Hi there!
I'm a new user, and found this forum by way of a video on the so-called "reformers". The video also included a screencap of a thread in this forum about some guy called "Black Tails Defense" or something, in which the strangest tank was shown- something with a 145 millimeter... howitzer?
The... sheer tomfoolery of putting a long-barrel world war one era howitzer with eighty rounds of ammunition in a forty-ton vehicle somehow designed to also float... I personally enjoy entertaining the concept of designing fictional tanks for fictional universes. However, I'm critically aware of how limited my knowledge on this subject is.
Honestly, I was more really concerned with the external appearance of the tank to look as "realistic" as possible- no shot traps, no funny "turrets" like on whatever that Scorpion-thingy from HALO was, as well as worrying about details like how to make sure the tank doesn't break down mid-combat and the placement of critical systems like Optics, but I'd also like to know what kind of systems should you use (e.g. Turbine or Diesel, Horstmann or Torsion bar, etc etc)
There's a little thing that I'm doing where I draw up tanks et cetera within the confines of Mid-Late 80s-90s - early 2000s doctrine, and I'd like to ask you, what makes a real tank tick for tanks of this era? How should you go about designing a tank? I'm aware of the fact that one should always design inside-up (critical components such as engine, gun, et cetera up), but what are some of the caveats and nuances inevitably intertwined into it? How should one go about the design process for designing a tank?
What's a rough list of features you want to have, and others that you can sacrifice for any given role of a tank? I'm aware that this is like asking, "what should I put on a plane", but let's assume that it's for a tank stuck in, say, the Mid-late nineties, around the Gulf War - Kosovo period.
Also, in addition to this, some common questions that I'd also like settled are;
- Diesel, Turbine, or Petrol? Where/When/How should these engines be implemented?
- Rifle or Smoothbore? This debate goes on forever and I'd like some sort of concrete answer. As far as I know, the only forces that use rifled guns use them either out of necessity or reliance on a certain specific type of round.
- Why in god's name would you ever put a 145 millimeter howitzer on a tank?
- Caliber: Is there an upper limit? Is it really worth going above 120mm/maybe 130mm at a stretch when combat won't even happen above the ranges that these guns are effective due to the distances that you can see with optics? At range, Artillery and Missiles have traditionally been more efficient.
- Whither the Autoloader, or Nay? I've seen the Chieftain's video on it, but I personally would like your opinions on it.
- Barrel loaded ATGMs- are they really all that they're cracked up to be? Why/why not?
I'd like to strickly restrict this to Main Battle Tanks, as I'd rather ask about Infantry Fighting Vehicles later, in another thread.
In short, how the 1990s Tank?
Sincerely yours,
Aussie_Mantis
