tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5030145265861917845.post9165870199345429140..comments2024-03-28T14:35:30.147-04:00Comments on Tank Archives: Porsche's LeopardPeterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09622237223229485503noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5030145265861917845.post-37746143575586571612018-08-26T15:51:31.163-04:002018-08-26T15:51:31.163-04:00It's very interesting to see that large diagra...It's very interesting to see that large diagram of the horseshoe-shaped VK3001 turret. It has obvious similarities to the VK4501 Tiger (P) turret that was designed later.<br />I have very detailed knowledge of the Tiger E turret's structure so I analysed the diagram in that light. I found that the similarities are more than superficial; the Tiger (P) turret is actually a modification of this one, just as the Tiger (H) is in turn a modification of that.<br />Some fundamental dimensions of this VK3001 turret carry over unchanged into the Tiger E turret !<br />As a result, I can tell you the following;<br />that VK3001 turret's side armour is 50mm.<br />the external radius of the turret (the rear is circular) is 1130mm.<br />the cupola's radius is 780mm<br /><br />David Byrden ... http://tiger1.infothe_ownerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17353047043939988140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5030145265861917845.post-36161206403527608592018-06-18T11:14:15.260-04:002018-06-18T11:14:15.260-04:00As I said I agree with the wastefulness of all ele...As I said I agree with the wastefulness of all electric drive. The flip side was Hitler was demanding more and more huge tanks and any tank over 40 tons with a conventional clutch and brake system caused excessive heat and wear on the front brakes, which required frequent changing. I did this only once and it took us all morning. The British Merritt-Brown type was regenerative and eliminated the brake problem. But the transmission broke down, often. So the German's were doomed no matter what type of transmission they put on their 50 plus ton tanks. The solution was not to build super heavy tanks. Sager ,William A.https://www.blogger.com/profile/06830369127449299646noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5030145265861917845.post-9269065317790578552018-06-17T15:26:21.188-04:002018-06-17T15:26:21.188-04:00Another detail that made the system less than sens...Another detail that made the system less than sensible in applications that don't seriously need it (think trains and large ships for the more worthwhile uses) is certain degree of sheer inefficiency due to conversion losses. You're first converting mechanical energy into electricity and then that electricity back again into mechanical energy - according to Wikipedia that's ballpark 19% net loss (10% at each step so 0.9 x 0.9) with today's technology and I'm going to go out on a limb and guess Forties generators and traction motors weren't nearly as efficient...Kellomieshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04915110653443066212noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5030145265861917845.post-64890138937824802602018-06-17T14:47:14.890-04:002018-06-17T14:47:14.890-04:00Yeah, the Ferdinand took 2 tons of copper to make ...Yeah, the Ferdinand took 2 tons of copper to make the electrics, I doubt this tank would use significantly less. Definitely not feasible economically for Germany.Peterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09622237223229485503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5030145265861917845.post-30948553266382383582018-06-17T12:53:24.329-04:002018-06-17T12:53:24.329-04:00I very much agree with you about the limitations o...I very much agree with you about the limitations of electric drive being strategic resources. Hence the reason I felt they should of just hobbled together the 10 to 15 hulls they had laying around and strap a simple forward firing 56 cal. 88mm on them and sent them to the front. I'm sure the Wehrmacht could find some stagnant part of the line with large open fields where this this SP Gun would do fine. PS your point is also valid when people insist that it would be easy to replace all our cars and trucks with electric power. I've been in copper and rare Earth mines and believe me, most environmentalist would not be happy if we dig a lot more of those huge holes.Sager ,William A.https://www.blogger.com/profile/06830369127449299646noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5030145265861917845.post-47757586919799510162018-06-16T23:09:46.124-04:002018-06-16T23:09:46.124-04:00...and then you run into the problem that all that......and then you run into the problem that all that electrical gear A) weighs quite a bit B) eats up a lot of copper which was a strategic resource outright indispensable for a great many other things (mostly electricity-related).<br />Tanks, by comparison, work fine without so cue the chopping block.<br /><br />Porsche's persistent fascination with the petrol-electric drive really did his sales no favours under wartime shortage conditions.Kellomieshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04915110653443066212noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5030145265861917845.post-60160339240280745502018-06-16T19:13:32.522-04:002018-06-16T19:13:32.522-04:00As a tank transmission fanatic I can see the appea...As a tank transmission fanatic I can see the appeal of a electric drive. The ability to perfectly regulate the speed of each track as opposed to jerky/clunky turns from many transmissions. Indeed had Germany built a turretless 40 ton Porsche design with the early 88mm gun, I suspect it would of made a good tank destroyer. Not to mention they could of gotten a small number to the front quickly. At least those engines would not of burned out like those of the 70 ton Elefant did when used at Kursk.<br />Sager ,William A.https://www.blogger.com/profile/06830369127449299646noreply@blogger.com