Halftracks (M3, Sdkfz.251, and others) Questions and What-if Ideas?

[Weaver]

I just picked up a 1/72nd Heller Saviem VAB 4x4 from ebay.

It looks like the kit was engineered to produce the 6x6 versions too, because the box between the wheels on each side is a separate component, with continuous hull behind it. This means that it would be very easy to half-track it, which I may do at some point.

[Mossie]

Found this photoshopped image:


More crazyness here, including a gunship!!!
http://www.smartsrus.com/smart_car_prototypes.htm

[jcf]

Kubelwagen half-track variations:

http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/lab/1167/evwtrack.html

Jon

[MAD]

How about a half track variant of something like the Caesar 155mm Self-Propelled Artillery System:



Regards,

Greg

I like the way you think Greg.
The Caesar wheeled SPH is what I would like to see in service with the Australian Army.
I very much disagree with the current ADF policy of 'its shinny I want it' and 'Hay they have it, we want it'.
Just look at the monster systems they are looking at Pz2000, AS-90 etc.............
Good system yes!
But they are way to heavy, expensive, and probably the most important in my opinion not strategically mobile enough.

Although I love the idea/principle of the Caesar system, in the wet season up north, I think the 6x6 arrangement will struggle some what.
With the 'possible' Aussie Ceasar' I would favour an 8x8 arrangement to reduce the systems ground pressure.
But now that you mention it Greg, maybe an ability to fit a in the field' removable 'over tyre' caterpillar track over the two rear axle / tyres would achieve this desire of lowering the important ground pressure and give greater mobility!

Anyone got a side profile of a Caesar SPG we can have a play at?

M.A.D 

[GTX]

The Caesar wheeled SPH is what I would like to see in service with the Australian Army.
I very much disagree with the current ADF policy of 'its shinny I want it' and 'Hay they have it, we want it'.
Just look at the monster systems they are looking at Pz2000, AS-90 etc.............
Good system yes!
But they are way to heavy, expensive, and probably the most important in my opinion not strategically mobile enough.

Reply here.

Regards,

Greg

[dy031101]

I posted this picture in GTX's LAV thread originally.



I've been on and off thinking about the Chilean BMS-1 Alacrán.  I wonder if it can be outfitted in the same way, too.

Plus other weapon configurations for the Piranha- such as the TUA turret, M220 TOW launcher, Blazer turret of the LAV-AD, and the likes.

[dy031101]

dy031101: the Alacrán was quite a bit smaller than the LAV III -- width 2.38m vs 2.7m, length 6.37m vs 6.98m (although BAE was proposing the lengthened LAV IIIE for their SP). Maybe take the BAE LSPH's general arrangement and scale down to Alacrán size with a 105mm?

Would one adopted from the 122mm D-30 have worked?

(Not that I didn't like modern 105mm of course.)

[dy031101]

I wondered about that too but don't know the answer. We'll have to compare the weights of the BAE 155 and D-30.

M777 155mm weighs 3175kg, D-30 122mm weighs 3210kg, G7 (105mm from this point forward) weighs 3800kg, LG1 Mk.II weighs 1520kg, L118 weighs 1858kg, M119 weighs 2127kg......

The numbers are from Wikipedia entries for their towed versions, so the weights most likely include those of carriages...... (of course the LSPH arrangement includes the spade, which has to be taken into account.)

[amsci99]

There's this Iranian Half-Track APC which was reported in Jane's Armour & Artillery in the late 90s. Sounds like a new design with parts adapted from the BTR series. So far, I am unable to find a picture of it.

http://www.janes.com/articles/Janes-Armour-and-Artillery/Iranian-Armoured-Personnel-Carriers-Iran.html

[Weaver]

This future release from Ace looks interesting:



I'm thinking half-track limo.......

[Mossie]

Matador models do a kit for the Airfix AEC Matador, which converts it into the halftrack prototype:
http://matadormodels.co.uk/76m_kcm/lists.htm

[Weaver]

Matador models do a kit for the Airfix AEC Matador, which converts it into the halftrack prototype:
http://matadormodels.co.uk/76m_kcm/lists.htm

Cheers Mossie: that gives me an idea. I've just bought a JB Bedford 4-tonner, intending to turn it into a technical by fitting a Zu-23-2 AAA gun on the back, only to find that the soft top is moulded in one piece with the sides and would be very tricky to remove. Half-tracking it would be an interesting option though...

[GTX]

Were there ever any British halftracks?

If not maybe create one using something like a Bren Carrier as a starting point?

Regards,

Greg

[Mossie]

Apart from the Matador prototype, the only one I know about is the Centaur, a halftrack conversion of a Landrover.  It was developed in the early eighties by a company called Laird, never went further than several prototypes.  The tracks are shortened version from the Alvis Scorpion, so it's quite possible to convert a Land Rover in both 1/72 & 1/35.  Finding the Land Rover 110 Defender might be a problem, but you can always bash an earlier version.
http://www.landroverclub.net/Club/HTML/centaur.htm





There have been some versions of the Landie with tracks in place of the wheels too:
http://www.lr-mad.co.uk/tracked.html

[dy031101]

Very neat!