproach and include a IR dazzle feature in the two IR flood lights.
11. The auto-loader design allows for the replenishment of the ammo supply from an external source without the need for the crew to leave the interior of the vehicle. While not ideal, and somewhat cumbersome it offers the possibility to do so while the crew remains in a near-ready condition.
Additional Features:
      1. As previously mentioned the modular nature of the composite armor modules allow not only for easier repairs and potentially avoiding the need to refurbish a whole macro component (turret and hull), but also allows to tailor the protection to the needs faced on the theater of operation. For example the arrays can be changed from light NERA to heavy NERA, a combination of both, or a combination with ERA. This also means that long range transport can be facilitated as the tank can be broken down into the tank proper and some armor modules in case there is a weight limitation.
      2. The vehicle has growth potential as one of its mission goals. The modular armor, the multi-fuel system, the large caliber gun, etc. There have been some interesting researches into smooth bores and APFSDS, semi combustible cases, higher operating pressures and exotic materials, and while the design team felt those new technologies aren't mature enough to be incorporated into the current entry, nothing stops the user to request a upgrade of the weapon's system's in the future, without major changes to the rest of the vehicle. The same goes for the
Free expression zone:
This project is dedicated to one of our best engineers that passed away recently due to "circumstances".

 
The project is also dedicated to our chief engineers Dr. Eneas

 
PS: If necessary the blueprints for the vehicle or any component can be provided to the competition judges.

The full name of this combat vehicle is: TCV-47 "Brahman" (Tracked Combat Vehicle)
 

 
No, it's not done, i took a very long break; burned myself out. But since then, I have added commander's and loaders cupolas', vision slits, drivers hatch, turret roof applique, 12.4 tons of hull armor, and 7 tons of turret armor plus a 4.6 ton turret wedge a la Leopard 2A5. Still needs turret storage boxes, hull roof applique, and side skirts. Ammunition and velocity is going to be similar to that used on the M551 of yore, including a gun launched ATGM based on the BGM-71. 

Brownsville Armour Engineering Systems FV601 “Cossack” for Main Battle Tank 2247 [FINAL]

 



 
Isometric, left side, front and top view of the FV601. On the right is the base configuration, on the left the FIBUA configuration
 
3D model freely available at
https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model/9907c803-fb6e-434f-be49-4eb79f7b9c6b/FV601-Cossack 
 
Parameter
Base configuration
FIBUA configuration
Mass, combat
126600 lbs
143000 lbs
Mass, armour
53200 lbs (42 %)
70500 lbs (49.5%)
Length, combat
38’1”
31’7”
Length, transport
32’3”
26’6”
Length, hull
22’6” (without drop tank)
24’8” (with drop tanks)
24’11”
Width
12’2”
13’5”
Height (at minimum ride height)
7’8” (turret roof)
8’3” (top of periscope)
9’7” (top of machine gun)
Ground clearance
Adjustable between 18” and 22”
Ground pressure (psf)
1746 NGP, 4295 MMP
1972 NGP, 4834 MMP
Speed
45 mph on road
30 mph off road
Range
558  mi on internal fuel
658 mi  with drop tanks
558 mi on internal fuel
Crew
4: commander, gunner, driver, radio operator
Main armament
5” L/55 smoothbore gun, 5x24” unitary cartridge
16 rounds autoloader + 16 rounds stowed
5” L/40 smoothbore gun, 5x24” unitary cartridge
16 rounds autoloader + 16 rounds stowed
Secondary armament
 (1) coaxial 0.30cal Medium machine gun (900 rounds)
 (1) 0.30cal Medium machine gun (450 rounds) on gunner’s skate mount
 (1) 0.50cal Heavy machine gun (100 rounds) + (1) 0.30cal Medium machine gun (450 rounds) on commander’s ring mount
  (1) 0.50cal Heavy machine gun (100 rounds) on auxiliary mount
 
(900) 0.50 rounds stowed
(8100) 0.30 rounds stowed
 
BAE Systems’ FV601 “Cossack” is a fighting vehicle intended to not only meet all the requirement, but also exceed them, especially mobility requirements. The design also emphasises ease of maintenance and upgradability,  making it the ideal vehicle for the current as well as the next fight.
The FV601 is offered in two configurations: a base configuration, which was designed to achieve every requirement and counter the current threats of the battlefield while offering ample room for upgrades; an add-on FIBUA (Fighting In Built Up Areas) kit, to be installed on vehicles deployed in an area of operation where heavy urban fighting is to be expected. The FIBUA kit can be added to any base configuration “Cossack” in the field in a few hours, not requiring more than hand tools (except the installations of the barrel, requiring light engineering support).
I Mobility
 
 
1)     Link appendix 1: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Gc4sadYGZEAemXzOxyERPgLGvRF2rgSr/view?usp=sharing
 
