LostCosmonaut

No strong preference, they'd need forest and desert camo for different operating environments, plus winter camo as well.

Sure, if you're up for it. M3 or M22 sounds about right, I honestly didn't have a full design spec'ed out in my head beyond the approximate weight and armament. ''

Yeah, any publicly available research can be used in development of your design. Although I like the thought that the nation's archives are just a bunch of shit that somebody printed out from SH, which was somehow the only thing to survive the nuclear apocalypse.

I didn't have anything specific in mind for ammo requirements, I'll leave that up to the judges determination as long as you have a reasonable number (i.e. 10 rounds for the main obviously wouldn't be acceptable, but 30 might be depending on what it is and what kind of secondary armament you have and such). Any of the tanks you design should be capable of engaging hard and soft targets.

An end date of September 30th sounds good to me, that should give people time to do research and do modeling and shit.

Thanks for joining, and welcome to the forums! In response to your questions, and a few I've been asked by other people; The standard grade of gasoline is 87 octane (Some prewar refining capacity survived, and kept making fuel for prewar automobiles. Even though there's new-build refineries now they've decided to stick with 87). Most diesel is actually biodiesel, so the cetane ratings are a bit higher than expected. The current gun calibers in service are 20mm, 40mm, 55mm, 80mm, 95mm, and 120mm. However, since we're assuming a new gun is going to be developed, don't limit yourself to just those calibers. Things that aren't available at the current technology base: computerized FCS, ATGMs (electronics just aren't advanced enough for anything except maybe an X-7 clone). Manufacturing capabilities: The Cascade Republic's ability to cast steel is pretty good; test castings up to ~35 tons and the size of a medium tank hull have been done. Likewise, RHA up to about 6 inches thickness is readily produced. A big limitation is stamping; something like the stamped T-34 turret isn't readily producible (though the cast version is). Plastics are at about early 1950s technology; notably aramids like kevlar and nomex aren't in production (though they are known obviously). Tungsten is available (there are mines in Canada, controlled by friendly nations). DU is not (what can be salvaged from prewar isn't enough for any real use, and gotta have EU to make DU). Any publicly available research from prewar (OOC: now) can be used. If you want to crack open Technology of Tanks and distill it into a CAD model, feel free. Let me know if you/anyone else has questions. Also, a big thank you to Loooser, Jeeps, and Zyklon for judging.

Also going to relink this post from the last tank competition;

1. The previous tank was the Light Tank M6, plus various unofficial nicknames. 2. Time for bullet points California In service Heavy tank / heavy towed anti-tank gun: 89mm (3.5 in) gun with ~140mm RHA pen at 100 meters, ~80mm using HEAT Much less common than medium / light guns Medium tank / medium towed anti-tank gun: 70mm (2.75 in) gun with ~100mm pen at 100 meters, ~55mm using HEAT Light tank / light towed anti-tank gun: 51mm (2 in) gun with ~75mm pen at 100 meters Anti-tank rocket: 70mm diameter warhead, ~90mm penetration, effective range ~200 meters Common infantry anti-tank weapons In development Improved 89mm gun with ~160mm pen (likely to be used on next generation Californian heavy tanks in early development) Very heavy towed 108mm (4.25 in) gun with ~215mm pen at 100 meters (also to be used for indirect fire) Improved 70mm gun with ~125mm penetration (expected to be used on next generation Californian tanks in early development) Improved HEAT warheads with penetration up to 1.5 diameters when fired from existing rifled guns Improved 70mm anti-tank rocket with ~110mm penetration Deseret In service Heavy armored car armament: 57mm (2.25 in) gun with ~75mm pen at 100 meters Medium armored car armament: 30mm autocannon with ~55mm pen at 100 meters Most common vehicle armament, also used by Deseret's small force of light tanks Anti-tank rocket: 76mm (3 in) rocket with ~60mm armor penetration (HEAT), effective range 400 meters Most common infantry / cavalry antitank weapon, also limited use as vehicle mounted weapon Medium 90mm recoilless rifle with ~75mm penetration Towed, also vehicle mounted Anti-tank rifle: 20mm single shot rifle with ~40mm penetration at 100 meters Being phased out in favor of anti-tank rockets, retained for use against lightly armored targets In development Lightweight 76mm gun with ~90 mm penetration, for use as mobile artillery, heavy armored cars, and next generation light tanks Improved antitank rocket with ~90mm penetration, coupled with longer range and shorter flight time Heavy 120mm recoilless rifle with ~155mm penetration (HEAT) Both towed / vehicle mounted (multiple to be mounted on wheeled anti-tank platform in development) Common to both nations Heavy machine gun with ~25mm penetration (it's an M2) Various other weapons with limited / situational anti-tank capability (mortars, fragmentation/high explosive grenades, incendiary devices) Mines

