Wozwasnt

The UK are scrapping 40% of its MBT's [X(]

Can anyone lend me a tenner to buy one, or maybe we can go 50/50.

pattoncommander

I'd love to have a Scorpion. Have always wanted a Saladin. They drive like a dream, but guys who used to work on them say maintenance is a a real pain and the turret has to come off for much of the wheel control box problems. A few years ago they were selling of the huge Conquerers for next to nothing, but nobody wanted the big filthy running beasts. What do they have up for sale?

Rex Ross

Dang it dude! Why did you have to mention the Conqueror? Now ya got me all fired up again about scratchbuilding the big beasties!

Conqueror, T-30, Black Prince, Tortoise, and a dozen others............grrrrrr. I swore I wouldn't do another one of those big jobs when I finished my Elefant, and then again when I finished my T28. A Locust and Tetrarch are looking good to me now. Or maybe a Goliath would be even better.

Hopefully, I will calm down once again.

Let's see now, where's my medication?

rivetcounter

It's a lot more than a few years ago when we were selling off Conquer, its about 15 years since we were selling off Chieftain, Challenger I was gifted to one of the Arab states and the Government has announced today the reduction of 100 MBT's though we will have to wait and see what will happen to these tanks it may be that they are used as spare parts, I cant see them being sold just yet, Tony Blair would have gifted them to a future enemy

pattoncommander

My mistype[:@]... I was referring to the Chieftain. We ran with them in Germany and all I recall is they had a helluva long, mean gun but you could hear and see them coming miles away from that badly smoking diesel. Ran against competition with them on the TCPC (tank crew proficiency course) and the British crews were amazing. One loader was called "the recruit" as had only been on the tank for 9 years. [X(] German village people didn't like them because they were so heavy and had steel track.

Ex_Pat_Tanker

I would expect the Chally2's to get mothballed - the technology exists to cocoon them in plastic and hook them up to a aircon system to keep the moisture out.
Jordan received 900+ Chally 1's, hope we got a good price for them...

Wozwasnt

I knew a guy who ran chieftains in Germany. He said the locals soon learnt that a tank can stop faster then a car and when they do stop suddenly the back lifts up just high enough to fit the front end of a car under.


I think some of the Chally 2's may be converted into engineer vehicles.

Ex_Pat_Tanker

A mate of mine used to be a field test engineer on the Chally2 program - he told me whenever he drove up the road to the firing range on his own, the 50t quarry trucks coming the other way would run him off the road into the ditch - when he was accompanied by a troop of Her Majesties' Royal Tank Regt's finest, the shoe was on the other foot...

pattoncommander

Same thing happend with M-41s. We got a couple new M-41s in and one had a mishap on the way from the rail head. The shifter was tricky at that time...N at top and L-H down the left, however R was down a different slot on the right, off from L. It was very easy to shift from L directly to R and that's what happened. The driver (NOT ME [&:]) shifted into R from L and the tank stood on it's first 2 road wheels and back end came up and back down on the hood of the rear escort jeep. No one hurt but the engine was pushed through the bottom of the jeep frame and the two guys in the jeep had to change their drawers. Many such incidents happend and a lockout plate was eventually installed over the reverse slot.

I did notice back then that the maneuverability of the big Chieftain was very good for it's size and it did stop fast. Today, I think the Leo has the best braking system, but then, many things of changed. I was amazed at how fast I could stop an M-1A1 from 40 mph. Sure beats yanking back on two laterals and pushing down on a clutch.