 
 
II Survivability
 
 
1)     Link appendix 1: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Gc4sadYGZEAemXzOxyERPgLGvRF2rgSr/view?usp=sharing
 
2)     Link appendix 2: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wSJriDjGY9EeamhG7TuZ2EJRvt5aVtg9/view?usp=sharing
 
Summary table:
Unless specified otherwise, protection angles are given in degrees from centerline
“elev” = elevation
 
 
Base configuration
FIBUA configuration
Threat
Estimated penetration
Turret
Hull
Turret
Hull
6in HEAT projector
8”
180°, 10° elev
90°, 10° elev
180°, 10° elev
180°, 10° elev
4in/54 HVAP
12” @1200yd
50°
47°
61°
62°
8” @2000yd
63.75°
57°
79°
80°
3.6in RPG
14.4”
60°, 45° at 10° elev
40°, up to 10° elev
90°, up to 10° elev
90°, up to 10° elev
4in/54 APFSDS (*)
12” @ 2000yd
34°
32°
50°
53°
5in APFSDS (*)
20” @ 1000 yd
23°
N/A
30°
33°
18” @ 2000 yd
26°
23°
33°
36°
2in/4in tandem RPG
10”/20”
N/A
N/A
25°
41°
NUB tandem missile (*)
10.8”/26.4”
N/A
N/A
16°
N/A
 
(*) estimated future threats
 
(*) estimated future threat
III Firepower

View of firepower elements: main gun, autoloader, optics, fire control systems, secondary weapon stations, ammunition storage
1)     Link appendix 1: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Gc4sadYGZEAemXzOxyERPgLGvRF2rgSr/view?usp=sharing
 
2)     Main weapon: L1 Gun (L1A1 Gun for FIBUA configuration)
 
3)     Secondary weapons:
 
4)     Optics and fire control system
 
5)     Link to appendix 3: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_t4XFbeko5CRqf4QwJDEQIdXiBQM3sMh/view?usp=sharing
 
IV Fightability
1)     Ergonomics
a.      Comfortable and adjustable crew seats
b.      Every tasks can be accomplished seating
c.      Fume extractor
 
2)     Communications
 
 
3)     Crew sustainment
 
 
4)     Other
a.      Self-recovery kit with tow bar and tools
b.      Frontally removable gun for easy maintenance, as well as easily removeable powerpack
c.      Possibility to fix a dozer blade for clearing operations or self-entrenching
d.      Infantry telephone for better coordination in combined arms operations
e.      White light and IR headlight for night driving + possibility to mount IR spotlight over barrel
f.       Ammunition loading hatch in turret rear to ease reloading the autoloader from the outside, in addition to the ability to reload the autoloader from the inside through the reloading hatch by elevating the barrel
g.      (4) crew members for easier maintenance and day-to-day operations 
V Upgradability
 
 
 
 
 

I don't like your contribution. It's WoT Forums level shit, complete with bizarre white knighting for a tank.
The M1 isn't gonna let you fuck it, bro, no matter how hard you defend it on the Internet.

Crimping measurably increases efficiency, because it increases pressure. Because gun enthusiasts are typically backwards people, they consider this to be bad.

I agree with Xlucine's assessment that heavier bullets on top of the same propellant are more efficient - however once this is applied the advantages quickly shake out and you are compelled to bow before SCHV Zod.

Is graceful like swan, but also asshole like goose.

Yeah, this is impossible. The closest you can approximate this is through pattern recognition software (which, incidentally, is how the postpross in your brain works), but that only works if there's a pattern to be followed.

If you are looking at a patch of sky at a certain resolution, a computer can simulate a higher resolution in a way that's convincing to a human being. What it can't do is show you details that are below the native resolution level, like far away or low signature aircraft, for example.

It is official, the PAK-FA is now the Su-50 Furry on SH.

Erm, lumping things like the P-59 and Schwalbe in with the F-86 seems decidedly silly to me.

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

AHH, FRESH MEAT

The sky's the limit, bud. You go make the 188-tonne tank with two main guns that you've always been dreaming of.

I've made them before. They tend to be more dangerous to the person using them than the target, because some extremely smart and clever ally of authoritarian governments everywhere popularized the method of making them where you stick a gasoline-soaked rag into a bottle, light it, and go. That tends to just put the user at risk of getting set on fire, and it makes him very vulnerable as he's trying to gingerly light a rag that's dripping gasoline everywhere without getting any on himself.
 