Where you planning on taking her to start? I keep trying to drag my coworkers who don’t ski to the little 400 vert hill near me, but they are reluctant.

Reading through the whole thing would be quite an achievement ( @Collimatrix Can tell you after he broke the forums that one time) Also paging @LoooSeR and @Bronezhilet to the thread.

Yeah, power density was the main thing I had in mind. @Toxn I’ll reply to you once I’m not using my phone on lunch break

Backstory (skip if you don't like alternate history junk) The year is 2239. It has been roughly 210 years since the world was engulfed in nuclear war. Following the war, the United States splintered into hundreds of small statelets. While much knowledge was retained in some form (mostly through books and other printed media), the loss of population and destruction of industrial capability set back society immensely. Though the Pacific Northwest was less badly hit than other areas, the destruction of Seattle and Portland, coupled with the rupturing of the Cascadia Subduction Zone in 2043, caused society to regress to a mid-19th century technology level. However, in the early 2100s, the Cascade Republic formed, centered near Tacoma. The new nation grew rapidly, expanding to encompass most of Washington and Oregon by 2239. The Cascade Republic now extends from the Klamath River in the south to the Fraser River in the north, and from the Pacific roughly to central Idaho. Over time, the standard of living and industrial development improved (initially through salvaging of surviving equipment, by the late 2100s through new development); the population has grown to about 4.5 million (comparable to 1950 levels), and technology is at about a 1940 level. Automobiles are common, aircraft are less common, but not rare by any means. Computers are nonexistent aside from a few experimental devices; while scientists and engineers are aware of the principles behind microchips and other advanced electronics, the facilities to produce such components simply do not exist. Low rate production of early transistors recently restarted. The current armored force of the Cascade Republic consists of three armored brigades. They are presently equipped with domestically produced light tanks, dating to the 2190s. Weighing roughly 12 tons and armed with a 40mm gun, they represented the apex of the Cascade Republic's industrial capabilities at the time. And when they were built, they were sufficient for duties such as pacifying survivalist enclaves in remote areas. However, since that time, the geopolitical situation has complicated significantly. There are two main opponents the Cascade Republic's military could expect to face in the near future. The first is California. The state of California was hit particularly hard by the nuclear exchange. However, in 2160, several small polities in the southern part of the state near the ruins of Los Angeles unified. Adopting an ideology not unfamiliar to North Korea, the new state declared itself the successor to the legacy of California, and set about forcibly annexing the rest of the state. It took them less than 50 years to unite the rest of California, and spread into parts of Arizona and northern Mexico. While California's expansion stopped at the Klamath River for now, this is only due to poor supply lines and the desire to engage easier targets. (California's northward advanced did provide the final impetus for the last statelets in south Oregon to unify with the Cascade Republic voluntarily). California is heavily industrialized, possessing significant air, naval, and armored capabilities. Their technology level is comparable to the Cascade Republic's, but their superior industrial capabilities and population mean that they can produce larger vehicles in greater quantity than other countries. Intelligence shows they have vehicles weighing up to 50 tons with 3 inches of armor, though most of their tanks are much lighter. The expected frontlines for an engagement with the Californian military would be the coastal regions in southern Oregon. Advancing up the coastal roads would allow California to capture the most populated