Armor Based Gb Anyone?

[Hobbes]

Rather than a generic armour build, why don't we have a more defined GB like we do with aircraft?

Don't define the build too narrowly, or you'll end up losing participants. I've got several ideas that would fit in with a generic 'armour build', but if it's going to be 'wheeled tanks' I'm out. For airplanes, you can get away with a narrow scope because there are so many airplane builders on the site.  

[SinUnNombre]

I'm in! I know I say that about every GB but I really want an excuse to build my Hacked-up Humvee. It's my first really cool non-auto idea in awhile and I don't want it to go down the drain like all the others.

Jon

[SebastianP]

This sounds promising. I've got a couple of ideas already:

1) I've always wondered why the GAU-8, such an effective anti-armor weapon, was never fitted to a land vehicle. I figure it would probably fit just fine in the turret of an Abrams or a Leopard...

2) I have, or will have, tons of leftover missile launchers once I'm done with my next batch of helicopters (each of the new Revell Tiger kits come with enough weapons for three choppers, and I'm getting at least two or three!) With some work, I figure I can make a cradle to hang any one of these that I can add to the roof of a vehicle or the back of a truck.

3) Sweden's now-defunct coastal artillery had truck-mounted quad launchers for the RBS-15 anti-ship missile. I've got a bunch of cruise missiles in need of a home - SLAM-ER, Storm Shadow and TAURUS. Assuming I can find an appropriate truck chassis in 1/72, I think I could scratch build the launchers...

4) Germany's Flakpanzer Gepard is getting a little long in the tooth, I think - it's based on the Leopard 1 chassis, which isn't quite up to date. A new version is clearly in order - with a Leopard II chassis, and a better-looking radar system. Possibly bigger guns, too...

5) Then there's some purely silly ideas involving WWII camo and markings on modern armor. Leo 2A6 with King Tiger camo, anyone?

6) I've also been toying for some time with the idea of building a Tau Hammerhead tank in some kind of real-world camo. A very expensive proposition, though - I can get a 1/35 kit for the price of one of those...

SP

[Mossie]

Sebastian, Revell do several truck kits that might fit the bill for TAURUS:

Use the tractor from the Faun Elefant Tank Transporter kit.
You could put a flatbed on the TPz 1 Fuchs or SpPz Luchs
Pushing it, or maybe for a single launcher, you could mount one on the Dingo

PS, If you've got the money to do a Hammerhead, why don't you go the whole hog & get hold of a Tau Manta from Forgeworld?  Only about £900.....      :dum:  :dum:  :dum:
http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/acatalog/TAU_AIRCRAFT.html

[Mossie]

Don't define the build too narrowly, or you'll end up losing participants. I've got several ideas that would fit in with a generic 'armour build', but if it's going to be 'wheeled tanks' I'm out. For airplanes, you can get away with a narrow scope because there are so many airplane builders on the site.

Hobbes, I don't think it matters to much if we get a low turnout, at least in the beginning.  Hopefully, people will start to see that we whiff more than just aircraft & more modellers will join in when they were maybe though we were too biased to aircraft before.  Also, it might persaude regulars to have a go at genres they don't normally get around to.  Rather then start off looking for a high participation rate, maybe we should go ahead anyway & try to encourage people to join in in the long run, to the point of maybe having several non -aircraft builds a year?

[nev]

I'm with Hobbes on this one - leave it at a generic armour build for now.  Maybe in future go for a more specialised focus, but for now just leave it at armour.

[SebastianP]

Mossie, the Manta wouldn't qualify for this GB - it's an aircraft! (spaceship actually) Ok, so it comes fully loaded, but still.

Besides, right now my budget is nil - I bought a CH-53E (in 1/72, thank god) that I probably shouldn't have.

The tank transport looks fabulous - maybe a little too expensive for me for the time being, though, especially since I'll have to order it. The Luchs and Fuchs are available locally though - I'll see what I can come up with.

Hmmm. Here's an idea - a Goalkeeper turret for a tank. That'll combine both the Gepard replacement and the land-based GAU-8...

SP

[Hobbes]

Now that you mention the Faun Elefant: one of the prototypes was sold by the Bundeswehr and ended up as a wrecker.

[lancer]

I think everybody secretly builds tanks.....it looks like the same thing over at ARC.

I'm in ! I've got two or three tanks that I'm itching to do somat with.

So, when do we have the first meeting of ABA - Armour builders Anonymous?? - Hi I'm Lancer and I build Tanks..    

[anthonyp]

WOOOOO!!!!  Ground Systems!!!  I think I might be able to get a few participants from the office on this one.

It'll give me a chance to finally build the "Humble Gun."  (Named after the contracts guy in the office who suggested it, it's essentially an M88A2 without the upper works, but with a big honkin' gun on it (this guy did work on the Crusader after all).)

With the way the voting's going, the Armor build looks to be the first of the new year!

[elmayerle]

I'm not sure I can model it, but I envision an AFV with the variable suspension of a STRV-103 and the cleft turret of a US T92 experimental tank.  However, this vehicle has the gun (105 mm, 120 mm?) fixed in the turret and uses the variable suspension to adjust elevation.  I'm trying for hte smallest profile possible.

[jcf]

Hmmm. Here's an idea - a Goalkeeper turret for a tank. That'll combine both the Gepard replacement and the land-based GAU-8...

You'd need to do some rearranging:

http://www.gdatp.com/products/Gun_Systems/...fenseSystem.htm

http://www.gdatp.com/products/PDFs/Goalkeeper.pdf

Jon

[SinUnNombre]

My vote is still for the Armor GB for next year. The only reason the Hacked-Up Humvee is still on hold is for the GB.

Jon

[GTX]

Recently, I've been thinking of modifying one of these:




by placing some sort of gun (say something like a 37mm or 47mm gun) between the two crew in a fixed mount to great a small (very small considering this was only around 2m in length!) tank destroyer.

Regards,

Greg

[GTX]

I don't know about you, but this gives inspiration for some sort of whiff (what, I'm not yet sure of):

The M50 Ontos:




Regards,

Greg