Monday 1 June 2015

High Roller

I've talked about some pretty crazy suggestions, but I don't think I've ever seen something like this.

The inventor prescribes his 200-250 ton creation a speed of 250-300 kph, claiming it will literally crush everything in its path. Unlike traditional mine rollers, the engine is placed in the roller, while the tank part is dragged behind. The ground pressure of this vehicle would be "only" 6 kg/cm^2 (about 4 times greater than the Maus). Naturally, the person reviewing the project was not very impressed:

"Conclusion on comrade Lazarev's project (tank destroyer) sent on November 22nd, 1942

Comrade Lazarev proposed a tank destroyer with the following characteristics:
  • Mass: 200-250 tons.
  • Speed: 250-300 kph.
  • Armour: 150 mm.
Comrade Lazarev evaluated this idea as worthy of attention, but it is not founded on any kind of technical calculations or theoretical basis. 

Comrade Lazarev's proposal does not have a single technical calculation, and only has a description, which is composed poorly from a technical standpoint. For instance, the issue of speed. Comrade Lazarev proposes that the tank destroyer can achieve a speed of 250-300 kph, with a mass of 200-250 tons, which is hardly possible even with modern technology. A special suspension would have to be built which can navigate terrain at such speeds but also provide high speeds.

On the issue of the transmission, comrade Lazarev writes that engines inside the cylinder move forward when it strikes something, and then they return to their initial positions. Comrade Lazarev does not mention how the engines would still transfer power at this moment. Comrade Lazarev also did not think about how to transport this vehicle or how it would cross water hazards.

Comrade Lazarev has not thought out the issue of creating a suspension for this tank. I think that comrade Lazarev's suggestion is not well thought out and therefore technically impossible to implement.

Senior assistant of the 6th Tank Repair Directorate, Engineer-Major Homyakov."

No comments:

Post a Comment