Tanks (yep...I'm bored)

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13 years 5 months

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Having been an M-1 crewman myself I'm biased towards the Abrams, but.....whats everyones favorite tank?

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14 years 5 months

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Sorry don't know tanks......:)

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14 years

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The Tiger 2. Because it was a decade ahead of the rest and it looked stunning.

If you expand it to Artillery, the current AS-90 is just beautiful. I was fortunate enough to be involved in the development of new Target acquisition S/w for it and was present at a "Show off" testing. "We can fire a shell as heavy as your car for 30 miles and hit the dinner table I was aiming at". Quote the crew. Marvellous, inspiring, beautiful and Sexy.

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19 years 11 months

Posts: 10,160

The Tiger 2. Because it was a decade ahead of the rest...

When it was working at all, that is.

They tended to break down rather a lot because the weight of the tank was far more than it's drive train was designed to cope with.

Not to mention the dodgy steering system.

Great gun and heavy armour, but if a tank can't move then it becomes a pillbox - and a sitting duck for enemy artillery.

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19 years 5 months

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I'v always liked the looks of the M-60.

When I spent some time with the U.S. Army I got to go inside an M-1...very small inside. I'll stick with aircraft. :)

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13 years 5 months

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Driver has the best spot on an M-1. And the heater worked real well. Too well at times. It had 2 modes. On and off. No temp control at all.

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17 years 6 months

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I couldn’t possibly pick a favourite.....they’re all fascinating in their own way.

You couldn’t really call a tank beautiful (well not conventionally anyway) but most are extremely charismatic (and, to me, beautiful), even those that are damn-right ugly.

What tank has the best combination of charisma, combat potential and technical interest?

I’d probably put the Chieftain high on my list, despite its faults, but then I like the Challenger, Churchill, Centurion and Conqueror too, and that’s just a few more recent British tanks.

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13 years 7 months

Posts: 288

Russian T-80U is a work of art in my opinion, followed a close second by the T-90 then Challenger 2 and Leopard 2A6 in equal third with the Chinese ZTZ-99 fourth :)

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19 years 1 month

Posts: 6,043

How about this useless piece of carp ?
Tetrarch In its packing case ready for delivery :) Bovingdon tank museum - Hamilcar Glider section

http://i695.photobucket.com/albums/vv316/volvosmoker/Hamilcarfuselage.jpg

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=11&sqi=2&ved=0CFgQFjAK&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paradata.org.uk%2Fcontent%2Ftetrarch-light-tank&ei=z847TZvoCIq-4gbkxKznCg&usg=AFQjCNGBcsy9hgQbAS87prYosvDiKFqmWQ

edit...I have posted this before but you will have to sit through 3 low level + noisy Halifax towing passes :) before you see the hamilcar land and disgorge a vehicle (bren carrier in this case but similar for tetrarch)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wK_E4U2mEE

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17 years 6 months

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I remember reading years ago that during the D-Day landings a Tetrarch fell out of a Hamilcar glider.....over the channel!

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19 years 1 month

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Yes I remember that...hope the crew were not in it at the time :eek:

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14 years 5 months

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baz - you're a miserable old s*d - I rather enjoyed that You Tube clip...;):)

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24 years 2 months

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What I've read recently about the M1, it appears to have some major flaws, especially with the protection of key components again RPG's.

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20 years 8 months

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I know it was not exactly a practical design but at least the Swedish S-tank was different. Other than that I'd have to go for Chieftain or Merkava. No more ugly than any others but both proven to be effective.

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14 years 8 months

Posts: 387

Challenger 2 on the grounds it can take loads of RPG fire and survicve for 24 hours

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24 years 2 months

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For longevity of service, it's hard to beat the Centurion. I believe the Israelis still have a model in service based on it.

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14 years 9 months

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On looks alone I'd have to go for the Chieftain aswell, although the German Leopard 2 comes close!

Challenger 2 on the grounds it can take loads of RPG fire and survicve for 24 hours

I very much doubt my son would agree.

He's a tank commander in the British Army....!!

Member for

14 years

Posts: 1,234

When it was working at all, that is.

They tended to break down rather a lot because the weight of the tank was far more than it's drive train was designed to cope with.

Not to mention the dodgy steering system.

Great gun and heavy armour, but if a tank can't move then it becomes a pillbox - and a sitting duck for enemy artillery.


Yes. As the Gerry underwear was on Fire by then, it's completion was a bit rushed in 1944. Fearing it so much, a well aimed Allied raid took out most of the pdn line too.
Still a beauty though.