and industrialized regions of the Cascade Republic if they advanced far enough north. Fortunately, the terrain near the border is very difficult and favors the defender; (near the Californian border) The other opponent is Deseret, a Mormon theocratic state centered in Utah, and encompassing much of Nevada, western Colorado, and southern Idaho. Recently, tension has arisen with the Cascade Republic over two main issues. The first is the poorly defined border in Eastern Oregon / Northern Nevada; the old state boundary is virtually meaningless, and though the area is sparsely populated, it does represent a significant land area, with grazing and water resources. The more recent flashpoint is the Cascade Republic's recent annexation of Arco and the area to the east. Deseret historically regarded Idaho as being within its sphere of influence, and maintained several puppet states in the area (the largest being centered in Idaho Falls). They regard the annexation of a signficant (in terms of land area, not population) portion of Idaho as a major intrusion into their rightful territory. That the Cascade Republic has repaired the rail line leading to the old Naval Reactors Facility, and set up a significant military base there only makes the situation worse. Deseret's military is light and heavily focused on mobile operations. Though they are less heavily mechanized than the Cascade Republic's forces, operating mostly armored cars and cavalry, they still represent a significant threat to supply and communication lines in the open terrain of eastern Oregon / southern Idaho. (a butte in the disputed region of Idaho, near Arco) Requirements As the head of a design team in the Cascade Republic military, you have been requested to design a new tank according to one of two specifications (or both if you so desire): Medium / Heavy Tank Weight: No more than 45 tons Width: No more than 10.8 feet (3.25 meters) Upper glacis / frontal turret armor of at least 3 in (76mm) LoS thickness Side armor at least 1in (25mm) thick (i.e. resistant to HMG fire) Power/weight ratio of at least 10 hp / ton No more than 6 crew members Primary armament capable of utilizing both anti-armor and high explosive rounds Light tank Weight: No more than 25 tons Width: No more than 10.8 feet Upper glacis / frontal turret armor of at least 1 in thickness Side armor of at least 3/8 in (10mm) thickness Power/weight ratio of at least 12 hp / ton No more than 6 crew members Primary armament capable of utilizing both anti-armor and high explosive rounds Other relevant information: Any tank should be designed to operate against either of the Cascade Republic's likely opponents (California or Deseret) The primary heavy machine gun is the M2, the primary medium machine gun is the M240. Use of one or both of these as coaxial and/or secondary armament is encouraged. The secret archives of the Cascade Republic are available for your use. Sadly, there are no running prewar armored vehicles, the best are some rusted hulks that have long been stripped of usable equipment. (Lima Tank Plant ate a 500 kt ground burst) Both HEAT and APFSDS rounds are in testing. APCR is the primary anti-armor round of the Cascade Republic. Either diesel or gasoline engines are acceptable, the Cascade Republic is friendly with oil producing regions in Canada (OOC: Engines are at about a late 1940s/early 50s tech level) The adaptability of the tank to other variants (such as SPAA, SPG, recovery vehicle, etc.) is preferred but not the primary metric that will be used to decide on a design. Ease of maintenance in the field is highly important. Any designs produced will be compared against the M4 Sherman and M3 Stuart (for medium/heavy and light tank), as these blueprints are readily available, and these tanks are well within the Cascade Republic's manufacturing capabilities.

Don’t worry, there’s hypocrites of all types! https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/13/nyregion/sexual-harassment-nyu-female-professor.html

Agreed, I’ll knock together a more detailed scenario when I get home, glad to see the general concept has been positive received though.

