Hover tank challenge

photoguy · Post by **photoguy** » Sat Jan 16, 2010 8:38 pm

So I was just looking through the stash for inspiration, and my wife sees my obvious displeasure at NOT being able to find the right base kit. She pulls a PL Scorpion kit from behind her back and announces that she found it on a clearance rack today for $3....

Hmmmmmmm.

DEC · Post by **DEC** » Sun Jan 17, 2010 3:28 am

OT - sorry: but i've got to say it Photoguy
YOUR WIFE SOUNDS AWESOME

You lucky guy.

DEC

Old Wombat · Post by **Old Wombat** » Sun Jan 17, 2010 8:45 am

Oh, dear!

Here I was, quietly reading this forum & then my mind shifted to 2 toys I have in the shed slated to become space-fighters & their potential to be... dammit!... HOVERTANKS!!!! Aaaarrrrggh!

(I've got too much on the "to do" list as it is!

)

OK, I'm in, but don't expect them to be built soon!

artships · Post by **artships** » Sun Jan 17, 2010 3:35 pm

Say "hovertank" to me and my first thought is a conventional tank with the bottom lopped-off where the wheels would be. But, I also always thought of this little diversion as a hovertank, except I had to add engines and little guns so it wouldn't offend anybody looking for a fighter. Which means any flat-ish aircraft fuselage - Say, the top of an F-111 - Could be the basis of a hovertank. This could be fun!

DEC · Post by **DEC** » Sun Jan 17, 2010 4:15 pm

Hello Artships

Say "hovertank" to me and my first thought is a conventional tank with the bottom lopped-off where the wheels would be.

You'll need to read the begin of the thread, the observation you make is exactly what HWR MkII was trying to get away from, while it may make for a nice looking model it goes against the ' plausable reality' to just have a real world tank with out suspension and tracks.

I've seen your great looking models so I'm sure you could go the whole way with a unique body design.

regards
DEC

Melw · Post by **Melw** » Sun Jan 17, 2010 9:26 pm

So I guess the ones on the cover of John Ringo's,
Eye of the storm would be right out.

To see a small pic of the cover got here and scroll down.
http://www.baen.com/author_catalog.asp?author=jringo
Mel W.

Blappy · Post by **Blappy** » Sun Jan 17, 2010 11:06 pm

Melw wrote:So I guess the ones on the cover of John Ringo's,
Eye of the storm would be right out.
To see a small pic of the cover got here and scroll down.
http://www.baen.com/author_catalog.asp?author=jringo
Mel W.

Wow. Tanks dropped from orbit. I was thinking of doing that and here I see someone else has already thought of it.

Joseph C. Brown · Post by **Joseph C. Brown** » Sun Jan 17, 2010 11:37 pm

Old school rpg called Traveller (well, MegaTraveller). Back in the '80's:

"The Rapid Deployment Aeroshell (RDA) is a weapons delivery system. The RDA is an ECM-laden atmospheric reentry module designed to fit any combination of four Astrins and Trepidas. Use of this system allows the vehicles to be delivered at high speeds to a planetary surface. When the RDA reaches low altitude, it deploys its carried vessels and attempts to return to the orbiting mothership on its grav drive. The RDA is unmanned being piloted by either its onboard computers or remotely. "

Trepidas were the heavy grav tanks, and Astrins were their supporting grav APCs.

Kylwell · Post by **Kylwell** » Mon Jan 18, 2010 12:19 am

Some of my early works on hover tanks.

DEC · Post by **DEC** » Mon Jan 18, 2010 3:13 am

Hi Kylwell
The 'Early fan' design is most interesting and its body shape very similar to what i'm working on. Wide with a lot of scoops and fans- makes sense especially for a 'early' design / proof of concept vehicle.

DEC

Buzzbomb · Post by **Buzzbomb** » Mon Jan 18, 2010 5:23 am

Kylwell wrote:Some of my early works on

Great stuff there.. something for everyone

Kylwell · Post by **Kylwell** » Mon Jan 18, 2010 1:55 pm

Thanks all (or should I say "Tanks All").

I've got sketches that date back nearly 30 years. Been drawing for quite the time. Somewhere I've got one done by Bob based on a Subaru XT.

DEC · Post by **DEC** » Tue Jan 19, 2010 6:23 pm

Buzzbomb are you working on something for this challenge, I know you love AFV's and are incredibly skilled so i'm sure it would be right up your street.

