Some oddball and oldtimer reference material...

[jcf]

First up:

Pavesi and Ansaldo Wheeled Tanks, thas' right y'all... tanks with wheels, not armored cars.


M 1925
Crew: 2
Armament: one MG or one 37mm cannon.
Armor: .236 in to .629 in
Max speed: 21 mph
Suspension: all wheels sprung
Wheels: 5 ft 4 in diameter; 10 in wide; permanently attached rubber grousers, brakes on all wheels.
General arrangement: engine and driver in front; driver over engine; gunner in center; drive gear for rear wheels in rear.
Length: 13 ft, 11 in
Width: 7 ft 2 in
Height: 6 ft 9 in
Weight 5.5 tons
Engine: 50 HP
Obstacle ability: Trench 6 ft, if not more than 4 ft 3 in deep; stream 3 ft 7 in, vertical wall 5 ft 6 in.
Special features: Articulated hull joint, four-wheel steering and drive, bilge pump to clear water when fording.

M 1926
as M 1925 except for:
Wheels: Rubber tired, detachable metal grousers.
Special features: Front part of hull increased in size.



Tank Destroyer
as M 1926 except for:
Crew: 3
Armament: one 75mm cannon.
Max speed: 15 mph
Weight 6.6 tons

Heavy Pavesi, 1928
Crew: 4
Armament: three MG
Max speed: 15 mph
Suspension: spring
Wheels: 5 ft 4 in diameter; 14 in wide.
Length: 18 ft
Height: 11 ft 2 in
General arrangement: engine, driver and one gunner in front, remainder of crew in rear.
Special features: Bilge pumps to clear water when fording.

Ansaldo, 1930
Crew: 3
Armament: one short 47mm or one long 37mm cannon in front of turret, one MG in rear of turret.
Max speed: 27 mph
Suspension: spring
Wheels: 4 ft 10 in diameter; 1 ft 4 in wide; disc ribbed type, rubber and steel grousers.
General arrangement: driver - left front, engine - right font; gunner in center and rear.
Length: 15 ft
Width: 8 ft 6 in
Height: 9 ft 6 in
Weight 9.1 tons
Engine: 110 HP, water cooled.
Obstacle ability: Stream 5 ft; slope 45 degrees; vertical wall 3 ft.
Special features: Cooling louver in front consists of series of concentric rings of increasing dimensions. Front wheels turn 40 degrees for steering and rear wheels 30 degrees from horizontal. Rear axle flexible instead of jointed hull. Bilge pumps for fording and gas filter standard equipment. Driver has cone stroboscope and gunner has periscope.

From 'The Fighting Tanks Since 1916' by Maj. Ralph E. Jones, Capt. George H. Rarey and Lt. Robert J. Icks, 1933, The National Service Publishing Company, First Edition.

My copy has the following Inscribed inside the front cover:
To Captain Robert H. Rankin, USMC
from a fellow author.
Robert J Icks
Lt Col Ord Dept. AUS
June 3, 1943

I will be posting more odd stuff from this book.

Cheers,
Jon

[Brian da Basher]

Those are really interesting, Jon. I'm looking forward to seeing more of these oddballs.

Brian da Basher

[anthonyp]

Stickying this topic.  I've got some goofy pics of "Future Bradleys" from the 80's.  Gotta dig them up.

[HOG]

Hi There,
Not much of an armour modfeller these days but can someone please define what makes a tank a tank and why a tank on wheels is not an armoured car?
thanks
Confused of Mayfair

[jcf]

Because the Pavesi and the Ansaldo, among a few others, were designed to function as tanks e.g in the direct assault and/or infantry support roles and primarily off-road, not in the recce or support roles usually taken on by armored cars. Also most armored cars had a limited off-road/cross-country capability, something that was true up to and including WWII. Their best off-road performance was in the desert.

Jon

[jcf]

A link that some are familiar with, marvelous stuff:
http://www.landships.freeservers.com/tank_articles.htm

A free downloadable 1/110 scale paper model of the original armor 'What-If?',
H.G.Wells Land Ironclad

http://www.currell.net/models/ironclad.htm




Jon

[jcf]

Another reference link:
http://www.mk-armour.narod.ru/

If the book cover is in color its a live link.

Jon

[jcf]

Early Brit SPGs.






Jon

[jcf]

Early US SPGs.





Jon

[jcf]

Traction aids/alternatives.



Soviet BA64 fitted with tracks and skis.

Jon

[anthonyp]

I'm fond of the Armor Forum on Secret Projects.  Lots of fun stuff over there.