Anti Aircraft Centurion

[monkeyhanger]

I've been raking around in my spares box and came up with some bits. For a while I've been considering a Centurion hull mounting a Bofors 40mm gun. Attaced are some picutres of the start of a radar directed 40mm gun turret. The white plastice card has just been stuck together and needs some trimming and cleaning up. The gun is a standard Airfix 40mm Bofors. I intend to add bits and pieces to make the new turret look more business like. The radar is a nose from a Matchbox Meteor. Probably needs to be cut down a bit. Using th eradome gets over the problem of fabricating a dish.

[Weaver]

Interesting project.

Remember that the basic Bofors takes 4-round clips fed from above, and most high-capacity magazine systems for it (mostly naval) involve a big box or mechanism above the gun which would be awkward in a turret. You might therefore consider inverting it, as the Swedes did for the CV9040 IFV.

[monkeyhanger]

That had occurred to me. The box at the rear of the turret is supposed to contain the electronics for the guidance and the dome contains the tracking dish. I think I need a bit of a think about the way the gun will be loaded - bu treally the project came out of what was kicking around in the spares box. Solution to follow soon.

[JayBee]

AS Weave' said "the basic Bofors", so What If this is not just a basic model?

[rickshaw]

If you turn the gun on its side, it can be feed from a mechanically driven, linkless magazine as per the Italian Breda 40mm Naval mounts.   



This doesn't need to be modelled if the entire gun and magazine are contained under armour.  The use of an aircraft radome however might not be a good idea.  Remember, the scanner is optimised to point towards the tip of an aircraft radome, whereas if it is suddenly turned on its side the scanner is either reduced in size or becomes rather elongated (great for vertical search but a very narrow band).  British SAM radomes at this time on say, the Rapier tended to be drum shaped, rather than pointed, to allow the scanner to be broad and narrow, optimised for a wide but relatively narrow search pattern pointed at the horizon (if that makes any sense). 


(the drum between the missile launcher arms actually contains the search radar)

You'll also need an acquisition and ranging radar, if you want try blindfire capability.   If you look at other SPAD systems you'll usually see two radars - a search radar and an acquisition radar.  The search radar detects the approaching aircraft, the acquisition radar "acquires" it and directs the weapon (gun/SAM) to it.


The Gepard SPAG is a perfect example of this with the Search radar above and the acquisition radar between the guns.

[Weaver]

You don't neccessarily need a target-tracking radar: the French DCAA system and a number of others have a search radar for warning and electro-optics for tracking. There's also the example of the ZSU-24-4, which has a "fire-control-style" radar which rotates for search and then stops and tracks the target.

Also, for a search radar, you don't neccessarily need to fabricate a "dish": many search radars have their delicate aerials contained in a rotating "bar" or "slab" shaped enclosure that's relatively easy to model. The Dutch version of the Gepard has just such an aerial IIRC.

[IanH]

Didn't Bae Systems mount their Marksman system on a Cent?

[buzzbomb]

Like the idea, especially using spares box bits. Go for it
But to my thinking the open mount is a bit anachonistic, the Bofors on the Crusader hull is a similar concept, if short lived
Now a Gepard like mount for the Centurion, like the Marksman would be a goer and the auto loader does have a lot of merit.

[IanH]

Also, for a search radar, you don't neccessarily need to fabricate a "dish": many search radars have their delicate aerials contained in a rotating "bar" or "slab" shaped enclosure that's relatively easy to model. The Dutch version of the Gepard has just such an aerial IIRC.

That's right Weaver

[rickshaw]

Didn't Bae Systems mount their Marksman system on a Cent?

Not that I'm aware of.  Chieftain, definitly and the T-72 (which is what Finland mounts them on).

[rickshaw]

You don't neccessarily need a target-tracking radar: the French DCAA system and a number of others have a search radar for warning and electro-optics for tracking. There's also the example of the ZSU-24-4, which has a "fire-control-style" radar which rotates for search and then stops and tracks the target.

Also, for a search radar, you don't neccessarily need to fabricate a "dish": many search radars have their delicate aerials contained in a rotating "bar" or "slab" shaped enclosure that's relatively easy to model. The Dutch version of the Gepard has just such an aerial IIRC.

Depends on what time period we're discussing.  Dishes were more easily made.  You don't start seeing different shapes for radar aerials until the late 1950s and then they're limited to wedges for the most part (ignoring that the first radar aerials tended to be yagis or mattress arrays, for the moment).

[IanH]

Didn't Bae Systems mount their Marksman system on a Cent?

Not that I'm aware of.  Chieftain, definitly and the T-72 (which is what Finland mounts them on).

I believe that it was an upgrade for existing vehicles - if the Cent has the same Turret Ring Diameter, then it'll fit.

[Captain Canada]

Cool ! The more Centurions the merrier !

[monkeyhanger]

OK, had a bit of time to think about this one and digest the feedback.

I think two versions are in the offing.

One that is just a 40mm Bofors mounted on a Centurion hull. No search/tracking radar, just  a more mobile gun

The second is a quadruple gun turret with tracking and search radars. This involves scratch building the barrels but I'm sure there is enough in the spares box to do it.

that is tonight's entertainment sorted.....

[ti]

A very well done build. I like it a lot.