DEC

shadowbeast · Post by **shadowbeast** » Thu Jan 21, 2010 2:10 am

chrisjon65 wrote:
shadowbeast wrote:Ridiculous as a steam powered hovercraft sounds, there is a gaming miniatures range where the humans have steam tanks and the kits are released in both wheeled or hover versions...
I also thought a steampowered hovertank wouldn't really work but when the steam power is generating tubines that produce electricity that drive 5000rpm fans then it would work

Until you run out of water.

chrisjon65 · Post by **chrisjon65** » Fri Jan 22, 2010 3:54 pm

Good point but no matter what power source is used it will run out sooner or later,the thought of radioactive materials and other volatile fuel sources on a tank concerns me so i decided having boiling water spray all over the crew would be more exceptible

Blappy · Post by **Blappy** » Fri Jan 22, 2010 4:39 pm

chrisjon65 wrote: Good point but no matter what power source is used it will run out sooner or later,the thought of radioactive materials and other volatile fuel sources on a tank concerns me so i decided having boiling water spray all over the crew would be more exceptible

My Zero Point Energy Module will tap into its energy source forever. You just turn the dial up or down as needed. It is not stored in the device the device simply "taps" into it. It is also solid state so no moving parts to wear out.

chrisjon65 · Post by **chrisjon65** » Sat Jan 23, 2010 4:35 pm

Yah gotta love Sci Fi modelling where there are no boundaries and only Sci Fi modelers can power hovertanks with Zero Point Energy Modules

DEC · Post by **DEC** » Sat Jan 23, 2010 8:15 pm

Hi Blappy

I'm reading about Zero Point energy right now. All good stuff even if its still out of reach. I wonder about

No moving parts

?

The accounts I read have a ceramic disc rotating at high speed as the intiater of AG lift. While there are far less parts to wear out than a conventioanl engine I interpret that to start the revolutions some mechanical devices are needed?

Neat idea though.

DEC

Butters · Post by **Butters** » Sun Jan 24, 2010 2:37 am

Oh, dammit! Now I've gone and found THIS thread.

When's the challenge date?

HWR MKII · Post by **HWR MKII** » Sun Jan 24, 2010 4:15 am

Umm now to whenever. But completion before were all dead would be nice.

bigh827 · Post by **bigh827** » Sun Jan 24, 2010 4:41 pm

HWR MKII wrote:Umm now to whenever. But completion before were all dead would be nice.

Oh great so nows there's a dead line.

HWR MKII · Post by **HWR MKII** » Sun Jan 24, 2010 10:04 pm

Another reason for no deadline is i have another thing i want to make. I have some leftover hoverfans from the gundam hovertruck. Some ideas have come to mind.

DEC · Post by **DEC** » Mon Jan 25, 2010 4:55 pm

Butters good to have you on board! so..... Watcha building?

DEC.

DEC · Post by **DEC** » Mon Jan 25, 2010 4:56 pm

Butters good to have you on board! so..... Watcha building?

DEC. oops double post, how did that happen.

Butters · Post by **Butters** » Mon Jan 25, 2010 9:59 pm

Hey Dec.... sent you a PM.

Well, I don't know exactly what my project will be, and hopefully I can beat the deadline!

Just have to finish Just Glue It, first!

modelnutz · Post by **modelnutz** » Mon Jan 25, 2010 11:00 pm

I've been noodling away on a few things for this challenge ( my first ! )

My concept is a light infantry support tank...used in urban warfare.
Levitated by the now famous C/BT device and using polarizing panels to manouver within the Earth's magnetic fields....armed with an electromagnetic gun of varyable power...( heavy charge for vehicles and maximum damage...smaller, less compressed, charge can act as a massive taser, knocking out ground troops.) Also armed with 2x 30 cal. chain guns for the ones who just won't stay down

Also, did I mention....no driver...it's an un-manned hover tank.
Reduces the need for armor so the tank is much lighter and much more manouverable. Typically controlled by a remote operator...but, it can be switched over to a hand held control unit...quite the RC tank !

So far, I have the main gun fabbed up as well as the gun's APU ( Advanced Power Unit )....next, I move on to the "brains" ( satelite up-link unit ) and then to the C/BT Levitation Unit.
Whole tank is designed in the "building block" concept.
Easy to replace modular components are the rule.

Gonna be mostly a space frame type vehicle...with internal ceramic armor in key locations....it may also feature "slat" style armor as that seems to be a pretty effective solution to RPG type weapons and is easy to field repair.

Question...any ideas as to the ideal urban camo ?

I'd love to show a few pics, but I don't have a pic hosting site yet...can anyone help post a few pics ?

DOMENECH1776 · Post by **DOMENECH1776** » Mon Jan 25, 2010 11:13 pm

onezero wrote:Oh, I just had a Very Bad Idea.....

I've been hoping for you to expand on this. Share!

Butters · Post by **Butters** » Tue Jan 26, 2010 2:03 am

modelnutz wrote:Question...any ideas as to the ideal urban camo ?

Ideal? Camo that can change color, adapt to it surroundings, and display a nearly infinite choice of stored images.

B*tch to paint, tho.

Dr. Yo · Post by **Dr. Yo** » Tue Jan 26, 2010 5:57 pm

some of my earlier grav tank builds.

Old 69(1)

Old 69(2)

Old 69(3)

SSC drone command car (above)

drone command car (below)

TY-34

striped

shadowbeast · Post by **shadowbeast** » Tue Jan 26, 2010 10:01 pm

chrisjon65 wrote: Good point but no matter what power source is used it will run out sooner or later,the thought of radioactive materials and other volatile fuel sources on a tank concerns me so i decided having boiling water spray all over the crew would be more exceptible

Managing water in a steam engine is more complex than fuel for an IC/hybrid/more exotic power pack.