Author Topic: Leopard 1 and Leopard 2 Tanks  (Read 125132 times)

Offline GTX_Admin

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Re: Leopard 1 and Leopard 2 Tanks
« Reply #100 on: September 09, 2015, 04:40:14 AM »
Wow!  Its RC as well?!  Wow! :)
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Offline Marderman

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Re: Leopard 1 and Leopard 2 Tanks
« Reply #101 on: September 09, 2015, 05:53:40 PM »
The first time, I do a link to my video film. I hope, it will goes.

« Last Edit: September 09, 2015, 11:42:27 PM by Marderman »

Offline Volkodav

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Re: Leopard 1 and Leopard 2 Tanks
« Reply #102 on: September 09, 2015, 07:35:11 PM »
Cool, I've got a book somewhere with both the Vickers Mk7 and VMF Mk5 Light Tank (a simpler cheaper version of the XM-8 with a Vickers three man turret).  Love both Vickers concepts and its a shame neither got any orders, but this being a Whiff site what happened in the real world doesn't really matter.

Offline Marderman

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Re: Leopard 1 and Leopard 2 Tanks
« Reply #103 on: September 09, 2015, 11:39:57 PM »
In an old german "Soldat und Technik" that time I had read, that the Mk7/1 was testet in Egypt.

Offline Gingie

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Re: Leopard 1 and Leopard 2 Tanks
« Reply #104 on: October 07, 2015, 06:47:50 AM »
Kevin Williams is at it again with a promising Leopard Palletized transporter:





Thread here:
http://www.network54.com/Forum/169232/message/1443905025/Leopard+1+PLS+what-if

Offline Gingie

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Re: Leopard 1 and Leopard 2 Tanks
« Reply #105 on: October 09, 2015, 10:40:41 PM »
Another update from Kevin... this really makes a strong case for 3D printed parts!




Offline M.A.D

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Re: Leopard 1 and Leopard 2 Tanks
« Reply #106 on: October 11, 2015, 01:26:38 PM »
Kevin Williams is at it again with a promising Leopard Palletized transporter:





Thread here:
http://www.network54.com/Forum/169232/message/1443905025/Leopard+1+PLS+what-if


Sorry Gingie is this like a 'Demountable Rack Offload and Pickup System' (DROPS)?

M.A.D
« Last Edit: November 14, 2015, 06:40:06 AM by M.A.D »

Offline Marderman

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Re: Leopard 1 and Leopard 2 Tanks
« Reply #107 on: October 12, 2015, 12:28:51 AM »
Hello, the indonesian TNI have Leopard 2 since september 2013.

More photos in "physical models"

Offline GTX_Admin

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Re: Leopard 1 and Leopard 2 Tanks
« Reply #108 on: November 08, 2015, 04:56:25 AM »
Interesting image I just stumbled across:

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Offline dy031101

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Re: Leopard 1 and Leopard 2 Tanks
« Reply #109 on: November 08, 2015, 10:32:43 AM »
When I was browsing online for Leopard 2 pictures, I noticed that most Leopard 2 tanks have forward side skirts being thicker than the rest:

(Illustration courtesy of Armored Warfare by Obsidian Entertainment.)



What are those armour blocks intended to protect?

Thanks in advance.
« Last Edit: November 08, 2015, 11:27:41 AM by dy031101 »
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Offline Volkodav

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Re: Leopard 1 and Leopard 2 Tanks
« Reply #110 on: November 10, 2015, 11:17:23 PM »
Inspired by Weavers suggestion of Germany buying Chieftain as a heavy tank, how about the UK buying Leopards, in particular Leopard I, as a medium tank.

Back story, While fine for BAOR exercises in Norway, experience in the Falklands and later in the former Yugoslavia, demonstrates the need for a lighter, more mobile tank than Chieftain or Challenger to support Marine, Airborne / Airmobile and light infantry forces, a new medium tank.  There is a precedent for this, I have read that the Germans placed Leo 2s in reserve while retaining Leo 1s in some units due to their lower weights based on experience in the Balkans.

It could be that the desired vehicle is actually the M-8 or the Vickers Mk5 derivative, but the Leopards are readily available and much cheaper.

Weaver prompted this latest but the idea is much older, an idea I had years ago, involving the re-roling of the Household Cavalry Regiments to better support and supply significantly more combat power to amphibious and rapid deployments.

Offline Logan Hartke

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Re: Leopard 1 and Leopard 2 Tanks
« Reply #111 on: November 11, 2015, 12:06:39 AM »
It's not as far-fetched as it might seem, either, as the UK did acquire at least one Leo 1 variant, and both Australia and Canada went with the Leo 1, too, so it's not too hard to see it in British configuration for me.

Cheers,

Logan

Offline Weaver

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Re: Leopard 1 and Leopard 2 Tanks
« Reply #112 on: November 11, 2015, 08:12:06 AM »
Well the exchange I had in mind was the Chieftain for Germany in exchange for the Marder for the UK, but this works too. I've often thought it interesting that although the concept of heavy and medium tanks was supposed to be dead and replaced by the universal MBT, the way things developed actually made a heavy/medium split still perfectly doable.

Possible British-style mods to Leo I:

British-style 'soft' barrel jacket

Cupola with remote GPMG for commander, plain hatch for loader

Big IR searchlight on side of turret instead of Leo's small barrel-mounted one

Wedge-shaped ribbed storage boxes on sides of hull ahead of louvres

UK/US style smoke dischargers

The big question would be would the British Army keep the stereo rangefinder, which they wern't a fan of?
« Last Edit: November 11, 2015, 08:37:31 AM by Weaver »
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Offline Volkodav

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Re: Leopard 1 and Leopard 2 Tanks
« Reply #113 on: November 11, 2015, 11:07:03 PM »
I was thinking an 80s or 90s introduction as expeditionary warfare came back on the radar, specifically the need to provide armoured support in environments where roads, bridges and terrain appeared unsuitable for the Chieftain / Challenger sized vehicles (I say appeared because these assumptions have often been disproved).  One thing that is true though is the Leopard 1 is smaller and lighter as well as easier to transport than the Chieftain.

