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Author Topic: Dropping tanks  (Read 14846 times)

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Ice Hellion

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Dropping tanks
« on: August 12, 2010, 01:39:39 AM »
Would it be possible to drop tanks from the air and make them land with their crew onboard?
Perhaps something like an attached parachute with thrusters could be used?
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Recusant

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Re: Dropping tanks
« Reply #1 on: August 12, 2010, 01:49:49 AM »
I believe you can drop parachute drop a tank (in the now)
I think they have done it with the Abrams Battle Tank, though I am not 100% on that.

I don't know about dropping it with the crew inside though, could be a awfully bumpy ride.
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Blacknova

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Re: Dropping tanks
« Reply #2 on: August 12, 2010, 01:58:41 AM »
You can also drop them wthout the chute.

Poor mans orbital bombardment. 
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lrose

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Re: Dropping tanks
« Reply #3 on: August 12, 2010, 08:52:00 AM »
Quote from: Recusant on August 12, 2010, 01:49:49 AM
I believe you can drop parachute drop a tank (in the now)
I think they have done it with the Abrams Battle Tank, though I am not 100% on that.

I don't know about dropping it with the crew inside though, could be a awfully bumpy ride.


You can't air drop an Abrams at 70 tons it is too heavy- you are thinking of the M551 Sheridan and it's successor the (cancelled) M8 AGS.  Both of those could be dropped by Parachute.  The crews jumped separately. 


Now in BT you can't drop tanks, but IIRC mech drop cocoons were derived from a failed attempt at building a similar system for tanks.
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Takiro

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Re: Dropping tanks
« Reply #4 on: August 12, 2010, 12:10:22 PM »
Another reason why the Mech is the King of the Battlefield and the Tank is a mere conventional tool used mainly by defenders.
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Gabriel

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Re: Dropping tanks
« Reply #5 on: August 13, 2010, 12:11:57 AM »
While it is true that you can not drop tanks. The Old Soviet Union was able and did drop BMD-1 infantry fighting vehicles with crew members aboard using a combination of parachutes and retrorockets. So I submit that with the huge technological leap foward in military tech. You should be able to airdrop a tank using parachutes or a variation of the mech cocoon
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Ice Hellion

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Re: Dropping tanks
« Reply #6 on: August 13, 2010, 04:30:31 AM »
Quote from: Gabriel on August 13, 2010, 12:11:57 AM
You should be able to airdrop a tank using parachutes or a variation of the mech cocoon

Exactly what I want.
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"In turn they tested each Clan namesake
in trial against the Ice Hellion's mettle.
Each chased the Ice Hellion, hunting it down.
All failed to match the predator's speed and grace.
Khan Cage smiled and said, "And that is how we shall be."

The Remembrance (Clan Ice Hellion) Passage 5, Verse 3, Lines 1 - 5

lrose

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Re: Dropping tanks
« Reply #7 on: August 13, 2010, 06:06:35 AM »
Quote from: Gabriel on August 13, 2010, 12:11:57 AM
While it is true that you can not drop tanks. The Old Soviet Union was able and did drop BMD-1 infantry fighting vehicles with crew members aboard using a combination of parachutes and retrorockets. So I submit that with the huge technological leap foward in military tech. You should be able to airdrop a tank using parachutes or a variation of the mech cocoon

You can airdrop tanks- just not heavy tanks like the M1 Abrams.  Check out this video showing a parachute drop of a US M551 Sheridan.

4 x M551 Sheridan Light Tanks LVAD C-5B Paradrop

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Gabriel

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Re: Dropping tanks
« Reply #8 on: August 13, 2010, 07:15:36 AM »
While true, I concede the evidence . I still submit in the Age of War to the Star League dissolution you could drop heavy Tanks out of what ever vehicle you were using. BYE Y'All
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Re: Dropping tanks
« Reply #9 on: August 13, 2010, 09:19:17 AM »
Right up until the Age of War research was likely done to achieve such an advance like Irose said. Perhaps it proved infeasible then the Mech came along and the need was no longer there. I suppose if somebody wanted to put the time and effort in they could do it. Likely it would cost more then Mech paradrops and the tank would be prone to breakdowns.
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Ice Hellion

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Re: Dropping tanks
« Reply #10 on: August 14, 2010, 02:09:16 AM »
And what about using Kangas for such air drops?
« Last Edit: August 14, 2010, 02:09:49 AM by Ice Hellion »
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"In turn they tested each Clan namesake
in trial against the Ice Hellion's mettle.
Each chased the Ice Hellion, hunting it down.
All failed to match the predator's speed and grace.
Khan Cage smiled and said, "And that is how we shall be."

The Remembrance (Clan Ice Hellion) Passage 5, Verse 3, Lines 1 - 5

LordGrayson

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Re: Dropping tanks
« Reply #11 on: August 14, 2010, 02:51:53 AM »
 U can drop a M1 out of a airplane but I don't think its really a drop as the plane is usually really low and its more pushed/pulled out of the really low flying plane then dropped out not sure if the crew was in those tanks or not. It was fun watching the Air Force show off its planes tho :). Ps the tank is pulled out of the cargo bay by the parachute
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lrose

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Re: Dropping tanks
« Reply #12 on: August 14, 2010, 07:37:48 AM »
Quote from: LordGrayson on August 14, 2010, 02:51:53 AM
U can drop a M1 out of a airplane but I don't think its really a drop as the plane is usually really low and its more pushed/pulled out of the really low flying plane then dropped out not sure if the crew was in those tanks or not. It was fun watching the Air Force show off its planes tho :). Ps the tank is pulled out of the cargo bay by the parachute

You're thinking of LAPES (Low Altitude Parachute Extraction System) in which a tank is deployed at very low altitude from a plane (like a few feet off the ground) using a parachute to pull the tank out an a pallet to absorb the impact.  As far as I know this is not possible with the M1- the only 2 planes capable of handling LAPES are the C130 and C17.  While the C-17 can carry a single M1  as I understand it the limits for LAPES are around 42,000 lbs- much less then the weight of an M1 Abrams, 
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Ice Hellion

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Re: Dropping tanks
« Reply #13 on: August 15, 2010, 01:12:23 PM »
Quote from: lrose on August 14, 2010, 07:37:48 AM
like a few feet off the ground

Too low for me.  :D
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"In turn they tested each Clan namesake
in trial against the Ice Hellion's mettle.
Each chased the Ice Hellion, hunting it down.
All failed to match the predator's speed and grace.
Khan Cage smiled and said, "And that is how we shall be."

The Remembrance (Clan Ice Hellion) Passage 5, Verse 3, Lines 1 - 5

Gabriel

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Re: Dropping tanks
« Reply #14 on: October 07, 2010, 11:59:38 PM »
Hi I was looking through my bt books when I came upon the Combat  Equipment Sourcebook. According to page 85 Vehicular Dropchutes  you can drop mechs, vehicles and even cargo canisters up to 100 tons in total mass, but they are only effective when used on worlds with an atmosphere of some kind as they rely on air resistance to slow descent. Also said units except cargo containers are crewed. I thought this might help
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Fear is our most powerful weapon and a Heavy Regiment of Von Rohrs Battlemech's is a very close second.-attributed to Kozo Von Rohrs
Will of Iron,Nerves of Steel,Heart of Gold,Balls of Brass... No wonder I set off metal detectors.Death or Compliance now that's not to much to ask for,is it?
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