I haven't read all of it yet, but I like the part where he claims that the F-4, literally the internet meme plane for "bad dogfighter designed without a gun", was designed with an internal gun. Also, wasn't Pierre Sprey or one of those other dudes really into wing loading as the end all be all of aircraft performance?

Got an idea for a tank design competition, might be a bit of alternate history junk, but I'll see how it goes; It is the year 20XX. It has been XX years since a nuclear war destroyed much of the world, causing severe damage to the industrial base. You are an engineer in <country>, tasked with designing a new tank for your nation's armed forces. While your country has knowledge of prewar tank developments (such as the M1, T-14, etc.), your nation's industrial base is insufficient to use manufacturing techniques more advanced than late 1930s / early 1940s technology (what exactly this means requires me to do a bit more thought). Basically, a cheap way of getting around that any of the tanks from "design a tank for world war 2 country in 1938/1941/1944" end up using what we already know from hindsight and don't look like something that would have been made in that period.

Virgin investing in a vaporware product is unexpected (how many years ago were suborbital tourist flights supposed to start?). JAL showing interest gives me better hopes there might actually be something to the project. Have they decided on an engine yet? Not like they can just phone up P&W and order some F119s.

Everyone's getting on the reusability train! This is a good idea though, now that it's been proven that landing stages (at sea or on land) is feasible, I'd be surprised if any new projects from this point forward didn't incorporate it. Aside from maybe any very small launchers that get built. It boggles the mind that Vulcan is just going with catching the engines (and to my knowledge haven't done any actual testing on it, SpaceX had the Grasshopper for a few years before landing F9).

As a former resident of New Jersey, this pleases me. How the fuck Menendez didn't get thrown in prison is a mystery (no it isn't). Unfortunately, you now know, after seeing that.

Tropics are putting on a big show in the Pacific. Hector is near Cat 5 and will brush Hawaii (shouldn't be too bad); (satellite resolution is bad because GOES-16 is at a pretty high angle, it's meant for storms further east) Meanwhile, John is rapidly intensifying and murdering Ileana;

Canada's cause would be immensely helped if Trudeau stopped selling the Saudis weapons. obligatory meme;

More media interest in the domesticated foxes; http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/08/these-docile-foxes-may-hold-some-genetic-keys-domestication It looks like genes for various physical changes and domesticated behaviors are at least somewhat intermixed. One thing I'm curious about is how this relates to various dog breeds; with all the various breeds that exist (with physically divergent forms), and some breeds that have reputations for more aggressive behavior, I'd bet there's some cross connection between characteristics we're breeding for and shitty behavior. Video from the article showing a fox that might actually be a photoshopped dog; That fox is about a thousand times more excited to see a person than my personal toxoplasmosis vector is when I get home.

Bottom right picture looks like a prop from the shittiest low budget Captain America movie ripoff.

A new world record was set in California the other day; rain fell at 119 degrees; https://www.wunderground.com/cat6/Hottest-Rain-Record-Rain-falls-119F-Imperial-California

To go back in time, here's a rough, probably optimistic timeline for a non-broken SLS program: 2005: Development of SLS begins with a kerolox or methalox core, liquid boosters (ideally using the same engines as the core), and a hydrolox upper stage. Payload is 70-150 tons to LEO in various configurations. 2006: SLS gets some snazzy name 2008: SLS configuration nailed down, detailed development work ongoing 2009: Work begins on reusability of first stage and boosters (contract out to SpaceX?) 2010: Static and ground testing of SLS commences 2011: Shuttle retires 2012: Block 1 of SLS launches (no side boosters, fully expendable) 2013: First operational flight of SLS Block 1, Test of Block 2 (recoverable boosters, expendable core) 2014: Second operational Block 1 flight, first operational Block 2 flight 2015: Test of Block 1B (recoverable core, also used on Block 2B) 2016-2018: Operational use of Block 1B, Block 2B with recoverable core and boosters 2020?: First flight of Block 3 (max payload, fully recoverable/reusable first stage and boosters)