I am thinking either a single regiment supporting the UKs light, marine and airborne infantry on the same sort of scale as the US independent tank battalions, i.e. one tank battalion/regiment per nine battalion infantry division, or three medium weight Armoured Cavalry Regiment similar to the type being formed for the Australian army at the moment (google Beersheba Brigade).  In the later case instead of one medium tank regiment supporting a division there would be three ACRs, each supporting a three battalion brigade, with each ACR having one medium tank squadron, one cavalry squadron and an APC/AIFV Squadron (which would let you have your Marders as well).

Which units to use?  I was thinking Household Cavalry for the single regiment or the separate Life Guards, Royal Horse Guards and (dis amalgamated) Royal Dragoons for the ACRs.

Offline GTX_Admin

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Re: Leopard 1 and Leopard 2 Tanks
« Reply #114 on: November 12, 2015, 02:28:10 AM »
Interesting Leo 1 and Chieftain side-by-side comparison:




Leopard 1:
Weight   42.2 tonnes (increased on later models from original 40.0 tonnes)
Length   9.54/8.29 m (gun forward/rearward)
Width   3.37 m
Height   2.39/2.70 m (turret roof/absolute)
Chieftain:
Weight   55 long tons (62 short tons; 56 t)
Length   35 ft 4 in (10.77 m) – gun forward
7.5 m (24 ft 7 in) – hull
Width   12 ft 0 in (3.66 m)
Height   2.9 m (9 ft 6 in)
All hail the God of Frustration!!!

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Offline Gingie

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Re: Leopard 1 and Leopard 2 Tanks
« Reply #115 on: November 13, 2015, 01:58:21 AM »
More from Kevin:





 :-*

Offline arkon

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Re: Leopard 1 and Leopard 2 Tanks
« Reply #116 on: November 13, 2015, 08:27:31 AM »
I have a hard enough time building parts that don't move, is he building it so it all works? If so, my hat is off to this gentleman.
the paper gods demand sacrifice

Offline ysi_maniac

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Re: Leopard 1 and Leopard 2 Tanks
« Reply #117 on: January 19, 2016, 01:55:28 AM »
I love Leopard-1


Offline Volkodav

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Re: Leopard 1 and Leopard 2 Tanks
« Reply #118 on: January 19, 2016, 08:48:35 PM »
In Australia the Leopard has been replaced by the Abrams and we are discovering / have discovered, that a lot of gear that was perfectly fine with the Leopard, or even the preceding Centurion is not compatible with the weight on the M-1A1 SEP.  This includes landing craft bridging equipment, barges etc.

The same would have been true with the Chieftain but earlier, potentially denying some expeditionary forces not just armour support but direct fire support as well.  This is the niche the Leopard could have fitted.

Offline GTX_Admin

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Re: Leopard 1 and Leopard 2 Tanks
« Reply #119 on: June 26, 2016, 07:44:57 AM »
Some interesting Leo AS.1 images etc here such as these:


All hail the God of Frustration!!!

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Offline tahsin

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Re: Leopard 1 and Leopard 2 Tanks
« Reply #120 on: June 29, 2016, 07:13:06 PM »
When I was browsing online for Leopard 2 pictures, I noticed that most Leopard 2 tanks have forward side skirts being thicker than the rest:

(Illustration courtesy of Armored Warfare by Obsidian Entertainment.)



What are those armour blocks intended to protect?

Thanks in advance.


Increasing the thickness against incoming shots from 11 to 2 o'clocks as you climb the hilltop to fire?

Offline apophenia

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Re: Leopard 1 and Leopard 2 Tanks
« Reply #121 on: June 30, 2016, 11:24:55 AM »
What are those armour blocks intended to protect?

The four armour blocks act as added protection for the hull ammunition racks.
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Offline Zaskar24

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Re: Leopard 1 and Leopard 2 Tanks
« Reply #122 on: July 21, 2016, 05:55:18 AM »
http://www.janes.com/article/60318/rheinmetall-to-unveil-130mm-smoothbore-tank-gun-at-eurosatory

Has anyone seen this yet. After dropping the 140mm it looks like the introduction of the T-14 Armata by Russia has at least the Germans worried.  For now the image of the gun mounted is on an Evolution series Leopard 2.

Found this over on Secret Projects.  http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,26693.0.html



Offline GTX_Admin

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Re: Leopard 1 and Leopard 2 Tanks
« Reply #123 on: July 22, 2016, 02:38:36 AM »
Have been watching this for a while.  It will be interesting to see if the new 130mm gun is adopted by anyone.  Either way, it is likely to require an autoloader given the increased size of the ammunition:



Mind you, even if they don't some 1/35 versions of either this (or the 140mm one) would go down nicely...
« Last Edit: July 22, 2016, 02:41:14 AM by GTX_Admin »
All hail the God of Frustration!!!

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Offline GTX_Admin

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Re: Leopard 1 and Leopard 2 Tanks
« Reply #124 on: July 22, 2016, 02:49:51 AM »
It would be cool if one could get a conversion kit to allow one to model the Rheinmetall MBT Technologieträger:



More photos/details here.
All hail the God of Frustration!!!

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But you can make the Bastard work for it.