Walking battletanks?

Oh yeah. The mod to Mech Warrior 3 was a never released title called
Pirates Moon. When Microsoft took over and put out Mech 4, they
finally released Pirates Moon. The Black Knight, remember. But Opps,
sorry, that aint the real topic here, just got carried away. As with most
science fiction, it sounds great but flunks the science test. Lets see, the
largest, Dashi, was 100 tons. Top speed, around 60 mph. Compare
that to the largest tank in history.
www.panzerworld.net...
The Maus was a failure. Even a GI on foot could outrun it. And though
no allied field weapon could hurt it, by the time it could get somewhere,
everything it was after would be gone. Enemies: small mammals who
eat the eggs?? Needed separate units to protect it from aircraft as it
was a "bomb magnet", with little overhead armor, and thats at 188 tons,
folks. So lets drop down to a lesser weight, like the Abrams. Imagine
an Abrams loosing a track in a manner that causes it to roll. Its done,
out of action. You dont want to be inside either. Now take a Dashi
running top speed and trips. (Momentum = mass times velocity).
Its done, and hopefully you ejected first. Likewise for jump jets.
You gonna bet your life on those? Drop an Abrams from 300
meters up. Wanna ride down with it? I think a few folk above this
post really covered the complexity issue well. And on top of all that,
these things dont have "sloped armor"? Gads, You would never find
me in one of these coffins, it would be like playing Russian Roulette
with a fully loaded revolver.
Now the game is entirely a different matter.........uh...
"charlie - tango, ranger one, I am picking up mech power-ups in objective
bravo north,...please advise....."



/\/ight\/\/ing

Mechs as Main Battle Armor would be dreadfully useless. An RPG could sever the legs very easily.

Anything a leg does, tracks do it better.

Originally posted by necro99
Mechs as Main Battle Armor would be dreadfully useless. An RPG could sever the legs very easily.

Anything a leg does, tracks do it better.

not really, how many tanks do you see being able to up at a 50 degree angle? plus TREADS cannot go up rocky mountains, troops would have to do that, but y risk lives when you can have a POWERFUL ARMOR going up with legs?

*cough*ATGMMAGNET*cough*

coughbullcough and can u c a tank going over REALLY slippery surfaces and a walker could have the advantage crossing hole or crater full terrain

stuff like the Goliath and MechWarrior platforms are probably a good way off... legs are terribly inefficient things

terribly inneficient?

legs are what let us go anywhere we want. Wheels may be more energy efficient, but they are limited in use.

I was using the term "ballistics" as a missile, like in Mechwarrior.

By the time we can make mechs, we will have the technology to stop bullets and missiles. And how many troops do you ever see in Mechwarrior? none. If you had an ak-47 and you see this hundred foot metal beast with legs walking towards you, are you gonna stand your ground?

Originally posted by MrJingles

terribly inneficient?

legs are what let us go anywhere we want. Wheels may be more energy efficient, but they are limited in use.

I was using the term "ballistics" as a missile, like in Mechwarrior.

By the time we can make mechs, we will have the technology to stop bullets and missiles. And how many troops do you ever see in Mechwarrior? none. If you had an ak-47 and you see this hundred foot metal beast with legs walking towards you, are you gonna stand your ground?

The logisitics of repairing and maintaining the hydraulics and other components needed to keep a huge walking tank up and running far outweighs the affordability and surviviability offered by a low to the ground treaded vehicle.

Like someone said way back, I think armored exoskeletons are more realistic than Mechs. We've already seen the beginnings of this technology.

Anyone play Terra Nova?

The logisitics of repairing and maintaining the hydraulics and other components needed to keep a huge walking tank up and running far outweighs the affordability and surviviability offered by a low to the ground treaded vehicle.

I see what your saying, but who said they had to use a hydraulic system?

I'm sure there are other ways of doing it without hydraulics, though we're probably a long way off.

Originally posted by MrJingles

I see what your saying, but who said they had to use a hydraulic system?

I'm sure there are other ways of doing it without hydraulics, though we're probably a long way off.

Oh ok, if your arguing that these machines are feasible within the distant future I whole heartedly agree that by then we will prob have some anti grav components or some other alternative to hydraulics.

glad to see im not the only one who reads battletech.forgive me for this but i must have my say....
the Daishi (or the Dire Wolf as it should be called-always use the clan name) is not the biggest.the jupiter is.ok now ive shown off my geekiness let me give my opinion.

mechs would have certain advantages (walking on difficult terrain,firepower,etc.) but would need large ammounts of armour to make them worthwhile.so they probably would have to be about 100 tons.also they would (like in the BTech books if youve read them) need to be supported by tanks and power armour infantry.they would be so large and slow that they could be captured by Battle Armour (once again happens in the books)also the fact that they are so heavy would be a bit of an environmental disaster.they would create shockwaves and tremors in the ground and they would tear up any land they walked on.people would protest against their use in war (or at least in large numbers)

oh and in reply to agent47 they could run on the same principle as the mechs in BTech : synthetic muscles and fusion reactors.no hydraulics although you would have one helluva volatile power source

[Edited on 13-3-2004 by AlphaOfTheOmega]

well, basically you are al missing th point, LEGS dont have hydraulics, they have joints, the joints are made up of a single wheel in the middle and 4 components to keep the two implemants(the parts of the leg) from going in the wrong direction and topsizing the mech.

Now if anyone has played armored cored 2, AA, and 3 you wouldk now that there are legs that come in various froms, Bipedial, Quadropedal, reverse bipedal, treads, and hover leg. Hover legs utilize in anti grav so that hydraulics are needed. PLus with anti grav, it only requires energy so the maintaining costs are cut in half DRAMATICALLY. And if you want to talk maintenance costs, lets start a conversation on the B-2.

I don't want walking battle tanks I want hoover battle tanks with the ability of using energy weapons , energy shielding, active optical cloaking and active stealth...

Originally posted by MarkLuitzen
I don't want walking battle tanks I want hoover battle tanks with the ability of using energy weapons , energy shielding, active optical cloaking and active stealth...

See atleast you agree with me, HOVER LEGS and everything energy is the way to go baby!

Robotech, Veratech will be the future. IMO

i think that scientists will look back and copy natures design for walking machines because nature has had several million years to perfect it
also i agree that tanks would be better cost speaking but imagine the possibilities of having a 100 foot version of a human you could go places where tanks,people couldnt go
it ma be improbable but not impossible nothing's really impossible (well mabye MCDONALDS getting your order right first time but hay)

ive got to agree.they will use nature as a template.

he he pay close attention to the avatar.

A soldiers best friend is the ground and the taller they make e'm the harder they'll break e'm. Interesting idea though but very inpractical in the field.

i think u are thinnking too big...imagine a smaller platform..1 operator or possibly remote controled, able to carry a stabilized heavy mg or grenade launcher. look at some of the new tech in exoskeletons.....now add some of the new stealth tech. able to take damage and when too damaged the operator can dismount and fight on foot...sorta like you have to kill it twice...it's a strecth but a guy can dream.......sometimes bigger isn't better

of course it could not use an internal cumbustion engine....that would probly be one of the biggest hurdels