The correct way to make a mollie is to get a large bottle - like a wine bottle or an empty handle - and fill it partly with gasoline, then cork it. Wipe it down, and let it sit for like half an hour to get all the gas on the outside to evaporate. Now get some of those loong camping matches that burn for a while, or sparklers, and duct-tape them to the side, with the tips pointing up and sticking up past the neck of the bottle. Then tie a rag around the neck of the bottle (this is your sustainer, essentially; you need something that will catch fire long enough to reach the gas in the bottle, and then keep burning to ignite as much gas as possible). You can soak the rag in something flammable, but you want it dry when you come to throw it. There are a bunch of things that make rags more flammable even after they've dried, and you can use paper, or something else very flammable instead of a rag. Don't use flash paper, it doesn't burn long enough. You can also use a flammable grease or oil and soak the rag in that. In my experience, gasoline is a very poor choice, since it drips everywhere and evaporates.

When it comes to throw it, you simply light the tip of the sparkler/match, and chuck it towards the target. The match/sparkler should ignite the gasoline and rag, and that will set fire to some things. Car upholstery, for example.

As a serious weapon? There are other things you can make that are probably more useful, but if you're going to make Molotovs, you can at least do it correctly.

B-24 was better in almost every way.

M1 Garand. Just check out how much I had to softball this article tearing it a new asshole.

Well like yeah. So do I lol. But you'll get more reliable insight from a press release 9 times out of 10.

I happen to know the man personally. He's a consultant, so in that sense yes he "works" for the companies. What he does not do is actually work on these projects, he's closer to an influencer.

I would, hmmm, treat Drummond a bit like one treats a fortune from a trailer park psychic. Maybe there's something there, if you do enough interpreting but, chances are...

FINAL SUBMISSION:
XG-48E3 Comanche Battle-cruiser
 

 




 
 
 
 
Table of basic statistics:
Parameter
Value
Mass, combat (armor)
124,450 lbs (59,950 lbs armor)
Length, combat (transport)
31.7 ft (25.6 ft)
Width, combat (transport)
12.1 ft (12.0 ft)
Height, combat (transport)
8.8 ft (8.3 ft)
Ground Pressure, zero penetration
1,795 psf
Estimated Speed
50 mph
Estimated range
500 mi
Crew, number (roles)
4 (Commander, Gunner, Loader, Driver)
Main armament, caliber (ammo count ready/stowed)
40 rds 5in/24 (33 in turret bustle rack, 7 in ready rack)
Secondary armament, caliber (ammo count ready/stowed)
1,200 rds .50 caliber, 10,000 rds .30 caliber, 3,000 rds .40 cal ammunition

Vehicle designer's notes:

The XG-48E3 Comanche is a Battle-cruiser-class heavy tracked truck ("tank") with powerful armament, resilient armor, and a high degree of mobility and range. Comanche was designed around a "fightability philosophy" in which tanks are seen as an extension of the fighting man and must permit as much as possible the operators to conduct their mission without interference. Comanche sports a powerful 5in-24 XG-47E5 cannon firing armor-piercing flechette (APF), high explosive anti-truck (HEAT), and high explosive (HE) rounds. Comanche's armor is resistant to next-generation flechette rounds likely under development by near-peer adversary states like California and Cascadia. Comanche is provided with a generous 1,200 horsepower motor which gives it a power to weight ratio of 19.4 hp/t, well in excess of requirements. Comanche is built to be upgraded, and can be augmented with a variety of improved armor, gun, engine, and fire control packages as needed.
 
Vehicle feature list:
Mobility:
1.     Link to Appendix 1 - RFP spreadsheet, colored to reflect achieved performance.
2.     Engine- Carrolton AER V-12 diesel, 2,850 cu in, 1,200 hp, liquid cooled. (Comparable to MB MTU 873)
3.     Transmission - Hydromechanical power shift, reversing and steering fully and semiautomatic transmission with four forward and four reverse gears, mounted directly to the engine via integral torque converter. (Comparable to HSWL 354)
4.     Fuel - Diesel, 482 gallons in two tanks alongside driver in front, 145 gallons in two tanks below engine in rear; 683 miles range.
5.     Sand scrubbers, filters, cleaners, blowers, etc. Powerpack can be removed from rear with crane.
6.     Suspension - Independent externally dual-coil sprung single-wheel bogies, 7 per side, 14 inches wheel travel from neutral, 8 inches extension (22 inches total travel), 18.2 inches ground clearance.
Survivability:
1.     Link to Appendix 1 - RFP spreadsheet, colored to reflect achieved performance.
2.     Link to Appendix 2 - armor array details.
3.     Protection for Comanche is rated for 13 inches (3BM6+) throughout the +20/-20 degree frontal arc with very minimal weakspots (slits, etc) only. At any place on the tank 90 degrees to the side, it will repel the Mormon 6" HEAT weapon. Coincidentally, as a byproduct of a weight-saving and turret-balancing measure, the turret will also repel the 6" HEAT weapon from the rear. Roof is rated for plunging fire. Bottom armor is rated at 1.25" RHAe vs mines and blast. As qualified tankers are in short supply in the Lone Free State, great consideration was given to crew safety, and the ability for crew to swiftly evacuate a damaged tank if necessary. Ammunition is stored in a separate compartment in the turret, and if hit, two large blowoff panels will vent the pressure from that compartment before that pressure can damage the firewall to the crew compartment. Two large hatches are provided for the commander, gunner, and loader (the commander and gunner share a hatch), both of which are fully spring-assisted and easy to open. The driver is provided with a generous hatch which is heavily armored, and is also considerably spring assisted. It tilts, and then rotates away for easy egress. The driver can egress the vehicle with the turret in any position. The driver is also protected by two large tanks of diesel fuel with a capacity of 241 gallons each. These tanks cover the entirety of the driver to each side, giving him considerable additional protection.

Image of the XG-48E3 Comanche with the outer armor panels made transparent, showing the sophisticated NERA arrays.
Firepower:
A.    Weapons:
1.     Link to Appendix 1 - RFP spreadsheet, colored to reflect achieved performance.
2.     Main Weapon-
a.      XG-47E5 autofrettaged smoothbore load-assisted cannon with horizontally-sliding breech
b.     5in/24 L/45
c.      XG-147J 15:1 L:D Armor Piercing Flechette, 530mm+ RHA penetration at 2,000 yd, XG-147H High Explosive Anti-Truck, 
d.     40 rds (33 in turret bustle rack, 7 in ready rack)
e.      FCS - relevant systems, relevant sights for operating the weapon and so on.
f.      Neat features.
3.     Coaxial armament consists of 1x .30 caliber G-17A5T machine gun and 1x .50 caliber G-19A2T machine gun, which are slaved to the main gun. Independent armament consists of 1 additional G-17A5 and 1 additional G-19A2 machine gun, and 2 dual close-in .40 caliber G-346E1 machine guns. Ammunition stowage is 1,200 rounds of .50 caliber ammunition, 10,000 rounds of .30 caliber ammunition, and 6,000 rounds of .40 caliber ammunition.
4.     Link to Appendix 3
B.    Optics:
1.     The gunner is provided with a fully stabilized 2.5-21x disturbed reticle main gunsight equipped with a laser range-finder and engageable night vision system. A simple lens with a stadia reticle is provided, which can be engaged if other systems fail. The reticle on the primary optic automatically adjusts for the selected ammunition type, and for expected wind drift and drop at range. No further sight adjustment is required once the gunner has lased the target, he simply puts the dot on the target and fires.
2.     Due to the advanced nature of the laser range-finding system, a backup optical range-finder system is provided mounted to the roof of the XG-47E3's turret. This system triangulates the distance from the target in a manner similar to human depth perception, but many times more precise. It is also fully stabilized.

C.    FCS:
1.     The commander is provided with a 360-degree vision cupola with eight all around periscopes which allow him to detect targets at any angle from the vehicle. These periscopes are also night-vision compatible. He is also provided with his Commander's Independent Gun Sight (CIGS) which is a 360-degree rotatable gun-sight that allows him to lase and engage targets at any distance. He is provided with the capability to automatically slave the rest of the turret to the target lased with the CIGSs, which gives the Comanche the ability to rapidly engage targets even in different locations requiring considerable rotation of the turret.
2.     Link to Appendix 3
Fightability:
1.     According to the "fightability philosophy", Comanche's fighting space was developed first, before any armor arrays were laid out or any turret weldment drawings created. Instead, the Ordnance Authority's 5in-24 gun, ammunition, ammo rack, and all the internal systems, controls, and all other things in the turret were mocked up out of cardboard, toilet paper tubes, and paper mache, and placed around a working test crew of G-12 drivers from Albuquerque. Special care was taken to listen to this crew and to incorporate this feedback into the layout and design of the tank. For instance, although Comanche is designed to operate normally with a loader, the loader's job is so reduced (at their request!) that it is entirely possible for the tank commander to perform all loading functions with minimal distraction and reduction in rate of fire. This is possible because all ammunition selection and ramming functions are automated, and because all of the loader's controls are placed within easy reach of both him and the commander. More details on this arrangement are given in Appendix 3. This arrangement was used to perform fightability experiments and once these were complete and conclusions about control and equipment placement were drawn, a cardboard shell was constructed around the compartment and fightability validation tests carried out. This resulted in an internal "shell" onto which outer armor arrays were built up.
 
Additional Features:
Automatic fire suppression system, individual wet ammunition storage, a water cooler, ramen boiler, it slices, it dices, it pulverizes! Other buzzwords!
 
Free expression zone: 
 
 
In loving memory of former Head Designer Juan Taylor:



He's not dead, he's just really unhappy.